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Vatic #2
Ariadne
The much anticipated sequel to international bestselling sci-fi mystery, ‘Vatic’
Never play with madness
Experimental Company bioship, the CSS Ariadne, has cut all communications and launched herself into hyperspace—heading towards enemy territory and certain destruction if she cannot be stopped.
The crew managed to send out an SOS before the Ariadne disappeared. Someone was murdered… but who?
Vatic, a Skilled empath in the reluctant employ of the Company, is drugged and forced to board the rogue ship. He arrives to find the vessel full of corpses, a small band of suspicious survivors, and no explanations.
Our hero soon realises that not everyone who survived is as they seem. There is an imposter aboard, but who is it, and what are their motives?
Vatic must use all his talents if he and the ship are going to survive.
But survival is what the Skilled do best... isn't it?
Never play with madness
Experimental Company bioship, the CSS Ariadne, has cut all communications and launched herself into hyperspace—heading towards enemy territory and certain destruction if she cannot be stopped.
The crew managed to send out an SOS before the Ariadne disappeared. Someone was murdered… but who?
Vatic, a Skilled empath in the reluctant employ of the Company, is drugged and forced to board the rogue ship. He arrives to find the vessel full of corpses, a small band of suspicious survivors, and no explanations.
Our hero soon realises that not everyone who survived is as they seem. There is an imposter aboard, but who is it, and what are their motives?
Vatic must use all his talents if he and the ship are going to survive.
But survival is what the Skilled do best... isn't it?
260 pages, Paperback
Published February 8, 2019
About the author
K.J. Heritage
34 books78 followersK.J. Heritage is a British author and screenwriter of mystery, thriller and science fiction. His books include the cyberpunk sci-noir Vatic trilogy, the mystery thriller Dying Is Easy, the near-future thriller Point Four Zeros Seven, and the comic coincidence mystery The Peculiar case Of The Missing Mondrian. His fiction combines mystery and suspense with big ideas, fast-moving plots, distinctive characters and dark wit.
His first published short story, 'Escaping the Cradle', was runner-up in the 2005 Clarke-Bradbury International Science Fiction Competition, and his short fiction has appeared in anthologies alongside writers including Hugh Howey and Samuel Peralta. In 2024, his story 'Churchill’s Rock', from the Chronicle Worlds: Legacy Fleet anthology, travelled to the Moon as part of the Lunar Codex Peregrine mission.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Kev accumulated the usual collection of entirely sensible career choices, including factory gateman, barman, labourer, IT contractor, British Rail signal software designer, Premiership football website designer, graphic designer, magazine editor, musician, stand-up comedian and sound engineer.
Originally from Derbyshire, he now lives in Brighton on the south coast of England. When he isn’t writing fiction or screenplays, he writes and performs New Wave/Synthpop electronica as Kick Lizard and consumes unreasonable quantities of tea.
Find his books and more at https://kjheritage.com
His first published short story, 'Escaping the Cradle', was runner-up in the 2005 Clarke-Bradbury International Science Fiction Competition, and his short fiction has appeared in anthologies alongside writers including Hugh Howey and Samuel Peralta. In 2024, his story 'Churchill’s Rock', from the Chronicle Worlds: Legacy Fleet anthology, travelled to the Moon as part of the Lunar Codex Peregrine mission.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Kev accumulated the usual collection of entirely sensible career choices, including factory gateman, barman, labourer, IT contractor, British Rail signal software designer, Premiership football website designer, graphic designer, magazine editor, musician, stand-up comedian and sound engineer.
Originally from Derbyshire, he now lives in Brighton on the south coast of England. When he isn’t writing fiction or screenplays, he writes and performs New Wave/Synthpop electronica as Kick Lizard and consumes unreasonable quantities of tea.
Find his books and more at https://kjheritage.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 12, 2024
She has been sent to a ship on the verge of destruction. She is not happy about it as some of the crew are dead and she is worried about what the survivors are hiding. Can she find out? Can she turn the ship away? What else is going on? Follow her to find out
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
March 15, 2019
Vatic is back!
Fast paced
Deep characters
Twisting plot line.
A very entertaining read ...
Fast paced
Deep characters
Twisting plot line.
A very entertaining read ...
October 24, 2020
Experimental Company bioship, the CSS Ariadne, is insane. Cutting off all communications, she launched herself into hyperspace toward enemy territory and must be stopped. An SOS went out that someone had been murdered, but that was the last transmission they received.
Vatic is one of the Skilled, a genetically enhanced human “bloodhound”, an empath, who stops at nothing in pursuit of the truth. He is reluctantly controlled by the Company, drugged and shot off in a one-man escape pod, forced to board the rogue ship and finding the vessel full of corpses, a small group of suspicious survivors, and no explanations of what happened. Once again, if Vatic and the ship are going to survive, he will have to call on all his talents – and even then, survival is not a certainty.
This intriguing sci-fi mystery provides a strong story line that holds the reader’s complete attention while moving through the action and building up suspense as the “clock” starts ticking down for Vatic. Stranng already told him the Company didn’t expect him to survive this assignment! This book is so well-written, starts the lightning-fast pacing from the first page, and relentlessly drags the reader along on a fantastic adventure once again. The characters we meet are well developed and interesting. The combination of suspense, intrigue, and the overall mystery of what is really going on, will lead any reader who survives this ordeal to a final resolution of the story line. This is an unexpected challenging read that promises much more ahead, and I now know the author can certainly deliver on that!
Vatic is one of the Skilled, a genetically enhanced human “bloodhound”, an empath, who stops at nothing in pursuit of the truth. He is reluctantly controlled by the Company, drugged and shot off in a one-man escape pod, forced to board the rogue ship and finding the vessel full of corpses, a small group of suspicious survivors, and no explanations of what happened. Once again, if Vatic and the ship are going to survive, he will have to call on all his talents – and even then, survival is not a certainty.
This intriguing sci-fi mystery provides a strong story line that holds the reader’s complete attention while moving through the action and building up suspense as the “clock” starts ticking down for Vatic. Stranng already told him the Company didn’t expect him to survive this assignment! This book is so well-written, starts the lightning-fast pacing from the first page, and relentlessly drags the reader along on a fantastic adventure once again. The characters we meet are well developed and interesting. The combination of suspense, intrigue, and the overall mystery of what is really going on, will lead any reader who survives this ordeal to a final resolution of the story line. This is an unexpected challenging read that promises much more ahead, and I now know the author can certainly deliver on that!
January 16, 2024
This is the 2nd, and hopefully not last, in the Vatic series. Vatic, an enhanced empath awakens on a pod headed for a ship in hyperspace. Last he knew he was on a Company ship about to get busy with the nice nurse. He has another do or die mission. Get on the rogue bioship and stop it before it reaches a rival company's space. If the ship is not stopped in time, it will be blown up by the Company vessel that is trailing it.
This is a Sci-Fi mystery thriller. Nothing and no one are as they seem. Many of the people Vatic needs to deal with are downright hostile to him. He does bring that out in people. He's quite sure he'll win the day, if he survives.
This book, like every other K.J. Heritage book I have read, was an absolute thrill to read. His books tend to bend your mind a bit, make you think about what you are reading, and thrill you while you are doing so. Someone else compared reading the book to being in a movie theater. It's true. The story pulled me into it like I was there witnessing the events first hand. As I already told the author, I am (not entirely) patiently waiting for Vatic #3.
This is a Sci-Fi mystery thriller. Nothing and no one are as they seem. Many of the people Vatic needs to deal with are downright hostile to him. He does bring that out in people. He's quite sure he'll win the day, if he survives.
This book, like every other K.J. Heritage book I have read, was an absolute thrill to read. His books tend to bend your mind a bit, make you think about what you are reading, and thrill you while you are doing so. Someone else compared reading the book to being in a movie theater. It's true. The story pulled me into it like I was there witnessing the events first hand. As I already told the author, I am (not entirely) patiently waiting for Vatic #3.
April 25, 2020
Stunning Sequel to Vatic # 1!
While I was devouring the second book about Vatic and the runaway ship, my mind tripped on something running as a constant through all the books I've read by this author. However, I'm not saying what. You'll have to find it yourself.
That being said, this newest book about Vatic is every bit as exciting and compelling as all the books I've read by this author. The characters are fully developed, the writing is fast paced, and you want it to keep going forever.
Vatic is an empath and a Skilled sent on an impossible mission to halt a runaway spaceship. This ship is being powered by an experimental empath system named Ariadne. The only problem, it's insane and is running headlong into enemy territory. Vatic is trying to get it stopped before that happens.
The book draws you in, and keeps you engaged until the very last sentence. The plot, characters, and twists and turns are the hallmark of this author.
All of his books are a pleasure to read and I eagerly await the next installment of Vatic # 3.
While I was devouring the second book about Vatic and the runaway ship, my mind tripped on something running as a constant through all the books I've read by this author. However, I'm not saying what. You'll have to find it yourself.
That being said, this newest book about Vatic is every bit as exciting and compelling as all the books I've read by this author. The characters are fully developed, the writing is fast paced, and you want it to keep going forever.
Vatic is an empath and a Skilled sent on an impossible mission to halt a runaway spaceship. This ship is being powered by an experimental empath system named Ariadne. The only problem, it's insane and is running headlong into enemy territory. Vatic is trying to get it stopped before that happens.
The book draws you in, and keeps you engaged until the very last sentence. The plot, characters, and twists and turns are the hallmark of this author.
All of his books are a pleasure to read and I eagerly await the next installment of Vatic # 3.
February 18, 2019
Another action-packed novel full of intrigue! I have a knack for predicting plot twists, but I am happy to say some of them did manage to surprise me. Indeed, I did not want to stop reading as I was eager to discover what would happen next!
I also liked that we got to learn more about Vatic and his past: he is a complex character and I am always happy to know him better.
I am looking forward to Vatic's next adventure and hope the Company won't be too much of a hindrance for him!
I also liked that we got to learn more about Vatic and his past: he is a complex character and I am always happy to know him better.
I am looking forward to Vatic's next adventure and hope the Company won't be too much of a hindrance for him!
August 25, 2021
In this second outing, just after the previous book ends, Vatic - still injured and debilitated after his hibernation is literally thrust out of the warship in a pod and charged with regaining control of a rogue bioship... Unable to use his empathy as the ship is also an empath - but seemingly insane - he has only hours to complete his mission...
A fine sequel - and looking forward to the next book!
A fine sequel - and looking forward to the next book!
March 5, 2019
Mr Heritage has done it again; Vatic, the space sleuth who combines wit and intellect returns with a bang, literally! With a story that crosses genres, and a plot that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, with the inability to put the book down. Boil the kettle, put your feet up, and take a voyage on the good ship Ariadne.
February 27, 2019
Another fast paced, whirlwind of a story! I don't know how the author does it but I never have a clue as to how his stories will end. I frickin love that!!! Awesome story - interesting and entertaining! Very well written and extremely captivating! Fantastic 2nd book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews