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A Pale Light in the Black

(NeoG #1)

K.B. Wagers (Goodreads Author)

3.88 · Rating details · 683 ratings · 167 reviews

The rollicking first entry in a unique science fiction series that introduces the Near-Earth Orbital Guard—NeoG—a military force patrolling and protecting space inspired by the real-life mission of the U.S. Coast Guard.

For the past year, their close loss in the annual Boarding Games has haunted Interceptor Team: Zuma’s Ghost. With this year’s competition looming, they’re l ...more

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Hardcover, 432 pages

Published March 3rd 2020 by Harper Voyager

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· 683 ratings · 167 reviews

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Mar 02, 2020 Lex Kent rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-favorites, asexual, bisexual, f-f-sci-fi, military-or-vet, lgbtq, het-sci-fi

This was a solid and enjoyable sci-fi read. I’m a big sci-fi fan but have not read as much lately as I would like too. This had the sci-fi space opera feel that I was looking for and I was happy to read this. This reminded me a bit of Firefly mixed with Starship Troopers with a pinch of Ender’s Game thrown in, but without all the bugs and aliens. This is a pure humans in space story that is very character driven.

There are three main characters: A lesbian, a bisexual woman, and an asexual woman. This was a solid and enjoyable sci-fi read. I’m a big sci-fi fan but have not read as much lately as I would like too. This had the sci-fi space opera feel that I was looking for and I was happy to read this. This reminded me a bit of Firefly mixed with Starship Troopers with a pinch of Ender’s Game thrown in, but without all the bugs and aliens. This is a pure humans in space story that is very character driven.

There are three main characters: A lesbian, a bisexual woman, and an asexual woman. This book is very LGBTQ friendly, taking place in a time where sexuality and gender is just completely accepted. The romances are all light with no explicit sex scenes at all. There is not much more than a few hugs and kisses. I do have to say I was disappointed that Max and Jenks did not get together. They had the most chemistry of anyone and with how they kept growing closer, they would have been perfect for a romance. Instead, they were both paired up with male partners that were a little boring and lackluster. I’m guessing maybe Wagers didn’t want to have two wlw storylines going on (the other main is a married lesbian), but I think it was a real missed opportunity.

While this really is a book about characters and their relationship with family and friends, it also has a mystery that brings some action to the book, and a big competition. There are games that every military branch competes in and our main characters are trying to win the games for the first time. Everything from sword fighting to piloting, the games are like the World Cup or the Olympics, a really big deal. When our characters are not rescuing people in space, they are training for the games. It was a really fun part of the book between the competition and the military rivalries. My one complaint about this part is I think it was too rushed. The games are so important, that fact is hammered home, that the finale big game day is fast-forwarded too much for my tastes.

While I really enjoyed this read it did have some pacing issues. It takes a little while to really get into the story. Things were a little slow in the beginning and I was getting a little worried, luckily I soon got hooked into the story. However, the pacing issues did continue some. The story would slow down and the book at times seemed a little long. I noticed parts I would have personally cut-out, but then like I mentioned about the games, all of a sudden the pace went too fast and I wished it would slow back down. This was not a huge issue at the end of the day, but it was one of the major reasons why this was not more than a 4 star read for me.

If you are looking for an entertaining and lighter sci-fi story, this is a good choice. This is a story that is much more character driven but still had some good action that kept me entertained. I enjoyed the characters enough that I would absolutely read the next book in the series. The major storylines in this book are complete and this did NOT end in a cliffhanger which is always nice.

An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
...more

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Nov 15, 2019 Ash rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Star Trek fans

Shelves: 4-stars, read-2019, arcs, lgbt-main-character, science-fiction

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Pale Light in the Black follows the crew of Zuma’s Ghost, who are members of the Near-Earth Orbital Guard (NeoG), a branch of the military akin to the Coast Guard… in space. These characters are the highlight of the story. First off, they’re diverse, representing a variety of sexualities, gender identities, religions, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. They’re also extremely likabl Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Pale Light in the Black follows the crew of Zuma’s Ghost, who are members of the Near-Earth Orbital Guard (NeoG), a branch of the military akin to the Coast Guard… in space. These characters are the highlight of the story. First off, they’re diverse, representing a variety of sexualities, gender identities, religions, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. They’re also extremely likable. I’m a sucker for friendly team dynamics and I got plenty of that here.

It’s a good thing this book has such a strong cast because it’s extremely character-driven. I fell in love with Max, Rosa, and Jenks (our three main characters) and enjoyed witnessing their personal and relationship development. My only complaint is the dialogue. It occasionally struck me as slightly stilted, particularly during tense or emotional moments. The romance was unremarkable. (view spoiler)

The story was well-paced and revolves around two subplots. In subplot one, Zuma’s Ghost is competing in the Boarding Games, an annual competition between the branches of the military, and hopes to take home NeoG’s first ever win. Meanwhile, subplot two is a mystery that builds gradually from a series of coincidences to a full-blown conspiracy. I preferred the first subplot; it seems Wagers isn’t much of a mystery writer. The ending was rushed and the evil mastermind behind it all was underwhelming.

Aside from the characters, what I liked best about this book was the worldbuilding. The future Wagers imagines is immersive and easy to envision. The focus is mostly on military life, which isn’t usually my cup of tea, but I ended up really enjoying it. A few concepts could have been introduced more gradually and naturally, but this is me being nitpicky. In many ways, A Pale Light in the Black reminds me of the Star Trek TV shows. It’s fun, lighthearted, team-based and, yes, a little cheesy. I love me some Star Trek so it’s no wonder I ended up enjoying this book.

A Pale Light in the Black is a story with a lot of heart, enough to make up for at least some of the technical flaws. I’m eager to go back and read Wagers’ previous work and I hope she continues the NeoG series. ...more

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Jul 30, 2020 Stephanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: f-sf-for-adults

Ohhhh I loved this book. It's such a warm and cozy, low-angst space opera about a diverse team of caring, competent people working the equivalent of the Coast Guard in space, saving lives, prepping for a big inter-division sports event, and creating a found family along the way. There's a bit of plot, but honestly, the focus is all on the (wonderful) characters and their relationships, and that's exactly how I liked it - it was SUCH a kind and comforting book to read. Perfect for anyone who love ...more

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Jan 05, 2021 CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian rated it it was ok

Shelves: science-fiction, american, fiction, queer, bisexual, lesbian, dnf, asexual-aromantic

Although I'm into the found family and cozy space opera aspects of this book, I'm gonna DNF this at 50% because

- neither of the two main plots are grabbing me: I don't care about this weird Olympic-like sports competition and the author has not convinced me why it's so important in this world; the mystery is unraveling far too slowly for my liking

- Uneven pacing: the narrative seems to speed up and gloss over events that I found more interesting, and linger over scenes that aren't important

- t ...more

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Sep 11, 2020 Diana Green rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbtqa, science-fiction

So this book was quite a mixture for me. I'll start with what I liked, and these were elements that I'm always a big fan of. The diversity was spot on, with lesbian, bi, and ace protagonists. I particularly enjoyed the relationship dynamics, finding the ensemble of characters in the "found family" to be really appealing.

Max and Jenks were especially well-drawn, and that leads to one of my disappointments. Max and Jenks had by far the best chemistry together, but the author chose to give them bo ...more

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Mar 21, 2020 Barb in Maryland rated it really liked it

Shelves: sf-f-goodies

Absolute romp of a book! Great fun, engaging characters. I had a blast with this one.

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Mar 01, 2020 Beth Cato rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, science, ebook, 2020

I received this advance galley via NetGalley.

I'm a huge fan of Wagers's other sci-fi series (The Indranan War and The Farian War) and I was very excited to see what they could do with space opera set closer to Earth. While this book didn't have the instant magnetism of the previous books--in part because I had a hard time keeping the large cast straight in my head--once it's gets going, it's good.

The NEO-G are essentially the space coast guard. Under-funded and under-appreciated, they monitor th I received this advance galley via NetGalley.

I'm a huge fan of Wagers's other sci-fi series (The Indranan War and The Farian War) and I was very excited to see what they could do with space opera set closer to Earth. While this book didn't have the instant magnetism of the previous books--in part because I had a hard time keeping the large cast straight in my head--once it's gets going, it's good.

The NEO-G are essentially the space coast guard. Under-funded and under-appreciated, they monitor the shipping lanes and keep travelers safe from threats foreign and domestic. There are no aliens. Humans travel space alone, and go long distances thanks to advances in extending the human life span--technology patented by Max Carmichael's family. However, she chose not to enter the company or the Navy, as dictated by tradition and her dictator parents, but to enter the NEO-G and really save people's lives. Shunned by her birth family, she finds a new family among her comrades in space as they do their day jobs and prepare for the big military rivalry reality-type show that happens once a year. However, when mischief in space points back toward Max's family and their hidden tech, she and her new friends start to dig for answers--and soon find themselves the targets of some dangerous people.

Timing is weird in publishing. Another book with a similar basic concept--Coast Guard in space, with a reality show component, is also out in March 2020. Sixteenth Watch by Myke Cole, being by an author with military experience, is also much deeper into the military aspect and the Coast Guard and Navy rivalry has much, much higher stakes. In comparison, A Pale Light in the Black is a breezier, lighter book more in the mode of Firefly. Both books use the same concepts well, and have entirely different vibes and plot lines.

What really shines in A Pale Light in the Black is the concept of found family. These are people who grow close, who have each other's backs, and get to zoom around in space and help others. I mean, what more can a person want?
...more

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Aug 30, 2020 Mike (the Paladin) added it

Shelves: didn-t-finish

Shelves say enough...a few chapters in it was a tossup between falling asleep and vomiting.

...that was a little harsh, maybe a tossup between falling asleep and tossing the book out the window. You know because of the headache.

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Feb 16, 2020 Allyson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is another great read from author KB Wagers! This romp combines a lot of the things I love to see in my space operas! Romance! Cool action hero antics! Emotional talks with partners! Amazing world building that has inclusivity built in!! I love Max the main character and her journey as she grows with her new NeoG team and found family. I love the games and how it felt like the olympics with a spirit of competition and togetherness. Jenks is amazing and it was so good to see them grow emotio ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Mercy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, spaceeeeee, the-best-worst-thing, favorites, book-crush, reread-waiting-to-happen, badass, most-favourites, all-the-reread-feels, 2020

ALL THE STARS!!!

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Mar 05, 2020 Marzie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-paper, arc-publisher, audio

3.5 Stars

Author K.B. Wagers latest series offers a space opera world that feels like the lovechild of The Expanse and Becky Chamber's Wayfarers series. Although it lacks the species diversity of Chamber's books, it does offer racial, orientation, and economic diversity, and the found family of the crew of Zuma's Ghost, a NeoG (Near-Earth Orbital Guard vessel is similar in feel to Wayfarers. Set in the 2400s, centuries after a worldwide societal collapse, A Pale Light in the Black is equal parts 3.5 Stars

Author K.B. Wagers latest series offers a space opera world that feels like the lovechild of The Expanse and Becky Chamber's Wayfarers series. Although it lacks the species diversity of Chamber's books, it does offer racial, orientation, and economic diversity, and the found family of the crew of Zuma's Ghost, a NeoG (Near-Earth Orbital Guard vessel is similar in feel to Wayfarers. Set in the 2400s, centuries after a worldwide societal collapse, A Pale Light in the Black is equal parts military police procedural, big military tournament (the Boarding Games), and corporate espionage mystery. I'm not sure that the blend of these parts always worked well, and the resolution of the mystery that is threaded through the book came quite quickly at the end, with a paper-thin villain who shows up in the last fifth of the book out of nowhere, with a cause that seems to come out of nowhere, as well. The various characters, Max, Rosa, Jenks, Nika etc. are all enjoyable enough but the dialogue between them and their various significant others, children, and parents at times felt stilted and a bit too formulaic. Wagers writes action scenes quite well though, and the novel is at its best when the crew of the Zuma's Ghost are working problems and planning a daring rescue.

The powerful Carmichael family, of which Maxine is the youngest child, is a shadowy presence throughout the novel. We meet Max's siblings and learn of their psychological abuse and manipulation at the hands of parents in a powerful family, with strict expectations of conformity. I'm sure that we will be seeing more of them in subsequent installments. I'm also curious to see what Wagers plans for dealing with the recent disability of one of the characters. In spite of a few reservations about the plotting issues mentioned above, I'd definitely pick up the next installment because I grew to like the characters.

A Pale Light in the Black is a light space opera read that is quite LGBTQ friendly. The audiobook, narrated by Marisha Tapera, was an easy listen.
...more

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May 09, 2020 steph // bookplaits rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2020

Overall, this was a really fun read! I enjoyed reading about the crew of Zuma’s Ghost and the ‘found family’ aspect of it was great. 🥺♥️ There was a fantastic amount of diversity too (including lesbian, asexual and non-binary characters) and I really liked each POV.

I had some issues with the writing and the overall plot though... First, the writing. I don’t know if it’s just because I’ve been so used to reading first-person POV recently, but there were times when it took me a second to figure ou ...more

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Mar 04, 2020 Didi Chanoch rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book packs a LOT in a compact and efficient package. You've got space, mystery, military, romance, and sports rivalries. Wagers does a deft job of combining these elements, while freeing them from a whole bunch of toxic tropes. This book is a fun queer romp with a nice mystery and that good good team spirit many of us love. It's a book about a bunch of decent people trying to do their best to help other people and each other while also having fun. I certainly had fun reading it! ...more

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Mar 14, 2020 Marlene rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Originally published at Reading Reality

Military SF, done right, is one of the best things to read if you are looking for serious “competence porn”, and A Pale Light in the Black is definitely military SF done very, very right.

There have been plenty of milSF stories featuring various branches of the service taken into space. Often those services model the space forces around either the Navy, as in Honor Harrington, or the marines, like Torin Kerr. The concept of a space Army seems like a bit of a ...more

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Mar 08, 2020 Tad rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi, arc

A close loss in the annual boarding games has haunted the crew of Zuma's Ghost in the NeoG, or Near-Earth Orbital Guard in KB Wagers new series which starts with A Pale Light in the Black. The crew is looking forward to this year's games which they feel confident will finally result in a win for the NeoG. Unexpectedly, their best swordsman is transferred and a new lieutenant, Maxine Carmichael, is assigned to take his place. Max is faced with a daunting task, trying to prove to herself and her t ...more

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Oct 05, 2019 Leslie Allen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Disclaimer: I won a uncorrected proof copy in a twitter contest run by the author! Thank you!

"Live your truth, Whatever it is"

K.B. Wagers has done it again. Somehow, someway, she's written a set of characters that made me laugh, cry, and everything in-between. It's a messy, gloriously messy, group of characters that come together as a family that would do damn near anything and everything for each other.

short & sweet review:
-Ace and lesbian main characters, more queer people than you can shake ...more

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Oct 28, 2019 Robin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a lot of fun with a lot of great characters. Um...and some romance. Yay!

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Jan 31, 2020 Jeff Cosmi rated it did not like it

Sorry this was a DNF at 25% for me. From the part that I did read the writing was good but just boring. Nothing happened that made me want to stay up for one more chapter let alone continue reading the next day. After reading some other reviews to see where to book is going and will eventually end up there’s just no need for me to sit through this. There are too many great to good books in my TBR list to make me want to spend any additional time with this one. Thanks to good reads for proving th ...more

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Jan 24, 2019 Sana is currently reading it · review of another edition

'The NEO-G books are going to be a departure from the grimdark futures and instead focusing on a moment in time when humanity is at its best. This will be accessible science fiction with interesting characters and exciting action. Plus, we’re going to have all the things I know I love reading about: found family, snarky siblings, explosions, and triumphant celebrations.'

SO MUCH YES

Source ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 Kelly Knapp rated it liked it

Good writing, well developed characters but I don't care to read LGBT and gender fluid stories. Many people want a notation if a book is specifically Christian, I want The same for LGBT.
...more

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Mar 18, 2020 Kristen Blount rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

Fun, fun romp with space coasties...all about family, found, adopted, and born. I want more, and I want it now.

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Mar 05, 2020 Ernest rated it really liked it · review of another edition

For some jobs, you need a military presence, but in space, as on the sea, there are lots of times where that's just overkill, and what you really need is law enforcement and rescue teams. On the high seas, that means the Coast Guard, but in space, it's the Near Earth Orbital Guard, NeoG. In either case, it's the service that get's the lion's share of the dirty work, dealing with smugglers, pirates, and shipwrecks, but not the big-budget that goes to the Navy. Lt Maxine Carmichael chose the Guard For some jobs, you need a military presence, but in space, as on the sea, there are lots of times where that's just overkill, and what you really need is law enforcement and rescue teams. On the high seas, that means the Coast Guard, but in space, it's the Near Earth Orbital Guard, NeoG. In either case, it's the service that get's the lion's share of the dirty work, dealing with smugglers, pirates, and shipwrecks, but not the big-budget that goes to the Navy. Lt Maxine Carmichael chose the Guard over her family's traditional Navy career path or having anything to do with the massive fortune that her grandfather's tightly controlled longevity treatment brings her family, instead choosing the scrappy GUard over the posh and polished Navy. Not content to be an admiral's aide, safe behind a desk, she pushed her way into the deep end of the pool, applying for Interceptor training, where you actually go out into the black and get the job done. Max can run, but she can't hide, and her family's status and her native ability to keep putting her in the thick of things. First, she's been dropped on the crew of Zuma's Ghost, the ship most likely to redeem the Guard in the upcoming Boarding Games against the other services, and then to come across a plot involving pirates, smugglers, and her own family business of tightly controlled longevity treatment.

Max may be green, but she's a fast learner, and between her knowledge of family politics and innate pattern matching ability, she's just what Zuma's Ghost needs to get the job done. Not that settling into a tight-knit crew is a cakewalk, especially when you've displaced their star player and a critical set of games is coming all too soon.

I kept thinking that one thing or another was too improbable, but time and again, the author made me realize that it's not about luck, it's about the forces in play. A Pale Light in the Black is a great romp and the first of (at least) a two-book series, and we'll look forward to the next chapter in Max's saga. ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Agne rated it it was ok

A sci-fi thing about some military-type crew in near-orbital space.

I'm really conflicted about this. It's not often that this particular problem plagues a book so hard.

So firstly, the good and great:
1) I rather liked the characterisation, there was some complexity to the main crew
2) The writing is solid stylistically, even the dialogue didn't stand out as a weakness (which is so often the case)
3) The whole LGBT and gender thing is nice, but less than seamless in a couple of places. Props nevert ...more

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Sep 28, 2020 C. S. rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, did-not-finish, fiction

DNF for several complicated reasons, which I'll go into, most of which have nothing to do with the book itself.

So, for whatever reason, I am just not feeling the space opera right now, and even I can't explain why I thought reading four of them in a row (and overlapping) would help that, but here we are. It has very probably colored my feelings about the book, so take this with a grain of salt.

Things I liked - the way the book acknowledges the existence of people other than straight white hetero ...more

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Feb 05, 2020 Georgia rated it it was ok

Thank you goodreads for the ARC. I must have thought this was a regular mystery when I applied but it actually was a fantasy, not a genre I like. This was life in the galaxy after "The Collapse ", quote from pg. 89 "the Collapse was so far in humanity's past and yet affected everything moving forward. It seemed sometimes that it had been only yesterday that the world fell into chaos and ruin that's to the indifference and greed of humanity". Now in the 2400's we learn of life in the galaxy where ...more

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Jun 02, 2020 Susan Welch rated it really liked it

I enjoyed this book very much. There was so much queer representation in here it made my heart warm: there's aces, poly relationships, trans folks, enbies, etc. And a strong theme of chosen family, which resonates very well. My only complaint is the action is a little bit light for what you might expect from such a book, with some things glossed over entirely in favor of a "two weeks later" type approach. But the characters are interesting and well developed and the story lines are fun, both the ...more

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Apr 15, 2020 Sharon Karpierz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A great read

This book is Coast Guard in space and deals with non binary by having all AI tags include pronouns. The main character is ace and it is brought up very organically and is considered in the romance she is forming. It’s also a kick ass action adventure and a bit of a mystery. I really loved it.

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Jul 29, 2020 Alexander Tas rated it liked it · review of another edition

Read this and other Science Fiction/Fantasy Reviews at The Quill to Live

Sometimes you read a book, and you’re not entirely sure how you feel about it. It’s hard to put into words how you would recommend it. Over time, you realize your gut feelings are just going to be the way you feel about it for a while. And it’s not necessarily the book’s fault; it’s more your expectations and taste that make it feel off. This book is one of those books for me, something I enjoyed, but after it was all said a Read this and other Science Fiction/Fantasy Reviews at The Quill to Live

Sometimes you read a book, and you’re not entirely sure how you feel about it. It’s hard to put into words how you would recommend it. Over time, you realize your gut feelings are just going to be the way you feel about it for a while. And it’s not necessarily the book’s fault; it’s more your expectations and taste that make it feel off. This book is one of those books for me, something I enjoyed, but after it was all said and done, I had questions. A Pale Light In The Black, by K.B. Wagers, is a competent book that focuses on its characters and their personal journeys, sometimes to the detriment of worldbuilding and plot.

The book follows the day-to-day goings-on of the Zuma’s Ghost, a ship within the Near-Earth Orbital Guard (Neo-G for short). They’re a sort of space coast guard, set up a few hundred years into a future after a great collapse in civilization. Maxine Carmichael is trying to escape the grasp of her powerful Navy family, joins Neo-G, and is assigned to the Zuma’s Ghost after the crew’s well liked lieutenant is promoted to commander in the far reaches of a newly established colony. On top of her newbie status, Carmichael is also a member of the family that controls Life-Ex, a life extension drug that can be most easily obtained through service in one of the branches of the Earth military. Can Carmichael integrate herself within Zuma’s Ghost and help them to keep their reputation?

I enjoyed Pale Light, but I was not enthralled with it. It’s an extremely good cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. Wagers is good at character dynamics. Wagers’ heartfelt moments feel warm and fuzzy, and they capture the feeling of awkward situations super well. I also enjoyed that while Carmichael had a lot to prove, the rest of the team wasn’t overly hostile to her in the beginning. Sure there was tension, and it ebbed and flowed based on their situation, but everyone was dedicated to making the new team work. Wagers then focused the character’s dynamics on how they could help each other bring out their strengths, and highlight each other’s weaknesses, without having a single overly determined character breakthrough prejudice. Wagers side steps all of the normal “new kid on the block” drama, giving the characters all a chance to grow on equal footing. It was delightful and refreshing.

Where the book fell flat for me, however, is that some of these character moments felt they should have been punctuated by events in the plot, and they just weren’t. They still packed a punch for most of the book because Wagers made their daily routines, day to day drudgery of being on a ship, and anxiety about the future feel important. But it came up short for me in the later sections of the book, when everything the crew had been working for felt as if it had been bypassed. Most of the book is spent training for a competition with the other branches of the military so the Neo-G can show they can hang with the big kids. When the story reaches the big games, though, it’s just a snapshot of all the events the characters participate in. In some ways, I’m okay with this as it feels like Wagers is pulling a Rocky, it doesn’t matter that they won or lost, just that they pulled together and competed in a way that satisfied them. It’s charming, but it also feels stilted because these moments in the games don’t feel big. It just felt unfinished to me.

I also was a bit dissatisfied with the worldbuilding in Pale Light. I like complexity, so take these feelings with a grain of salt. It feels incomplete and I can’t tell if that’s because there is more to come, more reckoning in the future, or if it’s built just enough to make the story work as is. There is a societal collapse, and a few hundred years later, humans are in space. How they got there is a mystery, what caused the collapse is a mystery (though it’s somewhat implied that what we’re doing now is the problem), and why humans decided to create a space navy, army, marine corps instead of just the Neo-G is unanswered. It didn’t really ruin my reading experience that these things were just there, taken for granted. But those questions remained, and still remain.

I want to reiterate, despite the problems I had with the book, I still enjoyed myself. Wagers does an excellent job of ingraining the reader with the day to day life of the crew and their interpersonal tensions. If I were less picky about certain things, I would have loved this book on the characters alone. However, I didn’t fully love it, and if you can put those other issues aside, then you’ll get a warm story about people working together, and dealing with their problems in an ebb and flow. Friendships aren’t built on overcoming huge character differences, or by making grand gestures. It’s the small things, day in and day out. It’s the little frustrations and the tiny bits of attention we give to each other at just the right moment. Wagers captured that beautifully, and made sure it applied to everyone in the book. So if you’re looking for a breezy read that fills you with the warmth of a found family, A Pale Light in the Black is for you.

Rating: A Pale Light in the Black 6.5/10
–Alex ...more

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Mar 27, 2020 OnlySheStandsThere rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very enjoyable. I loved the relationship dynamic between all of the characters, especially between Max and Jenks. It reminds me alot of the partnership between Harmony and Jessie in the Harmony Black series, one of my favourite friendships in fiction. Also the casual and extensive variety of sexualities, none of which were made a big deal out of, was a nice addition.
I did feel sometimes that certain scenes were missing, like a lot of the Games stuff seemed almost glossed over, but it didn't hamp ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 Hazi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

K.B. Wagers weaves another fantastic universe. Set in Earth's future about the heroes that keep the world safe. Well rounded characters and filled with drama and action. ...more

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About K.B. Wagers

K.B. Wagers

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K.B. Wagers is the author of the Indranan & Farian War trilogies with Orbit Books and the new NeoG novels from Harper Voyager. They hold a bachelor's degree in Russian Studies and a second-degree black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu. A native of Colorado, K.B. lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with their partner and a crew of recalcitrant cats. In between books, they can be found attempting to lea ...more