Herald Petrel

This is a long and engrossing story which is kind of a thriller, set in the aftermath of an explosion on a space ship. As the captain investigates, things take some very strange and violent turns, and the eventual answers are not what anyone had expected.

Although everything – initial damage, investigation, rescues and attempts to resolve the issues – is obviously dependent on technical problems, Captain Galahad is an administrator, not a scientist, so it is necessary for his crew to explain things to him in terms most readers wil understand and the events are never bogged down in too much jargon.

There are romantic pairings of various genders, which makes things more interesting. There are also non-humanoid species amongst the crew members, which adds to the diversity of the cast of characters and helps the reader (and the captain) to see things from different angles. Even the humanoids, who are in the majority, are from wildly different planets, cultures and religions.

The way everything takes place on a disabled spaceship makes for a sense of confinement that is almost claustrophobic, and adds to the tension of the unfolding drama.

The book is well written, particularly in the way it explores different beliefs and mindsets, and although at times it’s fairly obvious that English is not the writer’s first language, this is acceptable, given that the entire tale takes place a long ways from here and a long time off from the present.

If you enjoy ‘hard’ science fiction and space opera with a helping of romance, you will love this book.

5 stars.

My initial reaction to Herald Petrel was amazement; it's been years since I picked up a book that pulled me in and kept me going the way this one did. That is a credit to the storytelling; Strange Seawolf does an amazing job of putting her characters through the proverbial wringer time and time again, and as a reader I just had to keep going to learn how they were going to escape from their latest predicament.

While there's a lot going on, there's also a lot of character depth, and I quickly got invested - I cared what happened to each of them. At the same time, plot lines unfolded about larger conflicts well beyond the scope of any one character's ability to deal, in fact, beyond perhaps the entire cast's ability to deal. This served as an excellent reflection on our real world, one that seems increasingly to be spiraling out of control with no one of us capable of putting a stop to it.

The diverse cast was a delight; a space opera with humans and aliens of every shape, size, and any other characteristic imaginable working together to solve a crisis that threatens them all.

Highly recommended. This was a fun read that left me thinking about a lot of issues happening right here on this starship we call Earth.

Herald Petrel — A Dystopian But Fun Space Opera

Herald Petrel is a debut sci-fi novel by Strange Seawolf. It's a fast-paced and fun read. The problems keep snowballing as the characters discover more secrets of the company they work for. The novel plays with classic dystopian sci-fi themes of an evil corporation with too much power, surveillance, compliance and unethical forms of control.

While the crew deals with the aftermath of a terrorist attack on their spaceship, the captain also grapples with grief and PTSD, as the events keep reminding him of his traumatic past. However, these difficult themes (see content warnings above) don't make the book sad. They are present, as they inform the actions of the characters, but they aren't necessarily the main focus of the story, since too much is going on. The characters simply don't have time to wallow in their sadness, as they have to fight to stay alive. For me, despite the difficult themes, as well as the dystopian setting, it was a fun and light read.

There are various LGBTQ+ characters in the book, including a sympathetic asexual character, and a demisexual MC (the word isn't used in the book, but it becomes apparent when he explains how his attraction works). Most of the characters are human/humanoid, but there are a few alien species.

I enjoyed Herald Petrel, as it was a fun adventure that highlighted the importance of genuine relationships. The ending was really beautiful, as it brought the whole crew together and showed the power of working as a team while relying on everyone's unique strengths. Despite the desperate situation, there is hope for the crew, as well as those struggling with their personal demons. The book has set up the stage for a sequel.

You might enjoy Herald Petrel if you like fast-paced space adventures and dystopian settings that don't make the book too sad.