Free Space Is the Best Sarcastic Sci-Fi Kidnapping Adventure Ever
Admiral, the first book in Sean Danker’s Evagardian series, was fueled by questions—who was our unreliable narrator? Why did all of the passengers on his colony ship awaken from statis unexpectedly, crash-landed on an unknown planet? Who is in charge around here, anyway? We didn’t know what was going on, who anybody was, or what the main character was up to—only that he most certainly wasn’t an admiral. As that tale galloped to a close, most of those questions received tidy little answers, leaving just enough dangling to make us demand more. The sequel, Free Space, starts with answers, swapoing character investigation for fast-paced sci-fi action. Now that we sort of know who our fake admiral guy is, let’s see what kind of trouble he can get into.
Free Space begins with the still-unnamed protagonist heading out for a relaxing weekend with his buddy from the previous book, Tessa Salmagard. Ok, they’re more than buddies, it’s totally a date. A date on a space station with luxurious food, strange entertainment options, and the occasional awkward conversation. Things go surprisingly well for the reunited pair, right up until the kidnapping. Salmagard and the non-admiral are thrown in with two Imperial soldiers and sent off to market. They’ll have to draw from their collective pool of hidden talents and overcome old prejudices if they want to survive.
One immediate difference between Free Space and its predecessor is the scope of the tale. Admiral carried the burden of introducing a new universe and the factions that struggled within it. Free Space doesn’t have to worry about that, allowing it to push the universe forward in the background while homing in on smaller, arguably more entertaining events surrounding the main characters. Figuring out who characters are and what motivates them remains a common theme, only in this case, there are fewer blunt questions, and many more gray areas.
If you’re new here, Free Space doesn’t work so well as a standalone. In other words, you have to read Admiral to really enjoy it. Fortunately, the quick-witted dialogue that made the first book such a fun romp is back in full force. The protagonist in particular loves to make sarcastic remarks at everyone else’s expense, throwing the occasional pop culture reference to make sci-fi fans chuckle. Combined with action oriented scenes, it makes for an extremely snappy read, and you’ll quickly fly through both books.
Free Space keeps fast pace with action, humor, and tension. (Did I mention the admiral is injected with a lethal poison at the beginning of the book? The admiral is injected with a lethal poison at the beginning of the book; it makes for interesting motivations.) Best sci-fi kidnapping adventure ever.
Free Space is available now.