Title: Derelict Paradise
Author: M. York
Genre: YA
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: eBook
ASIN: B097LS1JJB
Summary: When Vhivi’s brother disappears and the authorities refuse to look into it, she takes the matter into her own hands. With an old junker ship and a disparate team of searchers, she sets off for an abandoned colony on the edge of her system.
Content warnings: murder, gore, and sexual content.
disclaimers
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My Review
Narrative style: third person | Perspective(s): dual (Vhivi & Mira)
First Impressions
I’ve been in a desperate mood lately for derelict starships and space stations with tons of tension and major creepy vibes. When I first read the pitch for this story, I was excited to (maybe) get all the hairs on my neck raised by some awesome, creepy darkness.
Unfortunately, the pitch is a bit misleading.
First of all, this book isn’t adult and Vhivi is more of the teen along for the ride with a misfit crew… not the other way around.
So I was surprised to be dumped right away into a moody, bitchy teen’s head and a whole bunch of crew members I still can’t remember the name of.
Still… derelict space station. I couldn’t resist the tug, so I put up my shields and kept reading, and by a few chapters in Vhivi became much more tolerable as a character.
What I Loved About This Story
So this story did have a small amount of creep factor and a pretty neat shape-shifting thing only Vhivi could see. I was really curious about that and wanted to see more, but unfortunately that plotline was never fully explained.
I also loved Jak and Mira’s characters. Those two were the most level-headed, and I adore Jak’s passion to keep his sister safe.
What I Wish I Liked, But Didn't
Honestly, this story didn’t feel fully fleshed out. The characters barely touched any part of the station except a few hallways, then seemed to reach an interior section with a deserted town. But it felt like there was so much to explore that got overlooked, and some of what happened to Vhivi inside the station was cool, but also didn’t get a lot of explanation. I’m still not entirely certain what she found on the inside or how it affected her long-term.
One other thing that was super obscure was the crew was all dead pretty quick in the story. They were only really present to setup the setting, and a few chapters later all dead. I was a bit surprised, but honestly I liked the tighter focus on fewer characters for this tale.
Optional: Controversy & Conflicted Thoughts
I really struggled with one of the characters: Captain Riggs.
At first he seemed like the typical rough-nosed captain and I suspected later in the story he would show his softer side. However, it became clear pretty quick that this character liked to misuse and abuse women, then kill them and space their bodies.
Which fine… he’s a creeper and a douche. I love villain characters, but didn’t really love the direction the author took with this one.
Then the story revealed that Vhivi was his next target and I instantly got grossed out. She’s sixteen, and that just wasn’t really necessary. Right after that the character was killed, but there was really no justification, or even reason for him to be the way he was.
This is one of those stories where it feels like rapeyness is used to highlight a bad character, and yet it didn’t have a purpose in the story. To be honest, a rough-hearted captain losing his life would have been much more emotional than the dirty that loose plot line left in me as a reader.
Is Worthy Of Bookish Valhalla?
Overall, I think this story had a lot of potential to be a great space horror, but unfortunately it fell short of the mark. Still, it had some things I really liked about it, especially after Vhivi became trapped in the interior city.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out other reviews from the Valkyries at Bookish Valhalla
Reviewer Bio
K. J. Harrowick is a freelance developer, graphic designer, technical coach, and author of the science fantasy novel, Bloodflower. You can find her reviews on Goodreads, Hàlon Chronicles, Bookish Valhalla, and occasionally Amazon and Book Sirens.