A Pale Light in the Black audiobook

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)[It didn’t help that I was shipping Max and Jenks with each other way more than with their respective (male) love interests. (hide 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.

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 loved Becky Chambers's The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (but with a tiny bit more plot, whether that's a bonus or a negative for you!). It really, REALLY worked for me, and I am so impatient for Book 2 to arrive next year, because I want more time with this whole lovely team of people!

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?

It took me a little while to warm up to A Pale Light in the Black, but much like Petty Officer Jenks once it had me by the throat it wasn't going to let up until it was good and ready. If Becky Chambers leaves you hankering for more action in your casually inclusive, fundamentally good-hearted SF, KB Wagers and the NeoG have your back. I went from mildly interested to unable to put it down, and spent the second half sniffling as Wagers landed one emotional blow after another (in a good way) based on the architecture they'd put in place. Undemanding fun, where the corporate conspiracy and military competition subplots ultimately play second fiddle to the best crew in the Near-Earth Orbital Guard confronting some of their issues as newbie officer Maxine Carmichael fights to find her place.Full review

My quick pitch for A Pale Light in the Black is space coast guard plus found family but to just leave it there would be doing this book a huge disservice. There are so many lovable, well-developed characters in the NeoG that were all just trying to be decent to each other. I absolutely adored the casual queerness present in the story, particularly the fact that one of the main characters is ace and everyone was just automatically accepting of this element of her identity. Another thing I loved was that Wagers perfectly balanced character development with plot so there was always plenty of action to keep me hooked. I read the majority of A Pale Light in the Black in one sitting because I just couldn't get enough of this world and these characters. I've already pre-ordered book 2 and July can't get here soon enough!C/W:(view spoiler)[death of a loved one (off page), violence, loved one with critical injuries (hide spoiler)]

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 emotionally through the story. The fights feel real and I love that there were call backs to pop culture that’s current now! I was given this earc by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

ALL THE STARS!!!

all the stars

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!

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 team that she can be an asset.While on patrol, Zuma's Ghost encounters a missing ship that has turned up and kicks off a mystery that quickly threatens the lives of the crew. They're being targeted and must figure out why and by whom before not only them but thousands more die. Solve the mystery, win the games and save the day. Just another day in the life of the NeoG.This is a tremendously fun space adventure. Wagers’ talent for writing great characters is on full display in this book. Max is so much fun to get to know, as is Jenks, the volatile ensign and the best fighter in the NeoG. They are surrounded by a talented crew and must all work together if they are going to win the games. The same teamwork is necessary to unravel the mystery that started with a missing ship and leads to a secret that could rock their society to its core.The description of the games, both as a whole and in the individual matches, is tremendously exciting. The story is largely about family. Family you are born to, family you find, and family you make. This is the heartbeat of the story which ties together all the great action pieces. A Pale Light in the Black is a lot of fun and I am definitely looking forward to more adventures with the NeoG. Highly recommended.I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

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

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 mystery the team faces and the games competition they are in. I'll definitely pick up the next installment.

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

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.