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Dark Space (Sentients of Orion S.) [Paperback]

Marianne de Pierres
3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
Price: £8.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Book Description

3 May 2007 1841494283 978-1841494289

While drifting in space, lost, due to navigational failure, a mineral scout discovers God. When word gets out, academics from the studiums across Orion scramble to gain the Entity's favour. However, not all the sentients of Orion hold this 'god' in awe - some, like the philosophers of Scolar and the Transhuman's of Extropy are deeply suspicious.

Onto the grand stage of inter-planetary academic politics, intellectual conceit and dubious theology walks Baronessa Mira Fedor. Her planet has been torn apart by the invasion of a race of giant tardigrades. Only the Orion League of Sentient Species can lend aid, but OLOSS are preoccupied with communicating with god. Mira, together with the larrikin, misogynist Jo-Jo Rasterovich, is left to her own resources to find help. In doing so she unmasks a galaxy-size intrigue.

But will she live long enough to tell anyone. . . ?


Frequently Bought Together

Dark Space (Sentients of Orion S.) + Chaos Space: The Sentients of Orion  Book Two + Mirror Space: Book Three of the Sentients of Orion
Price For All Three: £23.33

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Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Orbit (3 May 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1841494283
  • ISBN-13: 978-1841494289
  • Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 2.7 x 17.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 188,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

DARK SPACE lacks focus, but the colourful characters and sense of scale suggest that the series could develop into something special (TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT )

Dark Space is a rich and vigorous adventure and a promising first instalment (THE AUSTRALIAN )

A complex and exciting novel, almost devoid of cheap sentiment and comfortable vindication. It's not a cheerful read, but it is a very rewarding one . . . de Pierre s' willingness to display the imperfections of her characters is a large part of the appeal of Dark Space; she deftly handles the aspects of bringing characters to life that elude so many space opera writers, simply by making them genuinely human - with all the contradictory drives and motives that implies . . . While a deeply political book, Dark Space is also a very engaging one - the fine characterisation and subtle writing make for a novel which is both exciting and thought-provoking at once . . . It's always a joy to find intelligent and exciting space opera; to find it being written by a woman unafraid to bring her own perspective to a traditionally masculine genre, doubly so. (SCALPEL MAGAZINE )

Dark Space is an exciting adventure with plenty going on to keep you turning the pages. The story is primed to enter uncharted territory at the end of Book One. Marianne has a knack for creating compelling characters in complex realities-the Parish Pless (AUREALIS )

Book Description

A compelling new Space Opera series from the acclaimed author of the Parrish Plessis books

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing idea that's poorly executed. 20 Mar 2008
By hippo
Format:Paperback
As the Amazon synopsis explains, Jo-Jo Rasterovich - mineral scout and general waster- discovers a god like being on the edge of space called Sole. What is it and what does it want?

This idea caught my interest and so I bought the book. Unfortunately De Pierres focuses the story on Mira - a Baronessa who has the hereditary ability to pilot ships and Trin, the future Principe (King) and his fall from grace. Their stories interlink and make up the majority of the book.

This is a four book series so it is understandable that De Pierres doesn't want to reveal the central idea completely in book one but even so, to focus the story on the two characters above was a wasted opportunity. Neither are at all likeable, both are self-obsessed whiners, Mira especially, who prattles on consistently about how unfair everything is. When the reader can empathise with the main characters a book becomes much more enjoyable but there is no chance of that occurring here.

If the Author had focused on Jo-Jo and the other main character- an academic named Tekon- who has been chosen as one of the select few to interact with Sole then perhaps the book could have been saved, sadly she doesn't.

However, the biggest problem I had with this book is the undertone of sexism towards men. All the male characters are selfish and aggressive monsters, basically scum. Whilst virtually all the women are martyrs: generous, understanding, caring and warm. The idea that either sex is wholly good or bad is laughable and naive but this is one of the author's key themes and it really begins to grate.

Moreover, as a previous reviewer stated, the novel use of language (a form of futuristic Italian) is maddening.

Overall, this was very disappointing and I'll not be picking up the second book : 'Chaos Space' when it comes out.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book 3 July 2007
Format:Paperback
This book was absolutely terrible! The dialog was bad, the made up place names and "technology" names were bad, and the overall story was predictable. Some authors can create names and places and worlds with bizarre and interesting names and functions. William Gibson, Peter Hamilton, and Ian Banks are a few. Marianne just can't. The book is very amaturish. If you think, like I did, that the Parrish books were ok so this one might be good, don't be fooled.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced space opera with its own unique style 8 July 2007
Format:Paperback
Campared to the Parish novels, Deep Space has a better defined level of threat and intrigue to drive the plot. There is still the characteristic, De Pierres, fast-paced action and writing style, yet there is something more to the space opera.

Mira Fedor, the main character, is softer than Parish ever was. She's been sheltered and, although not a favourite among the aristocrats, she hasn't experienced the down and dirty side of life. The world of Araldis is a dismal mining world, run by a patriarchal government.

Jo-Jo Rasterovich is a quirky character, who is at times down right amusing. He has discovered a god. Into this mix are various aliens and humans, flocking to comune with this new entity. One of the, the alien, Tekton, who I haven't quite worked out, is really an interesting piece of characterisation.

I found the Italian influence on the Araldis world, a nice touch and the slight feminist leanings appealing.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. I found the story and the characters kept me rivetted to the book and I finished it in one sitting.
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