2.5 stars

The Miner isn't looking for trouble when she arrives at Station 35 wanting to sell ore, but that's what she finds.
Station 35 is occupied by two rival gangs fighting over control of the space station, while the corrupt law enforcement takes money from both sides.
The Miner decides to take things into her own hands, but might soon wish that she hadn't.

The concept of the book really intrigued me and I went into it ready for some gripping action. However, I ended up disappointed.
The Miner was an intriguing protagonist. Her backstory was interesting, but I didn't feel that I really connected with her or that she was fleshed out enough. I liked the relationships she formed with some of the other characters as well as seeing how the Miner dealt/coped with different situations.
The plot took a while to get going and the pacing was too slow for me, but I understand that the author needed to set things up before getting to the action, which there wasn't as much of as I was expecting. There were a couple of things that happened that I didn't see coming, but overall I found the plot a bit lacklustre, despite a few engaging action scenes.
The writing style was one where I had to take my time reading every sentence, as opposed to one where I could fly through the pages. Because of this and the slow pacing, it did feel like it took me a very long time to finish the book.
I did enjoy the book to begin with, but after a while, when things didn't pick up, I found myself enjoying it less and less as it went on. However, I kept on reading in the hope that I would get back into what was happening, which I didn't.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, and, unfortunately, this is a case where the execution of the book fell short for me, despite the promising premise.

Overall, this was an okay but disappointing read.

I don’t really know why but I knew this book was going to be hella fun as soon as I began reading it. Maybe it was the description of the setting, i.e., deep space. It could be that the protagonist was a woman. Or it was because she was simply called The Miner. As I read on, the book never stopped being fun. Embroiled in an on-going turf war, the Miner switches sides, slices off people’s appendages with her sword, makes friends with the unlikeliest of characters, and keeps on cracking jokes. There’s silliness and even a Romeo-Juliet kind of romance. All of that was done so well that I didn’t want to put the book down. The ending was fun to read too!

What didn’t work for me was how less I connected with the protagonist. One reason why would be that I didn’t know much about her — and that still remains true even after finishing the book! So, not only did I know what drove her to end the turf war, I also couldn’t tell you how the events changed her. Another would be that she’s a female character written from a male POV, which didn’t help me feel for her.

So, if character development isn’t an issue for you, you’ll love this highly entertaining romp!

An asteroid miner, looking to refuel and stock up on necessities such as food and, water, and oxygen, heads to the nearest space station (Station #35) with a cargo of ore to sell, which should get her enough to purchase her supplies. The Miner (as she is named throughout the book) is met be the station's self-described 'welcoming committee' who try to intimidate her with a show of strength and a slough of fees for services for services that may or may not be rendered.

A corrupt stationmaster is not entirely unexpected and The Miner is willing to pay the ridiculous fees and receive a less than standard take for her ore - in part because she's not sure she can make it to the next station on the fuel and oxygen she's got, and there's no telling if the next station isn't just as, or more, corrupt than where she's at.

But the 'locals' don't exactly leave The Miner alone (which they will come to regret) since she's new blood on the station and she doesn't look like she would put up much of a fight. The Miner then finds herself in the middle of a three-way stand-off among the station administrators, law enforcement, and engineers. She will choose a side, then switch, and play them all against one another until they come together with a common goal - to get rid of her.

This was one of those books that came as a total surprise to me. I knew nothing of the author and read no descriptions prior to starting the book. It's published by Angry Robot and they are a publisher from whom I will typically read everything they put out, and I do it precisely for this reason - to find something new that I will really enjoy.

In essence, this is a 'western' story turned space opera where the confident gunslinger walks into a quiet town and rescues the innocent locals from the various threats. Except this gunslinger is a woman with a katana (Japanese sword).

The story is fine. We can predict a little bit what will happen, though author John P. Murphy does bring in new sources of conflict at just the right times, but what really makes this book soar is the characters. The Miner is fantastic. Think of Clint Eastwood as the Character With No Name in <em>The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</em> - appropriate not only because we know her only as The Miner (no name) but also because of her confidence and her very evident abilities. The town she saves is Station 35, and despite a three-way fight between the locals, there's still a resident or two who are worth saving.

The Miner's got some bad-ass skills, and a little bits of her past are revealed through the course of the book ... just enough to satisfy this reader, but also with just enough mystery still that another book is easy to anticipate.

This is not a 'cozy' story - there's a lot of blood shed on and around Station 35, most (but not all) of it inflicted by The Miner. But it's not graphically detailed and we definitely understand that The Miner would rather the antagonists lay down their weapons and walk away, but that she'll fight to kill if given no option.

Murphy's writing is tight and deliberate and it is very easy to fall into this book and not want to leave until the last page is read. I had a great deal of fun here and The Miner is the kind of hero (heroine) that a reader can really rally behind.

Looking for a good book? <em>Red Noise</em> by John P. Murphy is exciting space opera with great characters. If you like westerns in space or adventurous sci-fi where the good guys win and the bad guys lose, then you'll love this book.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

There is a certain type of film that I love. It has a central character wronged in some way and this gives them the flimsy premise to basically kill all the bad guys. Death Wish, John Wick, The Equaliser, to name but a few. Red Noise by John P Murphy is the science fiction equivalent with a dark slice of humour throughout. Who would not want to land on a remote space station full of the Universe’s worst reprobates and then take the trash out? It would help if you are a former member of Special Forces tricked out with the latest military augmentations.

At first, she is simply a miner who lands at Station 35 for a routine drop off. On arrival, things start off badly when the corrupt Customs Agent charges her too much for landing fees and things are about to get worse. Station 35 is no longer a functioning mining station but instead its denizens are all from two criminal factions or the dodgy police force. To make enough money to get off Station 35, the miner is going to have to become the Miner and rely on skills she has left dormant for a while. These skills are to manipulate, maim and kill.

Red Noise is a book that has a lot of killing in it and an antihero at the centre who is not always that easy to like. And I loved it. The book is not played for laughs, but those that remain on board the station is mostly made up from those not clever enough for Mad Max, you cannot help but chuckle at their stupidity. When someone as competent and experienced as the Miner enters their world, there is only going to be one winner and they are not even aware yet.

The book is not a relentless gorefest as there are reasons behind why the Miner does what she does. Like John Wick’s dog, there are reasons for her to seek revenge. At first, she is happy to leave, but they just won’t let her. More fool them. The great thing about the character of the Miner is that she is an introvert but also a psychopath. Her past means that she has no problems exacting maximum damage to achieve her goals, even if this may leave a hole open to the vacuum of space.

Although central to the plot and driver of most of the narrative, there are other characters we get to meet and spend some time with. The leaders of the two faction, some henchmen and a bartender who just wants to make a living once again. Murphy create a space station that feels like it existed before the Miner arrived and will carry on after, if she is ever able to leave. There is a sense of it being lived in and worn down over time.
The entire Universe of Red Noise feels a little battered and weary. Rather than these making things depressing, it makes it more amusing. Think Red Dwarf as the tech starts to slowly break down over time. You get the sense that over on Station 36 they will have all the mod cons, but here on Station 35 you must make do with punks smashing up the place for fun.

The tone of the book is kept quite light just by most of the characters being stupid or half baked. At the core, the family relationships are almost Shakespearean, but we are provided melee weapons rather than iambic pentameter for our entertainment. You get to know and even like some of these characters, but many go the way of Tybalt and exit stage left before the book closes. This gives a sense of tension, as although a character may be daft, you still root for them.

The greatest asset of the book remains the Miner. She is that classic women with no name, entering a situation without baggage or loyalty. Constantly she takes actions that stir the hornets' nest and another great action sequence or fight breaks out. Among all the fisticuffs, Murphy still finds time to develop the characters. The Miner does have small changes of heart throughout the book, but thankfully she never deviates too much from her anarchic nature.

Despite of, or maybe because of, the abundance of violence, swearing, drinking and drug taking in Red Noise, the book is one of the most fun I have read in a while. It is so outlandish in parts as to be comedic but never forgets to build relational dynamics that make sense and give purpose to character’s actions. The Miner herself is a joy to follow. Any fan of revenge mission films, or books, will find a world they will love, with the bonus of some black comedy.

An highly entertaining, fast paced and action packed story that I loved.
The author can surely write a story that will keep you hooked.
The world building is interesting, the plot flows and the characters are interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Red Noise reminds me of the old westerns I watched as a kid - a stranger gets into town, tangles with the local corrupt law and criminals, and decides it's their mission to clean up the town. John P. Murphy does a great job of maintaining that ambience - his stoic protagonist goes about her self-assigned mission with dedication and a willingness to do what it takes to accomplish her goal. Along the way, Murphy expands upon her history and the history of those around her, including the station, without heavy-handed exposition or asides. A clean read, Red Noise could be the start of a great series (like the Dollars Trilogy of Clint Eastwood fame) or a fantastic stand-alone novel.

<I>Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.</I>

So when I started this book I was actually hoping it would be bad so I could quickly make a decision about it and get onto the other books I needed to review by the 14th. However, I was hooked from the first few pages and had difficulty putting it down. I would pick up another of Murphy's books without hesitation.

This book is really well paced, had a great caste of characters, smoothly written action scenes, and an ending you won't see coming. It has everything that you would love in a good action flick. If you like action movies, westerns/samurai movies, <I>Cowboy Bebop</i>, <I>Outlaw Star</I>, and/or <I>Firefly</I> then you are going to love this book.

Red Noise by John P. Murphy, struggled with this book. Quite a bit of language that I failed to see the point for as it always thows off a book for me. Thanks for giving me a chance with it.

Raucous mashup of Kill Bill, Westside Story and Tombstone (the Kurt Russell one). Great lines, for instance:

“Somewhere, the Miner could have sworn she heard a chainsaw rev.”

“Where the fuck did you get the grenade? Are you out of your mind? Then she ruined the Miner’s comeback by passing out.”

Whatever you do, don’t forget to check your guns at Station 35’s airlock!

No one knows who Jane is but she’s a miner, an augmented special forces operative and she’s here to chew bubblegum and kick ass and she’s all out of bubblegum. She has an unknown backstory that’s merely alluded to and I can’t wait to hear about.

Fun story, snappy dialogue full of mayhem, hand grenades, a nuke or two, swords, sex, drugs and rock and roll (if play heavy metal while you read) - what more do you need?

4 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/06/23/red-noise-by-john-p-murphy-review/

Bebop meets Borderlands in Red Noise, where the stylized samurai western former combines with the casual and often dark humored killing of the latter to create something in between. The story definitely has a dark twist, which becomes more evident the further you read. But read further still, and you’ll find that it also has heart.

Station 35 looms out of the darkness. The Miner came to sell her ore, fill up on food, water and air, and get back to her claim. Though initially warned off docking by another trader, she has little choice but to do so when her ship runs out of fuel. And once on the station, it’s going to be hard getting off.

Throughout the text, the Miner often goes simply by her moniker. Otherwise, she is referred to as Jane or Mick, for reasons that’ll become clear when you read it. We do eventually learn her name, her real name, but that really doesn’t mean anything. Yet. Maybe not ever.

Fresh off the boat, the Miner is thrown in the deep end, as both gangs come out to woo her to their cause. She stiffs them both, preferring just to sell her ore and leave. But the station isn’t done with her just yet, and the stationmaster makes this abundantly clear. After shortchanging her on ore and tripling the price of fuel, she’s pretty much stranded.

But the Miner’s not the type to be tied down. So she hangs out with Kenshi Takata—the resident station good-guy and restauranteur (you know the one)—and the former station master turned drunk, Herrera. Where she watches, and waits.

On one side, John Feeney hunkers in the hotel. Once the gangland kingpin of Station 35, Fennel survived a coup in the aftermath of his grandson implanting a nuke in his chest. Mary, Feeney’s granddaughter remains his only family, but rarely agrees with her grandfather’s methods. His crew is the bigger of the two, but more of a rabble. On the opposite side, Angelica del Rios lounges in the casino. Once a hangout for Mr Shine—we’ll get to him—she and her brother Raj took it over after their fallout with Feeney. Though smaller than Feeney’s crew, they’re better armed, better trained. In the middle, there’s the police chief, Tom McMasters. Corrupt to the core, he has fingers in both pockets. His security personnel keep the peace—enough. An all-out gang war is bad for business, but so is a hard peace. So they keep it somewhere in the middle, while McMasters turns a profit. Down below is Mr Shine. Once and always respected, he’s been driven into the station’s underbelly with a ragtag band of dishwashers, butchers, craftsmen, and various commonfolk, of unknown strength and number.

Eventually, each gang comes to woo her in turn. And when it becomes clear her sword isn’t just for show, the competition for her services intensifies. But while working for one side may pay well enough for her to escape, it’s not ultimately satisfying. So the Miner decides to play them against one another. Now all she has to do is survive to see her plan to fruition.

———————

While it’s not a polished gem, I’d say Red Noise is a diamond in the rough. Okay, maybe not a diamond. More of an uncut… Coltan. Dull, black, but with a bit of a metallic sheen. Which I think adequately describes the book. Dark, but harboring a golden finish.

When I was gearing up for Red Noise, I heard quite a bit about it. There was a lot of contention, mostly about the Miner herself—her femininity, her emotional depth, more. As expected, now that I’ve read it, I’ve some thoughts on the matter.

I’ve seen a fair number of reviews stating that the Miner acts like a man, or isn’t that she wasn’t “feminine” or “unique” enough to be a woman. To be perfectly honest, not only do I not agree with this, I’m not even sure what it means (seriously, “unique”?). There’s no set amount of femininity required for a woman to be a woman. Some women are more “feminine” than others. One reviewer stated that she “couldn’t tell you how many times the female ‘rubbed her chin’”. Now I was watching out for this, and I counted. Three. It happened three times. But that’s not even the important part. The thing is, who says it’s a male attribute to rub their chin. I’m a guy, and I don’t think I’ve ever rubbed my chin. I’ll scratch it occasionally when I grow out my beard, but not rub it. The Miner does scratch and rub various other parts of her body, but this can be explained away by any number of reasons. Maybe being alone for so long lowered her inhibitions about certain “etiquette”. Maybe it’s the lack of bathing. Or maybe it’s the scars. The Miner has a lot of scars. And let me tell you, scars can get itchy, especially if they’re accompanied by an unpleasant memory.

The next is the Miner’s emotional depth. She does often feel cold, emotionless, distant. But some people are just like this. Later in the story, she will open up a bit and show more sensitivity, more vulnerability, but early on she can come across a bit cold. I’m leaning towards this being the author’s intention, rather than bad writing, but I can definitely understand how this could drive some readers away. Not everyone likes a ronin with a heart of stone. Sometimes you like the lead to emote, to think, to FEEL—and that’s okay. Red Noise has this, but you have to read into it a ways, and even then it’s more subtle than many other texts. Screwball—your secondary lead—for his part, is more emotional and sensitive, though he more often comes across as whiny, at least early on.

I’m not sure exactly what to say about the novel’s characters. There’s a main cast, and then everyone else. Some of them have names in the way that disposable characters do—but little in the way of backstories. The main cast is much better. They have more depth, more history, more development—just don’t expect them to exhibit it all up front. Like everything else in Red Noise, you have to dig in for it. Now it’s good that this book had a legitimate, dedicated cast, but their depth gave them away. It’s like this: there’re a bunch of people walking around, some we come to recognize, others just a name and a face—who do you think is going to die? Because it’s a bloody book—someone’s going to die. Just don’t expect any of the lifers to go early on. This isn’t GoT. Also there’s not a ton of character development, even from the lifers. Instead… I’d call it more character “progression”. It’s not a constant. They can change over time, but I wouldn’t say many of them evolve. Their motives, their demeanors might change, but there’s little enough in the way of behavior or thought. There is some, just not much.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting. Station 35 reminds me of Blue Heaven from Outlaw Star (another anime, manga—google it), with warrens and gangs and a “strict” no-gun policy. An old, ruined military outpost where its citizens eke out their lives, however fruitless they may’ve become. Hope mired within hopelessness. It definitely has a brooding feel, like the streets of a plague-infested ruin in the dead of night. The only stretch of civilization between Stations 34 and 36, it constantly reminds you that there’s no escape—and no help coming.

The plot itself isn’t terribly inventive. It’s built on revenge, betrayal, distrust, greed, even hope. But it’s fairly simple, and a bit clichéd. The were no mysteries to solve, no conspiracies to unravel—despite how much the story tries to tell you that there are. I found it to be a straightforward tale. Yes, there are some twists and turns, a few unexpected occurrences, but nothing groundbreaking. Red Noise sets out to tell a bloody tale of greed and deceit and chaos, and does just that. It’s enjoyable, just not overly complex.

TL;DR

Red Noise is Bebop meets Borderlands—a science fiction samurai western with a bloody, but carefree finish. It’s like a chunk of uncut Coltan—mostly dull and dark, but with a slightly golden finish. It reminded me most of a 90’s anime, which made my read-through of it as enjoyable as it was nostalgic. There’s a lot of contention surrounding this book—specifically with the Miner and her mannerisms—which I’d advice are best ignored. Everyone is going to make something of it, and no one’s going to agree completely with anyone else’s interpretation. But the same can be said of anything—Red Noise just seems to bring it out more. Still, the book isn’t for everyone. It’s dark, it’s bloody, it’s chaotic. “Organized chaos”, I would call it. The Miner’s really an anti-hero, and there’s not a lot of love to go around. Those who idealize women may not like it, nor may those that like to know all their characters’ thoughts and emotions. Red Noise tells a blunt tale, but also a subtle one. On the surface there’s nothing but blood and death and deceit, yet read on and dig down and you will find a layer of gold beneath it.

A clear homage to Japanese samurai films (and, by extension American Westerns). Like those movies, the novel starts off with "the mysterious stranger" entering a corrupt town; in this case, the town is a near-abandoned and sparsely-populated space station. There are three leaders vying for control (including the cops, with a moustachioed "sheriff"), though none are ideal rulers. The stranger, only called The Miner decides to lend her particular brand of assistance. With a sword.

Unfortunately, what I didn’t really get was why. In the films, the character is a trope, but this novel (while I was completely addicted to it), suffers a bit with regards to the miner’s motivation. We don’t learn enough about her to understand why she wouldn’t just leave. It never felt to me like she was trapped (by money or other reasons), as she always seemed to have an answer or the ability to escape whatever situation she found herself in. There were attempts to have her wrestle with leaving, but there wasn’t enough of that or it didn’t go deep enough. I get that in the movies the character doesn’t need such a rationale, but from a book I expected a bit more.

At the same time, I really liked how we don’t learn that much about her - just little tidbits here and there - it kept her mysterious and each reveal was a fun surprise.

I loved the dialogue, the diversity, the general degraded ambience of the station, and how no one was sacred in terms of violence bestowed upon them. Yet the three leaders, and Mary and Raj, needed more background; I found I didn’t care much about them as people, though they were fun to read about.

The book is an absolute blast. I loved the amount of women in the novel and the dark humour (I laughed out loud quite a few times). The dynamic between the bartender and his regular (another Western trope - the saloon!) was so much fun, as were the action scenes.

You don’t need to know/like Westerns to find this a fun, gritty, action-packed adventure that just happens to be set in space.

Many elements that I enjoyed, but it felt, well, more like a collection of great elements than a cohesive use of said elements. I wanted it to be more complete. It does kind of feel like a series starter, and though this one was a bit clunky, I'd likely read the series.

Pondering the big mysteries of life and asking philosophical questions are things that science fiction does very well. But sometimes, you just want a big old scrap. In space, if at all possible. And wouldn’t you know it, John P. Murphy has given us just that. Red Noise is the story of a lone badass interposing herself between two warring gangs and looking to make a tidy profit off each of them as they escalate the conflict, with bloody skirmishes leading to even bloodier showdowns.

If this sounds familiar, it’s no surprise - Walter Hill’s prohibition-era Western Last Man Standing and Leone’s Spaghetti Western classic A Fistful of Dollars sprang to mind as I was reading, and doubtless others will be able to bring to mind more examples of this setup than I can. But there’s a reason why the same stories come around again and again - it’s because, done right, they’re a hell of a lot of fun.

And damn, Red Noise is fun.

Putting his own twist on those Western tropes, Murphy transfers the action from the usual dusty boardwalks and corrals to Station 35, a former military installation built into an asteroid. Our drifter hero is, quite literally, drifting, as she’s an ore miner looking to offload her cargo and resupply. With no other stations within her fuel range, she’s forced to dock at Station 35, a location soon to be made infamous by her actions. Witnessing the situation that the inhabitants are enduring - one of warring gangs and corrupt law enforcement, as well as having been thoroughly ripped off herself, “The Miner” downs tools and straps on her sword to right some wrongs, and maybe get a decent payday while she’s at it. Yeah, that’s right, she’s the woman with no name too. Perfect.

What unfolds is some highly entertaining, rapid-fire fun, with a cast of colourful thugs and crime bosses, sympathetic characters stuck in the middle of it all and more foul language than I could have wished for in my most puerile dreams. Seriously, there are some very colourful insults in there, it’s really a lot of fun. With the dapper Feeney in his rundown hotel and his traitorous former enforcer Angelica Del Rio in her captured casino, a lot more than insults end up flying across the galleria that separates them though. The action is stylish and cinematic, particularly as station rules prohibit firearms, allowing The Miner to show off her augmented close combat abilities as she slices and dices her way through more than her fair share of goons. There are plenty of nice touches to her meathead opponents too, whether it be a description of their interesting cosmetic gene modifications, their piercings, or their armament. All of this helps flesh out the world and give us more little details about it, and it’s done very subtly.

Things don’t proceed in quite the straightforward way you might expect them to either, with plenty of twists and turns through the winding corridors of Station 35, as deals are made and broken and other players enter the game with their own agendas. Uneasy alliances made before The Miner’s arrival are tested, and The Miner will need her wits to be as sharp as her sword if she’s to survive the machinations of either side unscathed. There’s a lot of attention given to the consequences of The Miner’s actions, as the rival gangs attempt to work out what her angle is and whether or not they can trust her, with some really nicely developed character arcs in there too. As likeable as The Miner is, she is very much a character who has done a whole lot of living already, resulting in her being the infinitely cool weary loner that she is, but one that doesn’t really have much reason to change in terms of her character. Bringing in these other characters and developing their arcs makes this a much more satisfying story than it otherwise might have been - not that it isn’t fun to see a lethal veteran take on some cannon fodder, but it could have been a bit one-note. Happily, that isn’t the case at all.

Cartoonish, stylish and slick, Red Noise is just as much fun as I hoped it would be, with a satisfying conclusion and plenty of sardonic, detached cool to boot. If this was Murphy’s A Fistful of Credits, here’s hoping we get For a Few Credits More.

This book wasn’t for me and after reaching the 50% mark I have decided not to finish it .

I found it to be slow paced and had a lot of back and forth between characters without it actually going anywhere .

The description of the station was hard to follow and picture. This made understanding a lot of what was going on difficult as the places that were described were key features of the events .

I enjoyed the mannerisms of the main character and found the dark humour brilliant. The slow pace of the storyline however failed to keep my interest.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot books for my copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Cue up the theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and meet the woman with no name, at least not if she can help it. She's an ex-spook form some war that left military asteroids to be converted into way stations, and she tries to stay as far from other humans as possible, working a mining claim in an asteroid belt somewhere. Down on fuel, food, and funds, she reluctantly heads for the nearest station and arrives to find a stalemated gang war, a corrupt company official, and a security chief all too happy to take bribes and look the other way. Station 35 is the pits, and she can't wait to take her money and leave.

But she doesn't. Maybe it was meeting the few decent types there, or maybe it was not wanting to get fleeced for her ore, or maybe she's not as heartless as she'd like to be, but she stays and sets out to clean the place up. And by clean the place up, I mean to coat the gravity plated floors with red while making a lot of noise int the process. Pity they don't allow firearms on the station, she'll just have to make do with her sword.

What I liked - I liked the character pretty well, though I think she needs another book or two to develop. I liked the ship and the obsession with plants. I especially liked that the author decided to let COrbert go from a random asshole to someone willing to take a stand.

What I didn't like - I really didn't like the author's calling her "The Miner" all the time. First off, that's not who she is, and secondly, it's not a proper name and shouldn't be capitalized. More on the name, did he give it away with the sharpshooter medal? If some, waste of a core concept. And another thing. Gravity Plates. Really. again? Even if there was any science that said they were possible, you know they wouldn't work that way, with attraction falling off as a square of the distance, making them pretty useless except for collection space station dust. Using spin gravity would have made the book more attractive to readers of say, "The Expanse" and playing with Coriolis effects would have made the gun and sword fights a lot more interesting.

On the other hand, I'm interested enough to see what happens when she gets to Station 36. Hopefully less killing.

I know I'm late with my feedback but the reason for this is simply that I really struggled with reading this book.

It had such good promises going for it, like a strong female lead or having the setting of a space western. And it could have been great with all the action, the humor and the fast pacing.

Sadly, it did not really deliver for me. I felt like the story truly lacked heart, I didn't feel for the main character or was ever very interested in continuing the story had it not been a read for reviewing.

I'm torn on giving this an average rating as such ratings never really say much about a book, but I sadly can't bring myself to give an other rating.

Still, thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is pretty good. Fast paced, action-packed, interesting characters. This is largely character driven but there's no deep dive into the characters. The story contains some good twists, along with some humor. Space opera fans will probably like this.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

This book had so many interesting things going for it:

- female
- space
- feeling of a western

However, I began to notice something... something that was a little ... odd.

While the story was quick, without much detail and lingering things, it lacked 'feeling'. It was rather cold or emotionless. It followed the path of something like the 'mysterious man' and 'Magnificent 7'. Clean up an old spaceport. Turn the gangs against one another, take 'em all out.

I began to notice... this female acted a lot like a male. I then started to play a game:s flip the 'she' bits to a 'he'.... low and behold, there was nothing really 'feminine' or 'unique' about our hero. I can't tell you how many times the female 'rubbed her chin'. I mean, I've read stories with women with male-attributes or things stereotypical male... but man, this was one of those that really let me down.

A pass for me, unfortunately.

This story kept me guessing the whole way. The characters were loosely defined and slowly developed over the week or so that takes place in the book. The explosive situation and how the characters deal with all the building tension is what really made.the story. While the majority of the characters aren't something to write home about, there are tons of aspects present here that were memorable and fun. The wasteland environment of the space station and the goons that populate it were a refreshing take from the regular sci-fi criminal scum. I'd recommend the heck out of this to anyone wanting a fun story with plenty of twists.

John P Murphy should be writing scripts for movies because he can write a book and tell so well I felt like I was at the movies, completely immersed in this Fast and Furious / For a Few Dollars More / Babylon 5 mix, it is funny, sad and full of angst and action

Sequel please