Gates of Mars (The Halo Trilogy Book 1) by Kathleen McFall & Clark Hays

Civilization on Earth is enduring hardships. The wealthy have finally jettisoned Earth’s inhabitants for Mars, leaving behind a planet filled with turmoil and vanquishing the dreams of its consumers. The five-family contingency on Mars is solely focused on making money and enjoying the opulent lifestyle offered on the red planet.

Crucial Larsen receives word that his adored sister has gone missing on Mars. An ex-military man, Crucial heads to Mars with the help of Mel, his ex-girlfriend, and her new love, Jynks, who just so happens to be prominently placed at the head of Mars security. Upon arriving on Mars, Crucial deduces that there is more to the mystery than meets the eye. The task of actual policy enforcement is taken on by the virtual AI system Halo. A significant flaw is who controls the framework of Halo and what directives the system is to follow. Halo’s all-seeing eyes have maintained a world meant to keep the current families in control; however, there is word of dissidence coming from the Korolev Crater; a group simply known as the Variance has secretly emerged with a new weapon to use in the war against the totalitarian regime on Mars.

The bluish tint of my jetpack thrusters dissipates. Through my visor, my eyes absorb the terraforming details of the dome-like structures placed strategically on this foreign rock. Sheer environmental forces are ever shifting, causing reprise and hesitation on every page. While the planet's terrain was on full display, so were the corresponding issues on Earth, whose occupants' only attainable dream is winning a lottery ticket to board a trip bound for Mars and serve the whims of the rich. Bleakness personified! I am tasked with following Crucial Larsen’s attempt to save Earth’s residents from further decay. Co-authors Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays's story exposes readers to a futuristic horror tale in which multiple groups compete to cultivate and use cutting-edge technology, rendering the owners access to the deepest recesses of the world without detection, creating a further advantageous divide.

My first impression of this novel was one of redundancy. A well-known storyline involves the wealthy repressing those requiring resources to survive. Rinse, repeat. This story does not reinvent the wheel. Adding to this thought is Crucial’s character, our daring vet, who follows a familiar theme as well, à la Jack Reacher, perhaps. I found that the lush landscapes of the environment help bring a sense of oneness for the characters' locations and problems. Behold a beautifully constructed planet, bursting with newness for infantile eyes to discover. I read steadily; the narrative deftly concealed factual tidbits using subterfuge amongst the tales' cold shadows.

No fluff, no bluff, well, perhaps a little bluff. This was your straightforward endeavor. Mars Canvas drew my interest, and I wasn’t disappointed. This delivered to my expectations, nothing more, nothing less. Enough so that I will read the next book in the series to see what results from all the mayhem. A solid read. I am giving this 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 stars.

Many thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

Thank you to #netgalley for the review copy.

Alright, so if you’ve read the Finder series by Palmer imagine if Fergus was rather unlikable and instead of making friends everywhere he went while he tries to do the right thing he was a bit depressed and has to be dragged kicking and screaming into selfless acts…now you’ve got Crucial our protagonist in this book. In all fairness this universe is a lot darker than Ferguson’s.

Like the Finder books there were moments where I smirked or grinned a bit and I legit enjoyed every appearance of Sanders.

This is a book one in a trilogy which means a lot of introducing us to this world and leaving a lot of open threads. While it could be read as a standalone I don’t think that would be terribly fulfilling as you’d likely be left with a lot of questions that are being set up to be answered in the later books.

Well, I’ve just discovered all three of these books are in Kindle Unlimited so I guess I’ve found what I’m reading next!

A very readable very enjoyable, gritty, and entertainingly dystopian mystery scifi novel.

The main character is a down to earth (or perhaps down on his luck?) cop suddenly thrown into an investigation into his sister's disappearance on Mars. The further he investigates the more questions pop up. I had a really hard time putting this book down, as it kept comfortably reminding me of other stories I enjoyed such as Total Recall by Piers Anthony and the Quadrail series by Timothy Zahn. All of which I recommend as exciting adventure scifi mystery novels. As Gates of Mars is the first book in a trilogy, I look forward to reading the next one as soon as I can!

I thank the publisher and authors for kindly providing a temporary electronic review copy of this work.

p.s. Important tip to fans of the Halo video game franchise: This trilogy is referred to as "The Halo Trilogy". Although this book certainly includes SF military hardware, as near as I can tell, it is not related to the Halo video game franchise. It is still very enjoyable! I suspect that Halo video game fans would absolutely enjoy this kind of book.

Space noir should be right up my alley. Unfortunately I never connected with this book. The idea of a post capitalist society run by 5 families in space is genius. I loved that idea but that’s about it.

At no point did it seem like it knew what it wanted to be. Does it want to be a noir detective fiction, sci-fi rebellion, humor, political satire, etc. It needed to pick a lane and never really did. That’s its biggest fault.

Oh and the characters names were so ridiculous I had trouble finishing.

Gates of Mars offers an exciting mix of sci-fi, mystery, and humor as Crucial Larsen, a jaded labor cop, investigates his sister's disappearance on a toxic Earth and a technologically advanced Mars. The book's world-building is strong, and it deftly critiques societal and corporate control, but the heavy use of jargon and some repetitive banter might be a turn-off for some readers. Despite these minor flaws, it's a fast-paced, thought-provoking read for fans of futuristic thrillers with a touch of dark humor.

Gates of Mars is highly engrossing on many levels. First, the sci-fi technology of nanites in this book is very realistic. Back during my grad chem classes – nanotechnology was something we always discussed and were always tested on. Did you know that colloidal nanoparticles are already in products such as sunscreen, cosmetics, protective coatings, and stain-resistant clothing? Second, this book gives a glimpse through a passing window of a darker future if we continue on our current paths as a society.

This story had a good blend of sci-fi and sarcasm to qualify as a modern-day cousin of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (with something of a Fletch sensibility). A bit more profanity than I prefer, but not so much that it distracts from the storyline. I would be curious to see how the series progresses.

(Thankyou to Net Galley and Pumpjack Press who provided me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

“People can get used to living in a cave, but if you accept there’s nothing beyond the shadows, you’ve given up.”

“Greed devours everything in its path until there is nothing left.”

3.75 ⭐-> Rounded to 4 ⭐

Gates of Mars is the first instalment of the Halo trilogy in a gripping blend of genres - Dystopian sci-fi x noir detective mystery. The year is 2187 and Earth is a toxic wasteland filled with plastic, following climate events, corporate takeovers and war. Humanity is now being controlled by the all seeing AI Halo, programmed by the five ruling corporate families ensuring the destruction of any privacy and complete obedience. Enter Crucial Larsen, a world-weary, jaded police officer is reluctantly summoned to Mars to investigate the disappearance of his sister, Essential. But in a society where privacy is extinct and Halo monitors everything, her complete disappearance shouldn't be possible. As Crucial digs deeper, he uncovers secrets the ruling families will do anything to keep buried, along with skeletons in his own family history —and the true extent of Halo’s power.

Fantastic World Building: Gates of Mars crafts a vividly unique vision of the future, blending dystopian decay with cutting-edge, futuristic innovation. The world is filled with fascinating details like myco cement -mushroom based building materials and architecture, deadly glitter guns, leech patches, anthrobots, cloned giraffes and gyro sheet meat (However see point below). The ruling Five Families operate like futuristic oligarchs, hoarding wealth and influence while keeping the rest of humanity trapped in a multi-generational debt system—a haunting reflection of modern economic struggles.

Thought Provoking: Gates of Mars is layered with deep philosophical themes exploring power, control, and the ethics of AI—underscoring the age-old truth that "history is written by the victors." The narrative questions who gets to shape reality in a world where an all-seeing AI dictates every move and where corporate elites manipulate the narrative to maintain their dominance. It delves into the illusion of free will, the consequences of unchecked technological power, and the chilling ramifications of a society where the past—and the truth—are rewritten to serve those in control. I really enjoyed the nod to Plato's allegory to the cave, questioning reality and perception in a world where truth is curated by an all-powerful AI.

Heart warming relationships - My favourite duo - the camaraderie between Sanders, and Crucial was a really fun highlight. I loved the banter, and how their friendship developed (I always have a soft spot for the robot character).

Sci-fi terminology - At times, the novel leans heavily into technical and futuristic jargon, which can make certain passages feel dense or overly complex. While all the innovative terminology adds authenticity to the world-building. I did struggle to get into the story and immerse myself fully with the world. Readers unfamiliar with sci fi may initially struggle.

Readers who enjoy ethical discussions about AI: Detroit Beyond Human, Murderbot and dystopian futures: Hunger Games, Uglies may really enjoy Gates of Mars.


(Review published 1.02.25 to StoryGraph, Goodreads & NetGalley)
Full StoryGraph review: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1921d8ab-499b-484d-bf70-233733373f91

Not quite as humorous as hitchhikers or discworld style but a pretty damn good attempt, I enjoyed reading it and will probably get the audiobook if they get a decent narrator

This story had a good blend of sci-fi and sarcasm to qualify as a modern-day cousin of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (with something of a Fletch sensibility). A bit more profanity than I prefer, but not so much that it distracts from the storyline

“Humans are a strange bunch. We like to be alone together.”

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Gates of Mars
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: To Kill a Giraffe on Mars
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: Sanders
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Normal
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: ebook
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Sci-fi investigation
4/𝟱

🪸𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁
~ detailed description of tech
~ solid descriptions of landscape, systems and people
~ new tech and weapons that makes sense

Crucial, a futuristic, low-wage, indebted, cop - has to travel to Mars because his sister has disappeared. Odd, since the all-seeing, all-knowing AI Halo, should have been able to keep better track of her. As we bounce between the present & the past, a series of coincidences, luck & mistakes, land us facing those resisting the 5 Uber-wealthy families of Mars & “all—givers” to earth - the Variance. A group focused on giving humans a fighting chance instead of being conscripted to forced labour & a life of debt. As we follow Crucial on this bizarre adventure, we learn what can happen when you kill a giraffe on Mars.

✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.

🪸𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗵
~ very US centered (which takes away the fun because it is a dead donkey trope 😩)
~ men being allowed to men
~ lots of alcohol consumption 😬 can’t relate
~ weird “joke banter” that seemed slightly silly at times
~ this “I MUST talk to Mel bla bla bla” is tiring

♡🪸 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)

Book Review: The Gates of Mars by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hayes

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted copy of The Gates of Mars!

This futuristic science fiction novel masterfully blends the intrigue of a detective story with the wonders of space exploration. The plot follows a determined detective from Earth who ventures to Mars to uncover the mystery of his missing sister.

The story is fast-paced, engaging, and full of twists that keep you hooked. The seamless fusion of sci-fi elements with the classic detective narrative creates a unique and exciting reading experience.

If you’re a fan of mysteries, science fiction, or both, you won’t want to miss this one. Go check it out!

I am not a fan of sci-fi-ish books, but otherwise the blurb hooked me, and I dived in. While I wasn’t fond of the thing mentioned above, I really, really enjoyed this book. The slow reveal from the preset to the past was a suspenseful hook, and I was glued to the pages to find out what was going on and why Crucial was trying to waste time. Also, I was curious how he and his sister got out of the jam they were both in. One thing though that really bothered me while reading this is that I feel this is actually going to happen, and I see it happening now. This is a page-turning mystery, and I am looking forward to the next. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.