Story Rating: 4.5 stars
Audio Rating: 4.5 stars

Narrator: Chris Chambers
Length: 9 hours, 10 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks

Brady Garrett is a conscripted recruit on Defender Three in “the big black.” His station is supposed to protect Earth from an alien attack, but the Faceless seem to do what they want anyway. Brady really wants to go home; his father is terminal and his little sister needs him, but home is just a distant dream.

Cameron Rushton knows all about the Faceless. He has been missing for four years since he was abducted and has now come back to the ship in stasis. But the doctors from Earth don’t know what they are up against and, when they wake Cameron, it doesn’t go smoothly at all. Cameron loses his heartbeat and Brady becomes the only one that can regulate it as his energy and his heart beats for the both of them. Not only that, the men are in each other’s heads and every thought and every memory is now shared between the two of them.

Brady has never been attracted to men, but his growing attraction to Cameron is intense. Brady tries to brush it off due to their connection, but some things can’t be denied. However, the Faceless are still coming back and Brady knows his days are numbered, but maybe Cameron isn’t the traitor everyone thinks he is.

Dark Space will take you on a really great sci-fi adventure with immersive world building and two great characters in Brady and Cameron. Brady is 19, and he has no hope of ever getting back to Earth and his family. He really doesn’t want to be in space and life is really difficult for him. He has no idea what is in store for him next when Cameron Rushton returns after four years.

Everyone thinks that Cameron is a traitor. But now, Brady is inside Cam’s head and Brady’s heart beats for the two of them. Brady now knows Cam better than anyone and their bond grows each day. Brady has a front row seat to all of Cam’s memories and all that he has endured, and Cam can see and feel all that has happened to Brady since he came to Defender Three.

The book is told from Brady’s POV and we learn about Cam as he does. At first, Brady doesn’t know how to handle his attraction to Cam and isn’t sure if it’s the situation they now find themselves in or something more. Brady’s life has been difficult in space and it seems at every turn it will just get more difficult, but getting close to Cam is unlike anything he has experienced and he’s willing to give it all to keep Cam safe.

The atmosphere of life on Defender Three is complete here and Henry puts together an enticing world. The crew is tasked with defending against the Faceless, but nobody truly knows what they are capable of. That was the weakest area for me, as even as more is revealed and one appears on page, we still don’t know much about them or what they wanted with Cam or what their end game is. As this is book one of the series, clearly there can be more built into the next books, but I would have liked a little more here.

Brady and Cameron have a unique experience and the bond they form is absolute from both the inside and out. It was a great journey to watch their relationship, and the overall storyline, evolve and I’m hooked on what will happen next.

This is the first audio I have listened to narrated by Chris Chambers and it’s great to find a new narrator. Chambers’ performance was a great match for the story, as well as for the voices of Brady, Cameron, and the alien Kai-ren. While Brady and Cameron did not have that much of difference in voice, it was always clear who was speaking and Chambers offers a rich, smooth tone to the entire performance. The timing was excellent and Chambers kept the tension high or the emotions tight as needed. With subtle effects for Kai-ren and sound effects for the ship, the narration was a fully immersive experience that elevated a great story with a great performance. While I am hooked on the story itself, the narration reeled me in even more and this is a great choice for an audio experience.