Book Review | Dead Silence

Claire Kovalik’s job contract is about to end, so when her salvage crew picks up a distress signal, they seize the opportunity to investigate.

They think they’ve hit the jackpot when they discover the signal’s coming from the Aurora—the infamous luxury space-liner that had mysterious disappeared on her maiden voyage two decades previously.

However, what they find inside chills them to the bone. Now Claire and her crew must try and find a way to escape before they meet the same ghastly fate as the ship’s previous passengers.

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes is a surreal, nightmarish space horror that leaves the audience questioning alongside the crew: what is real and what is a hallucination?

For me, what I adored most about this book is how well it handles psychological horror. It’s a clever set up, really. Something aboard the ship is very targetedly preying on the regrets and fears of each crew member, slowly driving them mad. For instance, Claire is haunted by (possibly) literal ghosts as well as the metaphorical ghosts of her past—allowing for a wonderful examination of unresolved grief.

Overall, if you love the social commentary of Leviathan Wakes along with the psychological mind games of Event Horizon, I think this one might be right up your alley.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Nightfire, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : February 8, 2022

Publisher : Tor Nightfire

ISBN : 1250819997

Pages : 352

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