Book Review | Paradise-1

After the peaceful colony planet of Paradise-1 goes radio silent, Inspector Alexandra Petrova and Dr. Lei Zhang are sent to investigate. However, what they find is far stranger and more horrifying than they could have ever imagined.

Paradise-1 by David Wellington is a riveting sci-fi horror filled with rogue sentient AI, phantasmagorical holograms, and hungry space zombies.

First off, I really loved the depth of Petrova and Dr. Zhang’s characters. Zhang is a man haunted by his past, and Petrova is a nepo baby with unresolved mommy issues looking to prove herself.

However, I wish we could have dived deeper into Captain Parker’s character—especially since he is also Petrova’s ex-lover. Their history is barely reflected in their actions and dialogue with one another, and I would have loved to have seen the awkwardness of them being bring forced to work with one another and dealing with lingering emotions. For me, it felt like it was a huge missed opportunity that would’ve amped up the emotional stakes of the story.

I think my biggest complaint though is the book’s uneven pacing due its whopping length of 700 pages. The first half is an excellent edge-of-your-seat mystery thriller. However, by the second half, the story starts losing its steam and feeling repetitive. I really feel like the book could have been cut in half or at least ended on a less abrupt cliffhanger because where it ends is inconclusive and frustrating to say the least.

However, despite its flaws, the book still delivers some genuinely creepy moments and phycological horror that fans of Event Horizon will appreciate.

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

Book Details:

Publication Date : April 4, 2023

Publisher : Orbit

ASIN : B0B8YXY5ZX

Pages : 736

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