From Darkest Skies - Sam Peters

It takes a little while to settle into the world that Sam Peters has created in his debut novel From Darkest Skies. It doesn’t feel like an original creation, and with its main character Keon Rause a law officer and its use of artificial creations with human-like characteristics, Blade Runner does seem to be the obvious reference that comes to mind, but there’s something of The Expanse there too. Once it finds its own feet however, it’s clear that From Darkest Skies has more to offer here and potentially in the future.

Well, we’re already in the future here, in a time where an outside alien agency known only as the Masters has pushed mankind out to distant planets for reasons that no one really seems to understand. There are plenty of theories however and by the time we get to the end of From Darkest Skies there are new insights to consider. For the main part however, Sam Peters' debut novel is more of a SF conspiracy crime thriller that has a personal angle for its detective Keon Rause.

Rause's wife was killed 5 years previously, but the Magentan investigator hasn't yet been able to come to terms with her loss. Also an agent, Alysha was killed in a terror attack in circumstances that haven't entirely been explained, and Rause keeps her memory - and a little more than that - alive in the form of a 'shell' creation that has been crafted to look like her and hold gathered memories and extensive data in a way that makes her very close to the real thing. 'Liss' however cannot of course tell Rause about his wife's last known movements. Back on Magenta however, Rause soon becomes involved in a seemingly unrelated case that could shed some light not only on his wife's death, but tie it all into a larger conspiracy.

It can occasionally be difficult to follow exactly what is going on and how the strange make-up of Magentan society works, but it’s surprising how much information Peters manages to get across without having to resort to huge info-dumps of background information. Everything falls into place quickly, and you're never confused for long, always just momentarily teased and intrigued, the novel rapidly progressing with just the right amount of investigation, exposition and action, with plenty of colourful character development and conflict. This is a well crafted SF novel that might start out in relatively familiar territory, but which clearly has the potential to develop its own ideas beyond this first book.


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