Tag: Matthew Samuels

Dusk (The Navigator series #2) by Matthew Samuels

Two years have passed since Kael and Alessia discovered Xirra, but despite providing an unexpected source of help, political tensions between Lyran cities have deepened. The Xirran philosophy of hope is causing rifts between the townships, and the two explorers unexpectedly find themselves at the heart of a controversial cult. Worse yet, one of the monstrous creatures from Carthusian, the ever-changing city-ship, seems to have been sighted in Vulpes, Lyra’s farming city.With new enemies coming from unexpected places, Alhambro is determined to understand how the thinnings link universes, dispatching Vega’s best car crews across space, commissioning Basteel and Slyph to investigate the strange creature in Vulpes. At the same time, Kael and Alessia embark on a vital mission to cross a forbidden asteroid, an abandoned planet previously home to a super-advanced race and into the unknown.
As a new, hostile species capable of traversing the thinnings emerges, it seems that the sun is setting on Lyra for the very last time. (Taken from Amazon)

Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Dusk is available now.

After enjoying Parasites, book one in The Navigator series, I was excited to see what happened next. Science fiction and I have an odd relationship: I need it to be complex and creative enough to pique my interest, but simple enough that I can follow the storyline. Once again, Matthew Samuels found the perfect balance of “technical stuff” and accessibility.

He started out brilliantly, bringing the reader up to date on everything that has happened since book one, but he did it organically as opposed to starting with an info dump. The characters had small scenes explaining what had happened to them and where things are for them now. These little glimpses of life and how it’s changed helped to both reintroduce the characters and put the focus on important events and changes.

Dusk jumps pretty much right into things, without a ton of setup or explanation. It moves along at a good pace, never dragging. The characters continue to be great, each one interesting in their own way. Basteel was my favorite in Parasites, but he was in danger of being replaced by Slyph in book two. She’s brusque and to the point and isn’t really all that concerned with social niceties. She’s also ridiculously smart. It was a fascinating combination to read.

The creativity Matthew Samuels exhibits as the characters explore different settings and deal with new problems is so much fun! There is never a dull moment. I loved seeing the new worlds and lifeforms that were created. The Navigator series continues to expand and feel bigger with each well thought out addition. I think the sense of wonder and adventure that these discoveries bring to the book makes it even more enjoyable.

The stakes are high, but Dusk is a hopeful story. Sometimes I need a break from emotionally heavy books and this series has been a highly entertaining breath of fresh air. I recommend picking this up.