Scott's Take: Artifact Space by Miles Cameron

Artifact Space is the first book in a new series by Miles Cameron. Marca Nbaro escapes from a bad situation by conning her way into joining a merchant navy group that operates in outer space and engages in trade with aliens referred to as Starfishes. Life on a Greatship named, Athens, should be much nicer and safer than her old life. For a while it is and she can sort of relax and believes she will be good as long as she can keep all her secrets. However, new dangers arise so her new life is nowhere near as safe as she thought it would be.

 

What follows is a complicated read that goes far beyond the book jacket copy. This book has some action, plenty of world building, and some drama. I enjoyed this sci-fi tale but I don’t think it is for everyone since a large part of the book is deep detail of routine events. Whether it is her going about doing her job, meeting with her friends, eating lunch, and even shopping for new uniforms. Stuff like that make up a good portion of the book. If that stuff is not for you, then the book is not for you.

 

Those routine event scenes are quiet lulls in the book and interspersed between action scenes. There are a few twists, one of which I thought was very obvious, but the characters were quite surprised.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I see why some readers would get very bored with it. This series is planned to be a two-book series that will end with the book, Deep Black. The release date for that is unknown.

 

 

My paperback reading copy came from my branch, Lochwood Library, of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023