Ahoy there mateys! This novel is a sci-fi standalone that I saw recommended somewhere long ago. It features a space pirate (Arrrrr!) so I picked up a copy recently as it fit me mood.

I found this to be a highly enjoyable read. It is set in a time frame where Earth and other planets have been destroyed by unstoppable alien Von Neumann probes called Worldbreakers. Humans have colonized asteroid belt systems and are struggling to survive. A Worldbreaker has arrived in belt three and people are trying to get out of the path of destruction.

Gabriel is a miner, fleeing the Worldbreaker with his crew. He is captured by Keldra, the female pirate, so that he and the crew can be transformed into slaves and sold. The highlight of the book was the relationship between the two main characters, Gabriel and Keldra. Initially out to destroy one another, circumstances find their lots tossed together for basic survival. The two are constantly having a battle of wits. Gabriel is out to survive at all costs. Keldra has an ultimate goal and will take down anyone who stands in her way. There is lots of character growth on both sides which is what I enjoyed the most.

Of course this novel is also action packed with lots of space battles and trickery and plot twists. I loved the end-of-the world setting. It felt different to have the humans be facing extinction and yet still struggling against all odds. They have amazing technology concerning cloning and mind control. Yet for all the tech, humans seem to have hardly evolved at all. The technology is also used as a plot device concerning memory and I loved it.

For $2.99 it was a bargain. A fast read, I heartily recommend it to me crew.

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