"'Faith is a strange thing, isn't it? ... You can explain all you want to a doubter, but if you want them to truly come around, you have to let them walk their own path.'"

With a group of criminals and a rogue AI on a spaceship, I thought that The Salvation Gambit would be right up my alley. And while I did enjoy some parts of it, the book fell flat for me in some places.
Most notably, I never really got invested in the plot. It wasn't slowly paced, per se, but I didn't care much for Murdock and the plot just felt a bit lackluster. The romance didn't really catch my attention and the only character backstory I found to be truly interesting was Ham's. That being said, I did like the idea of an AI being worshipped as a god and the headbands it used to communicate with its cultists looking like haloes.
Similarly, I didn't care much for the characters. Murdock was okay, but we never got time to really get to know Hark or Bea so I didn't have a connection with them. Ham was cool and I didn't mind Fitz, but none of them were characters I could really root for.
Even though The Salvation Gambit wasn't my cup of tea, I think it's a worthwhile read for readers looking for a quick space opera.
Thanks to Netgalley and the free e-ARC!
3.25/5