Antimatter Blues is the excellent sequel to Mickey7. Mickey Barnes is still alive after a risky gambit in the previous book positions him as an invaluable resource to the colony. Two years later when his word is tested, he must scramble to save the colony. The creepers are not quite what they seem and new enemies lurk on the untested planet. Mickey must use his knowledge of failed colonies and every alliance he has in order to save everyone he loves. 

Mickey Barnes is the type of character that you can’t look away from and not for the usual reasons. Mickey is not a knight in shining art, not a morally gray hero, at the end of the day he’s someone who wants to come home to his friends and partner. It is so fascinating to watch him navigate through the ethics of being a former Expendable and how he carves out an identity beyond that. Ashton does a frighteningly good job of imagining what an Expendable might be put through, what type of choices a colony commander might need to make, and what cutthroat politics might exist in a dystopian future. 

Mickey undergoes a lot of character growth, particularly as he eludes being recycled into energy for his colony. I loved his alliance with the creeper colony (especially Speaker!) and appreciated how far he was willing to go for his friends, family, and crew. Readers will enjoy seeing familiar crew members from Mickey7, new creatures, and more of the planet on which the colony has landed. I really enjoyed Antimatter Blues and would recommend it to anyone who seeks high-stakes action, dystopian adventure, and lovable characters. 

Thank you to Edward Ashton, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.