My rating: 3 of 5 stars--

Cascade Failure is set in a space-faring future, where the galaxy revolves around three political entities--The Trust, The Union, and The Guild. Jal is on the run as a Guild deserter, but gets picked up by an eccentric crew, including an old Guild partner of his. But instead of turning him in to the authorities, the rag-tag group of Guild operatives answer a distress call and rescue a plucky, neuro-spicy coder, who claims to have discovered a conspiracy involving mass planetary genocide for capital gain.

Cascade Failure has the makings of a book I'd love--sci-fi, anticapitalist, emotionally troubled characters--but it just didn't hit for this reader. I felt the dialogue was a bit trite, and the plot dragged and felt pretty predictable. That said, I found the characters heart-warming and the story cathartic. I won't be continuing the series but those who do should look forward to some fun will-they-won't-they queer romances, or at least queer-coded friendships. And hopefully even more "eat the rich" vibes.

Many thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Published: March 2024
Format: Digital, 416 pgs
Genre: Science fiction, space opera
This book is billed as being a combination of the Expanse series and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarer series, but it made me think of Firefly. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before — a ragtag, misfit crew on a space ship fights to save the day and each other. What made this book stand out was the humor and snarkiness of the writing. Sagas’ creative use of swearing made me laugh throughout (though if you mind profanity this is not the book for you). The book was occasionally a bit too “heartfelt” but the humor and creative language balanced it out and made it the kind of book that gives you some of everything: emotion, humor, adventure, and technology.

Jal is a physically-enhanced miner on the run from the Guild, having been accused of desertion. Looking for a ship, he gets on the most beat-up one he can find – only to run into his former comrade and mentor, Saint, who’s prepared to turn him in. The rest of the Ambit’s crew includes its captain, an AI named Eoan, and its engineer Nash.

When the ship responds to a distress call, they find lots of dead bodies, as if everyone died with no warning. Only one person’s alive, a programmer who’s the only person who knows what happened. The Ambit crew can either turn Jal in as planned or help expose a conspiracy that is killing planets.

This was a fun, action-packed science fiction adventure story, with lots of exploration, battles, superpowers and dramatic tension. The emotional development of the characters, particularly Jal and Saint, are completely worth the read.

The soft ground crumbled in layers, giving way under her boots like dry sand. Made the steep climb to the top of the hill feel all the steeper, as the fog and spider-leg trees pressed in around her. Strange, how a place could feel endless and claustrophobic all at once: like she could walk for hours and see only this, and like she could barely move at all.
L.M. Sagas, Cascade Failure

A few things about the book were a little rough (this is Sagas’ debut novel and the first in a series). The conflicts among the Guild, the Trust and the Union could have been more well-defined. There are a lot of narration changes, which leaves some characters a little under-developed, but that may be addressed in future novels. And as I noted already, the book is occasionally a bit too earnest (we don’t need to be told quite so many times the characters are like family and will do anything for each other). And the cover and title don’t do it justice.

Still, reading this novel felt so much like watching Firefly – it’s exciting and dark, funny and emotional, sometimes violent and sometimes sexy. It’s edge of your seat reading. If you don’t mind a book that’s a little rough but you like a good space adventure that doesn’t take itself super-seriously, I strongly recommend this book.

Note: I received an advance review copy of this book, published March 19, 2024, from NetGalley and publisher Tor Books.

Summary:

Humanity has spread out through the stars – though we haven't gotten any better at avoiding trouble. In this universe, corporations have largely taken over. As such, you have three choices: ally with the Trust (corporations), the Union, or the Guild.

Jal had allied with the Guild. He was one of their soldiers, but he managed to get branded as a deserter (long story). While on the run, he accidentally runs into a Guild ship of a unique nature. It's run by an AI captain, and the XO knows exactly who Jal is.

Review:

Wow! Words cannot describe how much I loved Cascade Failure and the Ambit crew. This was such a fun adventure with the right balance of action, drama, and suspense. It had strong Firefly/Serenity vibes, with a mix of Becky Chambers' style for good measure. In other words, it's a pretty addictive mixture. (Why yes, I have pre-ordered the sequel).

One thing to love about Cascade Failure is that it doesn't lack in character. Or characters, for that matter. There's the main crew (Eon, Saint, and Nash), Jal, and a final character who joins up a bit later. Each gets their perspective, offering insight into their past and objectives.

The whole concept of exploring a corporation-corrupted universe has always been compelling to me, and L.M. Sagas did a great job of it. I already want to see more of the characters, the universe, and the politics.

Highlights:
Science Fiction
LGBTQ+
Space Exploration
Firefly/Serenity Vibes
Multiple Perspectives

Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas is the kind of science fiction adventure novel that I am always on the lookout for. Sagas uses many recognizable sf conventions and character types, but mixes and twists them just a little bit to make the story incredibly fun and engaging while still being familiar. There are plenty of other reviews that make reference to Firefly and Becky Chambers Wayfarers series. Yes, there are many similarities, and that's fine-familiarity with the shows and books that we love is good. Sagas changes the formulas enough to let the book be its own thing, while still easily fitting into a category that we know and love. But to get back to Cascade Failure, this book is just fun. But it's also not a mindless read or dumbed down. Not all sf books need to be deep or bring something totally new to the genre to be good. Sometimes a book just needs to be an enjoyable read and make me smile while I am reading. This is a book that can easily see myself returning to in the future. As a result, even though I read it as an Advanced Review Copy ebook, when I finished I immediately went out and purchased a physical copy to keep on the shelf. That's probably the highest praise I can give it.

Thanks to NetGalley, L.M. Sagas, and Tor Books for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions are my own.

Every now and then, a novel comes around that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let you go. Cascade Failure was one such novel. Not since These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs did a sci-fi book sit me down and shut me up for the requisite number of hours to read it. With found family vibes to end all found family vibes, a sweeping adventure with stakes both fresh and familiar, and emotional moments that left me breathless, LM Sagas' debut left me both fulfilled and wanting more.

There are a lot of books compared to Becky Chambers these days, but for once, I think the comp is justified in Cascade Failure. This novel excels at showing the tiny, ‘mundane’ moments of human connection that make the wider universal stakes and worldbuilding matter, which is what I associate most heavily with Becky Chambers. I’d also say I get a lot more Firefly than Expanse from this, which—even though I love The Expanse!—is a compliment. A scrappy crew of misfits on an equally scrappy ship facing impossible odds is what I loved most about Firefly.

The characters, the characters, the CHARACTERS. I would die for each and every member of the Ambit’s crew. I love them all in different ways, and by the end of the first novel, they felt so real to me. Not only are they autonomous in and of themselves, but all of them make decisions in line with the personality and motivations they espouse, even when those decisions are ‘bad’ (to vastly oversimplify).

When I say Cascade Failure is impeccably paced, it’s still an understatement. I devoured this novel in a day and didn’t move from my couch or bed for most of it, part of which was aided by the excellent pacing. There’s never a moment that doesn’t serve the story in some way, whether it’s an emotionally intimate character moment or a heart-pounding action sequence.

I want to talk a bit about the queer representation in this since I haven’t seen many folks go over it. One crewmember, the AI who helms the Ambit, is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. My only very minor quibble about this book is that I can’t recall any other human characters being nonbinary (or even stated to be trans in other ways), and it’s a personal pet peeve when the ONLY nonbinary representation is also non-human. Though the word isn’t used on page, I interpreted Nash to be lesbian given the hints of flirting and attraction she displays with another woman and her repeated sentiments that men are not for her.

What I really enjoyed but can’t definitively speak to is the potential for aspec representation here. I’ve read Gravity Lost as well—review forthcoming soon, but also another five-star favourite—and even by the end of that, I’m not sure how to interpret a particular relationship. One of my favourite things lately is deep and meaningful platonic bonds being given the same attention as romantic ones, both in and of themselves and how it resonates with aspec identities I hold. One such relationship in Cascade Failure is INTENSELY emotional and intimate, laden with history, but there’s nothing overtly marking it as romantic or sexual. So while it’s queer in my mind either way, it’s not easily labeled, which is a-okay (and good, actually). Maybe it will be a long-game slow burn, maybe it will be the aspec relationship of my dreams, but either way, I look forward to seeing it develop.

All that said: Fans of sci-fi, especially folks who enjoy the deeply character-driven works of Becky Chambers and/or the scrappy and adventurous found family vibes of Firefly, please give Cascade Failure a chance. Don’t miss this little gem of a debut!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

*gifted ARC

I enjoyed this. The found family aspect was superb. I’m not sure what made me not love it because on paper it has everything I want. Gender non-conforming and queer characters, found family, and an adventure plot. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it or something? I recommend this, though. I think it’s an easy book to love.

So Cascade Failure has been compared to not one, not two, but three of my favorites: JS Dewes, The Expanse, and Becky Chambers. That is some high praise to live up to! For me, it definitely delivered on the character/relationship aspects of those comps, but maybe lacked a bit in the plot department for me.

For me, the plot felt a bit... stock sci-fi, shall we say? I mean you have a ragtag bunch of badasses thrown together trying to escape the big bad via space shenanigans. We've all seen it before, and I am not even mad about it! The only thing for me was, there wasn't really anything that stuck out about said space shenanigans. It needed something a little different to freshen it up, maybe. That said, the book didn't really drag or anything, either. I liked the characters, I liked their interactions and the concepts of found family and friendship and forgiveness, and I think that was enough to keep me entertained.

Bottom Line: Loved loved loved the characters. Felt a bit more iffy on the plot. Still, enjoyable.

While Cascade Failure didn't resonate with me, its style and unique characters may appeal to other readers. Despite my disconnect, those seeking a fun read might enjoy it.

The Ambit has a two person crew and an AI captain working with the Union to keep peace in the galactic spiral. When a deserter from the Union Army joins them they soon find that The trust, a huge corporation, is dealing with Union taxes, by causing Cascade Failure( paper from TOR) in the terraforming machinery on mostly abandoned words, killing the few remaining people. Helped by a terra-forming engineer trying to get evidence and stop the horror. There’s also a terrorist who wants to use the effect on Corporate headquarters. Saving the day will put all of Ambit’s crew in life-threatening danger. L. M. Sagas tells an exciting tale that is hard to put down. Lucki;y there’s already a sequel scheduled for what promises to be a long and exciting series.

Ahoy there mateys! This is a debut sci-fi and apparently this is the first book of a series and not a standalone like I thought.  I read 61% of this book before calling it quits.  I liked the four main characters and the ship's cat.  I particularly liked Jal.  The fifth character, the AI, was sadly not used well enough.  The major problem was the dialogue irritated me the more I read.  The two female characters sounded too much alike in speech patterns.  All of them used weird phrasing in both dialogue and inner thoughts.  Here is a selection from the four characters from right around when I stopped reading:

Jal - "Big fish, big teeth.  He was one of those, the apex badass in whatever pond he decided to dive into."
Saint - "Christ, who turned loose the bulls?"
Nash - "Ah, and who had gutshot on their dead planet bingo card?"
Anke - "I don't exactly run in the kind of circles that off mercs for funsies."

The weird references irked me.  So I stopped.  I also read the description of the next book and wasn't thrilled by where the story goes.  I seem to be in the minority as there are lots of four and five star reviews.  Many readers pointed out the "witty banter."  Wish I could agree. Arrr!

This was a strong debut novel, it had everything that I was looking for in this type of book. It had that scifi adventure element that I was looking for and enjoyed from other books like this. The characters were everything that I wanted and glad I was able to read this. It was a strong start to this series and I enjoyed the way the world worked. The characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed getting to read this. It left me wanting to read more in this world.

This book hit the spot for me. I really enjoyed the characters and the adventure. It gave me the feel good vibes of a firefly episode. I will be purchasing this for our library and possibly my own collection. This adventure started out with a bang and the addition of a character with a history that I couldn't wait to discover. He felt very mysterious and when you learn his story you will immediately want good things for him. I will admit I may have even shed a little tear. Great descriptions of the worlds they land on and the unease that comes with the horrors they see. This band of misfits quickly becomes a family that cares about each other. Great banter and fast paced adventure you cannot go wrong with this book. I will be adding this author to my personal favorites and I can't wait for the next book!

Everyone is ready to die for each other and if that’s not a good crew, I don’t know what is.

Cascade Failure was in both ways emotional, as it was full of adventure. The crew is amazing, and their bond together is so wholesome and strong. Jal lacks social skills after not having talked to other humans in a while and cracks jokes that he has to explain (kinda embarrassing on his part). Saint is your resident grump who has a soft spot for everyone but himself. Nash is full of sarcasm and vulgar love. And Eoan is the captain of the ship, the one who brought everyone together to join them in their search for more knowledge. You honestly couldn’t ask for a better group of people watching your back. I feel we are going to get more of our little vengeance seeker, Drestyn, and maybe (just maybe) more of Anke. But all that matters is that Jal got to see his family again (okay, it’s not all that matters, but it was a pretty emotional moment). There's tons of character and I love the way they interact with each other and have each other's back no matter what. This was a very fun read and I can't wait to see what the author does with the Ambit crew next.

Cascade Failure

Oh my heart! This book. It’s a found family and space opera lovers dream of a series intro.

The independent storyline of this first book has a few minor snags, but nothing that takes away from my motivation or enthusiasm to continue the series. Most of them can easily be addressed in future installments.

Readers looking for sparkling characters and witty banter will devour the Ambit’s Run personalities. I struggled to pick a favorite and am excited to see where they all go.

I’ve been looking for a SF series for some time now and I do believe I have found it! I predict that I will be reading all the these books on their release dates!

Thank you L.M. Sagas, NetGalley, and Tor Publishing Group for my Advanced Review Copies! My opinions are my own.

OUT NOW!!

Plot - 3
Writing and Editing - 4
Character Development - 5
Personal Bias - 4
Final Score - 4

It took a little while for this book to really grip me, but by the end I was in it with this ragtag crew and excited to see how the plot would resolve! It was a middle of the road read for me personally, but there are a lot of fun qualities here and I can definitely imagine the reader that it's perfect for.

We've got some complicated future politics where capitalism has devolved into the Union, the Trust, and the Guild--and though I was never quite sure about what any of them were doing, it's the kind of future where I felt safe to assume that no huge power was trustworthy. Then we've got Jal, on the run from some hinted-at traumatic recent history; Saint, who knew Jal before that recent history and has mixed feelings about their sudden reunion; Nash, who fixes everything and also knits; Eoan, their nonbinary AI captain who calls everyone dear; Anke, a motormouth hacker; and the Ambit, a ship that's been beat up and patched to hell in the grand tradition of space rogue stories. Oh, and there's a cat! Big Firefly vibes here, this is definitely space Western-adjacent to me.

There were some satisfyingly predictable outcomes and some exciting twists, and stakes getting raised exponentially! The ending didn't quite satisfy me, but not in a cliffhanger way--I just had a hard time actually tracking the action and the motives and the details of the MacGuffin, until we got to the emotional resolution, which was lovely. it feels like the start to what could be a fun and expansive series.

Fun space adventure with a vivid ensemble cast. From the beginning, I was intrigued about the origins of all the characters and that interest continued as their stories unfolded. I do feel like the writing style wasn't always enjoyable, but that's definitely more personal preference. Excited to continue reading about their adventures and would love to see where they go next!

al stumbled into the Ambit by accident or maybe it was fate. Saint, an old Guild buddy, was the executive officer to Eoan, the AI captain, who snagged Jal before he could get away. Jal was listed as a Guild deserter, but the tale is much more convoluted. Add in Nash, the medic/mechanic, who loved crocheting and you have a very strange crew on the Ambit. But when they picked up a rescue they found themselves in the midst of a mystery turned into a catastrophic conspiracy. Being the good guys, the Ambit and her crew went off to save the universe, or at least a few parts of it. Plenty of intrigue, double-crosses, gun fights and snark make this a fun read!

Thanks Netgalley and Tor for the chance to read this title.

There’s no family like found family. I adore found family stories, and I love sci-fi, and that means that L.M. Sagas’ debut novel, Cascade Failure, was right up my alley.

Jal is a mutant, genetically engineered to work in space mines. He’s stronger and faster than a normal human, and on top of that, he can see ridiculously well in the dark (though he needs to wear special tinted lenses any time he’s in standard lighting). He’s also on the run. The Guild, one of the three major powers in the galaxy, thinks he’s a deserter from his unit. All he wants to do is get back to his sister and niece, the only family he still has.

Eoan is an artificial intelligence. They’re the captain of the Guild ship Ambit, and because they’re an AI, they are able to take on jobs for the Guild that a lot of other captains won’t risk. Nash is a modified human who serves on the Ambit as combination medic and engineer. She keeps the old, rusty ship in the sky and keeps the crew on their feet. Saint is the big guy, equal parts brawler and pilot, and a former soldier who once served alongside Jal. Together, the three have been doing alright. When Eoan spots Jal skulking through a space station where the Ambit is docked, they decide to take a chance, luring him on board. After a brief confrontation, Jal reluctantly agrees to accompany them to the Guild’s council of captains so that they can try to clear his name.

On the way, the Ambit picks up a distress call. The source turns out to be a dead planet, where something has gone horribly wrong with the terraforming (or maybe horribly right). There, the crew finds a young engineer who believes that she has found evidence of a massive conspiracy between the two other galactic powers, the corporate Trust and the labor collective Union. She believes that she can fix the terraforming problem that killed the world she was found on. She’s going to need Jal, Saint, Nash, and Eoan’s help to do it, and stopping the death of more planets might just get them all killed in the process.

Sagas’ writing is strong, and the characters of Cascade Failure are solid, moving beyond standard sci-fi archetypes. It’s a fun and engaging sci-fi thriller that’s perfect for fans of things like Cowboy Bebop and The Murderbot Diaries. It’s out from Tor Publishing Group today, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

My utmost thanks to Tor and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for a fair review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2024/03/19/cascade-failure-a-review/

I'm really impressed by Sagas' debut! It's a very warm-hearted and fun sci-fi romp, handled with a lot of ease by the author. Normally I don't enjoy stories with a lot of POVs, but I thought it worked really well here and really endeared me to the crew. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series !

Cascade Failure starts Ambit’s Run sci-fi series. It’s set in a far-future, space-faring galaxy that still has a connection to perfectly liveable Earth. Everything worth anything is owned by Trust, which aims at making profit no matter the human cost. They’re only kept in reign by the Union who protects the labourers. Between them, as a sort of a police and military, is the Guild.

Jal is a deserted Guild ranger. He’s been modified genetically for mining work, and is stronger and faster than others, with eyes that can see in the dark. He’s fleeing from something towards an unknown goal, and for that, he needs a ride. He thinks he’s landed on a ship that has no connection to the Guild, but turns out he’s wrong. And it’s not a coincidence he’s on the ship.

Ambit is a small Guild vessel that takes on riskier jobs at the edges of the galaxy, and looks the part. Her captain is Eoan, a sentient AI with holographic projections and a yearn to learn everything, especially about humans. XO is Saint, a gruff former Earth soldier turned Guild ranger. He’s Jal’s former commanding officer and there’s huge baggage between the men, though their relationship is never made very clear. Then there’s Nash, who is both the mechanic and the doctor and equally good at both. She likes feng shui and crocheting in her spare time.

The crew’s plan to take Jal to be court marshalled takes a turn when they answer a distress call. They find Anke, a chirpy programmer who’s learned of a Trust code that destroys terraformed planets in mere moments. She has a counter code. She just needs to test it. The crew decides to help her. Things don’t go as planned.

This is a very character-driven sci-fi. Each character is given their point of view chapters, and much time is spent in interpersonal relationships. No romances, though there are some hints that could’ve been made stronger and clearer for bigger emotional punches later.

The focus is on Jal and Saint with their past. We learn why Jal deserted, but his life since is sort of glossed over. He emerges as my favourite, though there’s a huge gap in how his chapters present him and how others see him. Anke too, has a clear role. Nash and Eoan didn’t necessarily need their own chapters, they slow things down, but Eoan goes through a transforming event, which was good to see from their point of view.

The plot is fairly straightforward, sort of secondary, and a bit slow, but good. Nothing is black and white, and the bad guys aren’t necessarily bad, or are bad in an understandable way. There are betrayals and sacrifices, and the solutions aren’t easy. The biggest reward for the reader doesn’t come from the plot, but from the characters themselves.

This might have been a four-star book, but it’s so well-written and balanced, especially for a debut, that it gets full five stars. The ending hints at the crew’s next mission. I’m definitely going to read that too.