This was a fun read. Lot of fun characters and banter between them was funny. If you like futuristic adventure and found family, I think you will like this book. I got to listen to the audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job.

I've been on a mission lately to read more "happy" books - more books that make me feel good while reading them. Finding happy books is already hard, but finding happy books that are science fiction or fantasy seems even more difficult. Luckily, L.M. Sagas is here to save the day with her new book, Cascade Failure, the first entry in her Ambit's Run sci-fi adventure series. It's full of space missions, banter, and characters you won't forget.

Review:

Cascade Failure centers on the Ambit, a spaceship crewed by an AI captain named Eoan, an ex-soldier named Saint, and a snarky engineer named Nash. When an altered human named Jal stows away on the Ambit, their crew begins to grow. Jal's arrival is even more tricky since Jal is a deserter on the run and because he and Saint have a more-than-complicated history. After a distress call leads the crew to a disturbing scene and a programmer with mysteries of her own, the Ambit must deal with a potential conspiracy that might impact all the known worlds. 

If you've ever thought the movie "Alien" would be cool even if it didn't have the face-sucking monsters, then you need to read this book. Cascade Failure, with its imperfect characters, witty dialogue, and messy relationships, hits all the right notes. I adored this book for its chaotic space missions and band-of-misfits vibes. Add in space corporatization and a mysterious programmer, and this has all the markings of being a perfect read.

Final Thoughts:

Cascade Failure is hopepunk science fiction at its best. It's one heck of a debut novel. I'm thrilled there are going to be more books in this series. I'm not sure I could handle this series ending like it does in this book! There's no cliffhanger, but I want more from these characters. 

I read this story alternating between the audiobook and ebook, and both are great options. The narrator on the audiobook (Torian Brackett) did an excellent job distinguishing and giving character to each voice. I do wish a woman narrator had been used for Nash and Anke.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having been likened to Becky Chambers, I was highly anticipating this book. Its synopsis and marketing had everything I wanted: cozy sci-fi, a rollicking space adventure akin to Firefly, found family, and a bit of queerness.
While it technically had all of those elements, for me, this was unfortunately a very forgettable story. I did not connect with the characters much at all, and I hardly even remember their names as I type this review. It felt like the story moved slowly even though there was near constant action. Maybe I was not in the right mood for this book, but I normally adore sci-fi and found family, so I am disappointed by this. Nevertheless, I think it certainly has its audience out there.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts and my love for space operas, this book could not keep my attention. The narration is boring and the voice just blends going towards monotone storytelling. I feel like I would have a better time with a physical copy of the book. DNF @25%

Thanks for Net Galley for the early preview of this audiobook.

I tried really hard to like this book, but I guess “cozy sci-fi” is not really my thing. I often don’t really care for the rag-tag-bunch-of-characters scattered in space on some scrappy ships, etc. However, I really liked the TV show Firefly, so I am not sure why I don’t like books in this same genre.

Trying to think without bias, I know people will like this book because the characters are well developed, it’s a fun story, and it’s not a long book. It was not for me, and I had to stop about 30% in. if it’s any consolation, I don’t really enjoy Becky Chambers' books either (well, not the wayfarers series, but her other series/books are ok).

Audiobook narrator Torian Brackett rating: 4 stars
The narrator is actually really good and made the story enjoyable. Again, the Net Galley audiobook app needs some work. It is very difficult to work with and sometimes forgets my place in the book as it will start over. This is super frustrating.

*4 stars*

A ragtag team sets out to save the universe, what could go wrong? This was a nice mashup of found family and space adventure that will definitely hit the spot for fans of the Divide or Becky Chambers.

This was a good debut. I really enjoyed the character interactions and found family aspects. The pacing was a little slow in places but didn’t ruin the overall flow of the story. I will definitely be reading the next book when in comes out.

The audio was good, pretty distinctive voices for each characters. One character did get an accent change after a chapter and that was a little jarring.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

If found family is your trope, this book will be your jam!! There is not much better in this world than a group of quirky and chaotic characters that learn to lean on each other despite their differences. I found this book was heavy on the Firefly vibes (yes, please!) and had no shortage of laugh out loud moments. The balance between world building & character development and plot was spot on and made this thick book super digestible. Can't wait for next book in the Ambit's Run series!

The narrator did a great job at voicing the many characters in this book. He was giving Daniel Henning (In the Lives of Puppets) vibes which I totally adored.

What a terrific book!

This science fiction story has action and adventure, and medium peril, and fun and excitement, for sure-- but what it has in spades is character building and relationships and I'm here for it!

The plotting and pacing are good, and the story moves forward at a good pace. The mysteries of the past are revealed slowly and at the appropriate times for maximum emotional effect.

The fact that this story builds so strongly on the base of characters and relationships is what makes it so good. This author reminds me of Becky Chambers in that way, and now I am adding L.M. Sagas to my list of authors that I MUST READ EVERYTHING BY!

ETA: I received a copy of the audiobook and listened to this for my second read-through (my first read was with my eyes). The narrator is excellent and the story flows beautifully in audio. I also learned that I was mispronouncing half of the character names!

5 of the shiniest-ever stars!

Audiobook very well read by the narrator.

WHAT. A. RIDE!!

This is definitely one of my new favourite books ever. I really wasn’t sure that the author had pulled off a Firefly/Becky Chambers vibe, as advertised…. But they absolutely did (with a bit of Murderbot thrown in for good measure)!! Honestly, I hadn’t heard all the hype about this book before requesting it (simply going off the cover art and description).

I absolutely LOVED these scruffy characters, the world-building, the plotline, everything. Normally, I have at least a grievance or two. Not with this one. I knew after the first 30 minutes that I never wanted this book to end. Fast-paced space action, but with serious character growth arcs keeping pace.

It would also make an incredible graphic novel - hint, hint to the publisher!

I was even super scared that I had dug myself in way too deep and was going to have to wait an absolute millennia for the next book. Miraculously though, the second book comes out right on the heels of this one (in only a few months). Smart move in the current climate!

Anyway, I need to finish this review, so that I can go right back to the beginning and press play, again ♥️

Huge gratitude to NetGalley, and the publisher, MacMillan Audio, for an AudioARC of this book, in exchange for my honest (and very enthusiastic) review!

I really enjoyed this story. It took some time to really get into the meat of this story, but once all of the characters assembled and the crew was complete the story really took off. The characters were so well-realized, and I was so emotionally invested in them as they tried to pull of a heist slash rescue mission to save the Galaxy from ✧∘* capitalism ✧･ﾟ. If you're looking for an inventive character-driven half heist-half rescue mission set in space, then look no further! I also listened to the audiobook of this story on my two-hour commute ((╥_╥)) and I really, really loved it. I definitely think listening to the story made it come alive in ways that it wouldn't have if I had only read it physically.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Jal is an ex solider on the lam. He ends up on the space ship Ambit with an AI captain, his former senior officer and a mechanic. Definitely some Firefly vibes of space adventures with a found family. I liked the characters and looking forward for more in the series.


Excellent narration by Torian Brackett.

I would like to thank NetGalley for sending me an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super fast-paced book that grabbed my attention from page one and kept me interested until the very end. The crew of the Ambit were all unique, each having their own back stories, issues, and moments of growth, and I loved them all. Jal was such a sweetie, and his story made me cry! But what I loved about it was how much we got from him not through clunky exposition but from his interactions with the other characters.

The ensemble cast and rotating POVs made this book so much better in that we didn't just get Jal's POV but everyones as they go on this adventure together. They might not all trust each other in the beginning, but the way they come together was perfect. There were a lot of moments I laughed, some where I cried, and others where I was like HOLD UP WHAT JUST HAPPENED and then audibly gasped as I read. I have to say, all in all, this was a fantastic book and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

The audiobook itself was great, the narrator did a great job with establishing voices for each character so I never had a hard time telling them apart. And I can honestly say I was never bored while listening.

Actual Rating: 4.5☆

THIS! IS! IT!

This book has EVERYTHING. Found family. A lovable AI-captain. A gruff and tough career soldier. A snarky medic/mechanic/jack of all trades. A smart, ball-of-sunshine cyborg-man who just misses his family. A pink-haired, babbling hacker/coder who definitely has ADHD. And... A SPACESHIP CAT?

I requested this book right off the bat for it's cover - the colors are gorgeous, the design is so fun, and it didn't hurt that the synopsis also sounded good. A ragtag crew pulled together to run a semi-heist/rescue mission to essentially save the galaxy from corporations who don't care about people or the planets they destroy? Sign me up!

What I wasn't expecting was to cry over characters I've barely known for an entire book, and to feel so many emotions that I didn't know what to do with: heartbreak, betrayal, grief, horror, angst, anxiety, joy, and anything else you can think of.

Also, I highly recommend listening to this one on audiobook. Torian Brackett does an AMAZING job of bringing every character to life and giving them all such unique personalities simply by changing the tone of his voice. I think that if you're a fan of TJ Klune's novels for his characters and Becky Chambers's sci-fi narrative storytelling and heart, then you're going to ADORE this book. I can't wait for the next one to come out - I need it NOW!

DNF@40%

I wanted to love this, but I couldn't connect with the story or characters.
Not for me.

***Thank you to NetGalley, L.M. Sagas, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Goodness, I adored this book. Space stories have always been important to me. I love them in TV, movies, and especially in books. This jumped right up into my list of favorites. It is so funny. There are also emotional moments that absolutely kicked me in the guts. I cried multiple times. LM Sagas has a real talent for creating captivating characters and a found family that will have a permanent place in my heart. I will be counting the days until I can read the next installment of this series. I have been telling everyone I know about this book.

Highly recommend the audiobook. Torian Brackett did an amazing job with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Jal hasn't had anything to eat in over a day. He is on the run under a false identity and is looking for anyone who could use a laborer in exchange for a meal. By sheer accident, Jal is picked up by Ambit, a special little spacecraft with two things on board that are of particular interest to Jal:

1. Fresh apples,
2. A broody lad named Saint, with whom Jal shares a pretty complicated history.

Although the Ambit's crew puts Jal in handcuffs for the first few pages of his on-board presence, he integrates into the team remarkably quickly. When a distress call leads the crew to a remote planet, the unfamiliar world is eerily quiet. The barbed wire on a fence points the wrong way. The lock on a heavy door still has the key sticking out of it. What happened on the planet sends the characters on an adventure that might be more fit for television than a novel.

This is a strange blend of Annihilation and an ensemble sitcom, intermingled with some interpersonal baggage. Unfortunately, it didn't come together cohesively enough for my enjoyment. Largely, this comes down to poor character development. The novel makes the mistake of sending the characters on a big and scary mission without setting up what going on the mission means for any of them.

Cascade Failure is written in third-person point of view with the narration giving us insight into the thoughts of multiple different characters. The head-hopping feels unfocused and doesn't make for a very insightful look at any given character. I think the novel would benefit greatly from limiting the narration to the inner world of a single protagonist. But ensemble casts are trendy, and who am I to argue with trends.

The characters read like too-cute clichés rather than real people. Whenever the text over-explained their personalities, I felt patronized. There are too many declarations about things that are either obvious from the existing dialogue or should be written as dialogue or actions instead.

Many reviews say that this is a 'found family' story. But I feel like if that term applies here, then it must have lost all meaning. Cascade Failure has an ensemble cast with sitcom vibes, but it lacks the emotional complexity, evolution, and impact that would earn the title "family" for a group of unrelated characters who are on an adventure together.

--

Audiobook narrated by Torian Brackett:

In this narration, women sound like badly depicted silly creatures with inflated emotions. It does not help the existing issues with character development.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio and Tor, for a free Netgalley audio ARC of Cascade Failure.

4.25 stars

This was delightful!

Secrets? Check. Misfit crew? Check. Getting sucked into a big save the universe style plot? Check. I like a good range of scifi, and this combo of tropes ranks high on my list, so I was very excited to read it.

The characters here were well developed, had clear voices, and were very lovable. Listening to this on audiobook really brought them to life well. Definitely would recommend if you can! I’d be interested in knowing a bit more backstory here, which connects with my desire for a bit more world building info, but I’m still satisfied with what we got here.

I would like to know more about the world here. hyper capitalism in space is always a fun premise, but I’d like to understand the guild vs trust vs union situation. I’m most curious about the AI situation. Owan is a wonderful character but I want to understand the whole AI situation in a broader context. They struggle a lot with their identity, so I’m not sure if they’re like the only AI in the universe? Or maybe they’re unique in that perspective?

But all that to say, my desire to know more is stemming from the fact that I enjoyed this and just want to dig deeper in future books.

Maybe my one ding is the pacing. It does feel a bit slow at times - even mid action sequence there’s a lot of pausing to have an internal monologue and it diminishes the tension perhaps a bit.

Definitely picking up a physical copy when it releases! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

I devoured this book. I think sci-fi is generally my least read genre but something about this description just promised a good time. It did not disappoint. I was listening at lunch, on breaks, really any chance I could just because I couldn't pull myself away from the crew of the Ambit. I can't help it, I am a sucker for found families, especially broken misfit found families. Torian Brackett is an exceptionally compelling narrator who struck just the perfect tone for all of the scenes. The characters are great and the writing makes each point of view very distinct but the narration amplifies that x1000 to make for a hellava good audiobook experience. This book has so much heart while also being action packed. Some beats were downright cinematic and gave me goosebumps. I guess my only complaint is that there were some moments where the description may have gotten a bit extra but I think that is just the eagerness of a debut writer pouring out their vision. I will absolutely recommend this book - I will shout it from the rooftops. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jal, branded as a Guild deserter, accidentally sneaks aboard the Ambit (a Guild ship) only to get stuck along for the ride. The Ambit is captained by Eoan (an AI), and crewed by Saint (the executive officer, who knew Jal before), and Nash (ship's engineer and medic). Before they can turn Jal in, they respond to a distress call leading to an abandoned planet, a mass grave, one live programmer, and a looming threat.

This is a great sci-fi adventure debut and I'm excited to see a sequel has a release date set for later this year. What a group of misfits: Jal, Eoan, Saint, and Nash are an excellent found family. There's a fair bit of snark and quips, some drama, and I chuckled several times. Thoroughly enjoyed this audio book and narrator! A good narrator makes such a difference.

Thank you to @Macmillan.Audio for an advanced audio book on @NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

DNF @ 44%. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. I am rating the book in NetGalley, but am shelving the book in my “quit” folder in Goodreads with a shorter version of this review and without a star rating. If someone is looking for an easy to read, action, space crew sci-fi, I could *maybe* recommend this. This is compared in the blurb to Becky Chambers and Firefly, the latter I can see it, the premise is pretty similar. But the book didn’t manage the charm and heart you have with found-families. I could see the attempts, but there was no magic there for me. The captain and Nash were the most interesting characters, but Jal was very lackluster as the star. I didn’t particularly care for the writing (I also downloaded the sneak peek on Kindle to see if the narration was skewing my opinion, it wasn’t the audiobook), so I was hoping the story would be fine enough (it just wasn’t). Last, I was largely not a fan of the narrator’s narration voice (mildly pitchy and monotone) nor of how he voice acted Jal and Saint, Eoan and Nash were voice acted perfectly. So between everything I thought it was time to accept this is not a book for me. Thank you again for the opportunity to review.