I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

We follow our protagonist as she tries to disappear from a political scandal, taking a job as a caretaker aboard the ship Elysian Fields. The ship houses cryogenically frozen bodies back from when people thought they could be unfrozen and cured later, but the program shut down once it became clear that nobody could figure out the science. Aboard the ship, she encounters holograms that seem to be more sentient than they first appear, mysterious noises, and a boss that seems to be hiding something.

I have to admit, I'm becoming more of a sci-fi fan every day. This is a very solid space horror. The imagery is creepy, the build up was tense, and I actually cared about the protagonist. The one let down was that the ending didn't tie everything up in the way I wanted and felt a little rushed, but the novel up until that point was great. I also generally enjoyed the narration. I liked her voice a lot, but I did feel that it became a little flat during some of the tense scenes. Overall, a very good book!

2 out of 5 stars — Disappointing and Disjointed

I went into Cold Eternity with high hopes, having really enjoyed S.A. Barnes’ previous space horror novels, Dead Silence and Ghost Station. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me on multiple fronts.

The political commentary was jarring and felt shoehorned in rather than organic to the story. There’s also a political subplot that fizzles out without resolution or purpose—it’s introduced with weight but ultimately goes nowhere, which was frustrating.

The protagonist constantly tells us how strong and level-headed she is, but her actions repeatedly contradict that. She spirals at the drop of a hat and often reacts without thinking, which made it hard to take her seriously or connect with her journey.

Worst of all, there’s a massive exposition dump about 60% through that completely pulled me out of the narrative. It was the kind of information that, had the character been paying attention (or written more consistently), she could have figured out much earlier—and so could we. Instead, we get a clunky info-dump that felt like a shortcut rather than storytelling.

There are flashes of Barnes’ talent here, but Cold Eternity lacks the tension, pacing, and character depth of his previous work. I really wanted to like it, but it just didn’t deliver.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan for sending me an advanced copy of this book

Narrator: 4/5
Plot: 1/5

I'm really disappointed in this one after loving Dead Silence. There was a lot that just didn't work even though the framework was there for this to be great.

Things I liked:
1. The actual physical writing was good as always. She has such an amazing way of describing atmosphere that I was immediately sucked in.
2. Isolated setting/Atmosphere
3. The early horror aspects. I was absolutely terrified when she was just seeing things down hallways. I wish SA Barnes had stuck with the idea of subtle/can't see the horror. It's so much scarier that way.

Things I didn't like:
1. The very political atmosphere. I wasn't expecting this book to be so confusing and filled with so much politics regarding rigged elections. It was a super strange direction to take the book and didn't work. I had a really hard time following the plot line. The combination of her political drama and the drama of the ship was just too much all together.
2. Alex to (kind of) pedophile? She literally talks about how Alex talked to her as a kid and tried to get her to help then and then seems like he's about to kiss her now? That struck me as majorly icky and I was super surprised that was included. It should have been more of a fatherly relationship of him trying to help her off the ship instead.
3. Parasite monsters. No. That was such a goofy explanation for what is happening on the ship. I absolutely loathed it and how ridiculous that went.

“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸… 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴.”

Thank you Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio for the advanced readers copies via NetGalley. This one is out now! I listened to S. A. Barnes previous novel, Ghost Station, last spring and while I avoid the horror genre it is understandable to a degree that her books are given that label; there are moments of intense creepiness, sci-fi gore, and psychological suspense.

Like the former I opted for the audio copy and flew through it rather quickly. Once again we find a strong-willed woman trying to hide from one scandal only to find herself wrapped in another messy situation. It never comes across as trite, rather I found myself intrigued to know more about our main character and see how things would unfold. There are questions of reality, sanity, identity, technology, morality, and mortality.

Despite its label it isn’t horror like you would assume when you hear that term as much as it is suspenseful, intense, with some wicked eerie and disturbing moments, though I felt some of the “horror” descriptions at times were a bit excessive and it came across as trying a bit too hard. Overall I liked it fine but I enjoyed Ghost Station a lot more. I was kept engaged and interested throughout and enjoyed the narrator (different than the one for Ghost Station but both are really good). It did take a turn I wasn’t expecting and gets a bit gruesome but other than that it was okay. Content includes some profanity, sci-fi violence, and a few grotesque descriptions of bodies. I have yet to read her first, Dead Silence, so I might give that one a go at some point. For any sci-fi loving fans out there I’d suggest picking this author up if you haven’t yet.

Isolationist settings again proving they are superior. Add in it being a ship full of basically dead people in cryo tanks and you have me seated.

This is my third space horror from SA Barnes and I think it ranks second for me. It'll be hard to beat Dead Silence but this was very entertaining. It has an excellent mystery at its core that is equal parts fk'd up and sad. I particularly enjoyed the role of the AI host on the ship. I also liked the undercurrent of political drama that ran through the main character's motivations as well. She's basically alone on a massive ship and yet what happened in her past drives everything she does now in an almost panicked way.

I think my only true critique of this is that I wanted more of the horror aspect throughout. It read more like a mystery thriller until the last fifteen percent or so and it felt like a little bit of a wasted opportunity.

Fun little space horror. I am definitely happy that it was a tad better than her last book! So many details done well

Unfortunately this just wasn’t for me. I’ve tried a few times now to get into it and didn’t get further than 20%. I couldn’t connect with the characters and I feel it was taking a long time to getting anywhere.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this and am so thankful to netgalley.

S.A. Barnes has squarely locked in on niche. That niche being sci-fi horror, which I sadly consider to be an under-appreciated genre. In her latest novel, Cold Eternity, she once again delivers. Nailing a sense of desolation/isolation. Halley needs to get away, needs a place to lay low and ends up taking a sketchy job on the Elysian Fields. A death ship…or rather a cold storage ship, a ship filled with wealthy citizens cryogenically frozen ages ago with hopes of being revived in the future. Her duty is to make rounds on the ‘passengers’ looking for anything problems and log in by hitting a button every three hours, while the only other living person on the ship spends his time maintaining the engines. Should be and easy job, right? Well Halley isn’t even been onboard an hour when she first notices things aren’t quite right. She swears she sees someone crawling through the halls on a monitor. But that’s not possible, right? And that’s just the start of things. Amara Jasper’s narration is excellent and does a great job pulling you into the story which is incredibly atmospheric and seriously creepy at times. My question is how is Barnes going to top this one? I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Cold Eternity.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RAQK0F80GSNC0/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

3.5 Stars

Perfect for fans of Alien and Mimic. This book gets going real quick. Atmospheric and the description of the horror was great. I really liked the narrator as well. She had the perfect tone throughout.

I can't wait to grab a copy of this book to add to my collection. If you like this then definitely check out Dead Silence and Ghost Station.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my arc in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Halley is on the run from her involvement in an interplanetary political scandal, trying to keep her head down and avoid notice. She decides the best way to do this is to apply for an isolated job on a massive spaceship that stores the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth's wealthiest citizens. While she settles in, she begins to feel like not all is quite right. It's not long before she realizes she's been drawn into a situation even more dangerous than what she was running from, and now her only goal is to survive.

This was a solid work of light sci-fi horror. I loved the concept, and the author did an excellent job incorporating a strong atmosphere, eerie happenings, and leaning into the isolation. However, this was a slow burn. Really slow. To the point where those aspects started to lose their strength and many things got more repetitive and less compelling And I expected more from the ending based on how long it took to get there, almost like it was missing some punch.

I wanted a bit more from the protagonist. She was written well enough to not detract from the work, but was missing some depth and wasn't easy to connect with. I think this was partially due to how repetitive her thoughts were and how little her personality/characterization came into play.

Overall this was a decent lighter sci-fi horror that I enjoyed overall. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

S.A. Barnes once again proves her mastery of atmospheric space horror with "Cold Eternity." The novel immediately immerses the reader in a chilling and eerie setting aboard the Elysian Fields, a spaceship carrying a silent cargo of cryogenically frozen bodies. The protagonist, Halley, fleeing a troubled past, finds herself isolated with the unsettling task of routine maintenance, punctuated by strange noises and unsettling visions. Barnes expertly crafts a sense of creeping dread and claustrophobia, making the reader feel Halley's growing unease and the palpable tension of her solitary existence on the seemingly deserted vessel.

The strength of "Cold Eternity" lies in its slow-burn approach, allowing the atmosphere and suspense to build gradually. While some readers might find the initial pace deliberate, it serves to deepen the understanding of Halley's character and the unsettling environment of the Elysian Fields. The descriptions are vivid, painting a picture of a decaying grandeur and the inherent creepiness of a ship filled with dormant figures. The narrative effectively blurs the line between reality and Halley's sleep-deprived paranoia, keeping the reader guessing about the true nature of the disturbances she experiences.

Overall, "Cold Eternity" is a compelling addition to the space horror genre and another solid offering from S.A. Barnes. While some reviewers noted a familiar pattern in the author's storytelling and a less impactful climax for some, the majority praise the expertly crafted atmosphere, the compelling protagonist, and the pervasive sense of dread. This book is highly recommended for fans of slow-burn horror and those who enjoy a chilling, isolated setting with a touch of the uncanny.

I really enjoyed this one, but the audiobook was hard to get through because of how political parts of the story are. I get that the author is setting up the characters back story and it all made sense, but following it on audio is hard. The narrator was great through. The story in itself is pretty interesting and there are definitely some parts that had me either tense or grossed out. It’s not my favorite from this author but it is still a great addition to space horror.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the copy of this ARC. This is out now!

In the book Cold Eternity, author S.A. Barnes writes about Halley who is embroiled in an interplanetary political scandal. Laying low and trying to avoid people, she takes the perfect job – working on a space barge where cryogenically frozen famous and rich people have been stored until they figure out how to revive them. But is this job what it seems? And is the only other person on the space barge really who they seem to be? And is she losing her mind or really seeing things? And has she stumbled into a more dangerous situation than the one she is running from? This was a good fast-paced story that kept you wondering what was happening. I would recommend this book. The audio-book narration was very good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cold Eternity is the latest release from S.A. Barnes, author of Dead Silence and Ghost Station. I always look forward to Barnes new books and this one did not disappoint. This is another Space Horror novel and features a compelling protagonist, Halley, who after taking a remote assignment on an abandoned space barge, discovers there's more danger in the job than she could've ever anticipated.

In the very beginning, this was giving me light-Artemis vibes. I think mostly because Halley, the way we meet her and the things she was thinking about at that time, were reminiscent of Jazz, the MC in Artemis. You can tell that Halley is girl with a complicated past, who is trying her best to stay clear of it. I liked how the author filled that in for us over time, and I truly became attached to Halley and her well-being over the course of the story.

She takes the job on Elysian Fields, a giant space barge housing a now defunct cryo program, thinking the remoteness and isolation will help her to avoid the things she's trying to avoid. Unfortunately, life on the floating crypt isn't as harmless as she thought it would be. Constant disturbing noises, and mysterious moving figures, haunt Halley's days and nights. She finds it impossible to sleep, impossible to rest her nerve-rattled brain.

Karl, the only other human worker aboard, is just as puzzling as everything else about the Elysian Fields. Halley's thoughts race and ramble as she tries to make sense of her new surroundings. It's during this time that the Reader may begin to question how well they can rely on their narrator. Learning about the Elysium Fields, its past, Halley's connection to it and its present iteration was so compelling. Barnes does the horrors of future tech so well, and this story is absolutely terrifying if you think about it for too long...

S.A. Barnes has really made a name for herself in the SF-Horror space. She does such an incredible job creating an ominous atmosphere in each one of her stories, as well as well-developed main characters.

I feel like some Readers may avoid, or be intimidated by SciFi stories, as they feel like they may be too science-heavy, or too high-concept, for them to understand, or be pulled in by. And while I can understand that inclination with many SF-books, I would urge you, if this is you, to give S.A. Barnes's work a try. She makes her stories accessible to all types of Readers, whether you are a big-SF fan or not, I think you'll easily be pulled in by her work and find it enjoyable.

This story, in particular, is well within our range of current understanding as tech rapidly progresses around us every day. I could absolutely picture a world where a situation like this becomes a reality. Stories of futuristic tech always get under my skin. I just find it genuinely frightening to think about. All the ways such developments could go wildly wrong. Reading about it, in fun works of fiction like this, provide me with a safe place to explore such concepts, and honestly, it does help lessen some anxiety around these topics for me.

That may sound silly, but it is one of the reasons I so enjoy this type of story, and S.A. Barnes is my absolute go-to author for gripping, realistic, futuristic SF-Horror. This had a lot of unsettling moments, with a great creepy atmosphere throughout. Towards the end it did have some moments where it started to feel a little muddled for me, but overall, it was a great reading experience.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I'll be anticipating whatever Barnes releases next!!!

☄️COLD ETERNITY☄️ by @authorstaceykade is a claustrophobic encounter on a defunct spacefaring ship that will have you gagging with terror. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers, @tornightfire and @macmillanaudio for the ARCs and the finished copy.

🛸🛸🛸

Hailey is escaping her past and takes a seemingly cush if boring job on board the Elysian Fields, a former hospital ship shut down to the public for decades. When things start to go bump in the night and she feels as though she is being watched, she starts to have second thoughts but can't very well quit with nowhere else to turn. Unable to help her curiosity, she explores parts of the ship not meant for her and delves into the history of the mysterious family who owned the ship which leads her to uncover some seriously weird shit! And then she finds out her employer knows she is not who she says she is...

While I was not as enamored with the character of Hailey as I was with Ophelia of GHOST STATION, l think I liked the horror reveal/creature feature aspect of this one even more which was SUPER CREEPY. It is unexpected and absolutely crazy cray and I loved it. If you like locked room horror mysteries, this one just happens to be set on a docked spaceship. Space is scary and I am here for all the thrills!

This book comes out TOMORROW and you should pick it up for some deep space thrills and chills!

This is the second book I've read/listened to by S.A. Barnes and she definitely has a recognizable style. She built an atmospheric and very creepy location. I like the tension that's built up over time and that stupid button gave me anxiety. It's written very well and in my head, it ran like a movie. My one issue with this book is the same issue I had with Dead Silence, that being the ending. For me personally, it just wasn't as fulfilling as I had hoped. With all that said, it's a killer story with an awesome creep factor and if you like sci-fi horror, you'll probably like this one too.

As for the audiobook, Amara Jasper did a fantastic job narrating this book.

Cold Eternity is exactly what I’ve come to expect from S.A. Barnes’s sci-fi horror novels—and I eagerly look forward to it every time. This one delivers in spades when it comes to the eerie atmosphere and creep factor. From start to finish, the book had me on edge, conjuring up the feeling of being alone in a dark, unsettling place. You know that sense when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and your heart rate quickens as you nervously glance around every corner? Yeah, Cold Eternity brings that feeling front and center.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book’s vibe had me thinking of Alien: Romulus to a certain degree—that perfect blend of claustrophobic suspense with a terrifying, unseen threat lurking just out of reach. I loved how the plot twisted and turned in ways I couldn’t have predicted, leaving me genuinely creeped out. Amara Jasper does an amazing job of placing us inside the protagonist’s mind, feeling every ounce of Halley’s confusion, fear, and desire for answers, all while simultaneously wanting to flee from the unknown entity haunting her.

Amara Jasper’s narration in Cold Eternity was absolutely top-notch and played a huge role in making the audiobook such an immersive experience. Her voice perfectly matches the eerie, tense atmosphere of the story, adding layers of intensity that elevated the suspense. From the very beginning, she sets the tone, making you feel Halley’s anxiety and uncertainty as she navigates this terrifying unknown.

Additionally, Jasper’s tone and pacing are masterful in how she builds suspense. She gives you just enough time to linger in the silence of the unknown before hitting you with the next spine-tingling moment, making every sound and shift in the narrative feel even more palpable. Her voice also nails the occasional moments of dread—where Halley feels trapped and isolated—immediately pulling the listener deeper into the atmosphere.

The intensity of Cold Eternity ranks right up there with Dead Silence, and I have to say this one’s coming in as a very close second for me in Barnes collection. If you loved the audiobook for Dead Silence, you’re going to want to dive into Cold Eternity as well—Amara Jasper has the perfect knack for building suspense and delivering a thrilling, spine-chilling experience.

Thank you @torbooks and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted eARC/ALC of COLD ETERNITY!

I’m not sure how exactly S.A Barnes does it but she’s able to build these accessible sci-fi worlds that make sense to non-space nerds like me and then create horrifying scenarios that make me absolutely never want to set foot in space. Her heroines are a bit unreliable like the thriller heroines of the early aughts.

Our MC Halley is on the run and hiding from an interplanetary political scandal when she finds the perfect job and place for her to lay low… a basically abandoned ship full of wealthy people who were all cryogenically frozen over 100 years ago…. So a ship full of bodies. Not creepy at all. Nope.

The setting was perfect. The FMC was understandably exhausted (she had to push a button every 3 hours or bad things would happen) as any parent of a newborn will attest to. Things start to go bump in the night. I was completely freaked out when her interactions with the AI holograms of the ship owner’s long dead children started getting weird. I was so sure that this was going to beat out DEAD SILENCE in my space horror top spot.

And then there was a reveal towards the end that I just had a hard time with. I wish the author had chosen a different plot twist/reveal because it kind of took me out of the book. There was a scene at the end that made me a bit teary and broke my heart a little.

So DEAD SILENCE remains solidly in my top spot but if you are a space horror fan, this one is definitely worth checking out!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7457482317
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIRbaZRPR4d/

This book was perfectly atmospheric and spooky! SA really knows how to make you feel like you are right there along side these characters. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book waiting to see what would happen next. This was one of my favorite FMCs she’s written and seeing her motivation and her story progress was so much fun. Such a good one!!!

I really love how Barnes writes space horror and manages to use the sci-fi elements as tension building horror devices. This one was eerie and atmospheric like her previous ones, and the novel structure and the twist is also similar. This one worked for me better than Ghost Station and I found it comparable to Dead Silence. I thought Amara Jasper’s narration complemented the atmospheric vibes well.