S.A. Barnes is definitely one of my “must read authors”. She is the absolute queen of space horror. Also, the more I read of her work, the more I don’t want to ever leave earth and hope that we never discover life on other planets. I’d like to remain blissfully unaware. Barnes has a knack for writing stories that keep me completely engaged all the way through to the point that I have jumped if anyone talks because in my mind, I am in the action. You can always count on her to bring the thrills and chaos in every story and Cold Eternity is no exception. The writing is creepy in all the best ways. I love that fun, scared feeling! The atmosphere is absolutely chilling and the characters are horrifying. There were so many surprises that I kept finding myself wanting to guess what would happen next. There was just so much to this story that I truly feel like I will need to read it again soon.

Thank you, S.A. Barnes, Tor Nightfire, and Netgally for gifting me a copy of this e-arc.

Halley is running from a political scandal that's resulted in a giant target on her back. So when she's offered an under-the-table job on Elysian Fields, a space barge housing cryogenically frozen bodies, she jumps at the opportunity. But within an hour of being on the ship, Halley starts to see things that don't make sense, and she soon realizes she might have gotten herself into a more dangerous situation than what she was running from.

Barnes is one of those authors whose work I'm always excited to pick up. She does such a good job at creating a creepy space atmosphere without being over the top about it.

One of my favorite parts about this book was Halley's journey to finding out the big reveal, which I was surprised by. I questioned early on whether Halley was a reliable narrator or whether she was actually going crazy, trapped on a ship with only the ship's caretaker and a bunch of frozen bodies.

I listened to this one on audio, narrated by Amara Jasper, and I'm so glad I did! There isn't a wide cast of characters in this book as the majority of it takes place on the Elysian Fields ship, but Amara did a wonderful job creating a unique voice for each of the characters. One of the characters, Alec, is a digital representation of who he was when he was alive, and she especially did an incredible job with his voice, making him feel not quite human, especially during periods when his programming wouldn't let him share certain information with Halley.

Read if you like:
Space horror
Science fiction
Fake identity
Political intrigue
Surprise twist
Artificial intelligence

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eALC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and loved Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes, but I found their subsequent novel Ghost Station to be dry and repetitive and lack a real punch. Cold Eternity fell somewhere in the middle for me. It has an eerie atmosphere and I enjoyed the political and A.I. discourse, but the twists and reveals were not as impactful as I would have liked them to have been. Within the first few chapters of listening to this, most of what was to come was already quite predictable and by the end I was just dying for this to come to a close and be over with.

Sadly, I'm afraid S.A. Barnes might be a one-hit wonder for me with Dead Silence and maybe it's time for me to stop picking up her novels.

Cold Eternity offers a uniquely eerie premise: a fugitive hiding among century-old cryo-corpses and glitching holograms on a derelict space barge. The setting drips with claustrophobic dread, amplified by uncanny sounds and hallucinations. However, the slow-burn pacing delays gripping action, testing patience despite atmospheric buildup. Halley’s paranoia is compelling, but underdeveloped side threads—like the political scandal—feel wasted. The finale, while tense, concludes with a rushed, underwhelming resolution that leaves key mysteries unanswered. Still, Barnes excels in spine-chilling ambiance and existential horror. An imaginative blend of sci-fi and horror, perfect for readers craving mood over momentum.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC!

I love space horror so I've read all of SA Barnes's books. I really liked the first one, really didn't like the second one, and this one falls somewhere in the middle. I liked the plot overall and I didn't hate the main character, but a lot was going on in this for only being about 3oo pages. I also didn't think the 'romance' was necessary. I will always read a space horror book though and I think a lot of people are going to like this. For me personally though, it was a 3 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with an early ARC/ALC!

READ IT IF YOU'RE INTEREST IN OR LIKED
- Space horror
- AI horror
- Dystopian dread
- Severance
- M3gan
- Themes of excessive wealth & billionaire liar-boys
- Creature features
- Body horror

BRIEF REVIEW
This book has not been released yet so I'm going to be careful of how much to share. It's an interesting concept and like watching a space horror movie you're just waiting for the action to start and know once it does it doesn't let up until the end. I still have enjoyed Dead Silence the most by Barnes but I did like parts of this one a lot. There were definitely ebbs and flows but I think it's definitely worth reading especially with so little space horror being released right now.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Review: the audio is good, I have no complaints

Review: meh.... I went back and forth in my head (and journal) about my thoughts on this. Let me take you with me Start (meh) middle (oh this is good) end ( super meh). I requested this for review because the premise sounded really cool. It did deliver what it said it would, just in a well... meh feeling way. The MC is okay, she can be a bit (nicer word for annoying) at times but is mostly okay. I didn't feel connected to her therefore worried/ anxious about what might happen to her. I did enjoy the political aspects and some scenes were a little unsettling. In terms of horror, this is not as "scary" as her previous books. If you have played the video game Bioshock, it gave me a lot of vibes from that game. In summary the premise was good, my overall enjoyment was meh. I don't really have a lot to comment on either way. Oh it also sort of has a night at the museum feel.

As a huge S.A. Barnes fan, I couldn’t wait to dive into Cold Eternity, and while I definitely enjoyed the immersive and intense world Barnes created, the story felt a bit disjointed at times.

I love rich character backstories, but in this case, the political background of the main character seemed to overshadow the eerie, sci-fi horror elements that made the premise so compelling. While the plot was somewhat predictable, it still delivered a fun and spooky experience with plenty of tension to keep me engaged.

Overall, Cold Eternity was an enjoyable read, even if it didn’t quite reach the heights of Barnes’ previous works. Fans of her signature blend of sci-fi and horror will still find plenty to love!

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars

Another spooky space horror from S.A. Barnes. She is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me and I'm so grateful I got the ARC audio. She does an amazing job, once again, building tension and fear in creative ways. If you enjoy sci-fi/horror with isolation, questionable morality, and monsters, this is a must read.

The narrator does a great job in helping to build the tension and make the story even scarier.

Okay so I am a huge S.A. Barnes fan. Basically Barnes is why I have gotten more into Space Horror or Space Thrillers. This book started off so great...so so so so so great. Then right about the half way point it lost me slightly. I kept going though because I saw the promise of what the story could be and once again Barnes didn't let me down. Although the ending was a little meh, I still enjoyed this little space jaunt.

I read my first S.A. Barnes book last year (Ghost Station) and enjoyed it well enough, even though I found it to be more atmospheric than scary or even tense. Ever since seeing "Alien" when I was far too young, I have been a bit obsessed with space horror. The video game "Dead Silence" and the movie "Event Horizon" are also faves of mine, so I was down to give Barnes another go. I'm happy to say that this book was definitely creepier and more of what I am looking for in a space horror book.

The novel follows Halley, a fugitive trying to escape a political scandal that has put a target on her back. Desperate to disappear, she accepts a job on an abandoned space barge that holds the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth's wealthiest citizens. The program was initially set up to allow people to freeze themselves before they died so that one day when medical advancements had made it possible, they could reawaken, be cured of what ailed them, and live even longer. These efforts have long since been abandoned, leaving the ship as nothing more than a floating tomb in the middle of space. But soon after her arrival, Halley begins to sense that something else might be happening on the ship. Strange noises keep her on edge, and, worst of all, she starts to see figures moving, crawling, and slinking in the shadows. This is made all the more terrifying when you realize that Halley is floating out in the middle of space with nowhere to run if/when things get dangerous (and they do - fairly quickly).

Barnes does a fantastic job of building a creepy and often disturbing atmosphere. From the moment Halley steps aboard the ship, there's an overwhelming sense of isolation and dread. The descriptions of the cryogenically frozen bodies are haunting. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a morgue with my feet firmly planted on Earth for five minutes, so I certainly would be on the edge of completely losing my shit if I were stuck on a spaceship in the middle of nowhere with a ship full of frozen people. Add in the threat that something might be lurking within, and it ups the creepiness even more.

Halley is a well-developed protagonist. She's resourceful, tough, and deeply flawed, making her an interesting character to follow. I appreciated that she wasn't just reacting to the horror around her - she was actively trying to solve the mystery while also dealing with her own inner demons.

I also felt the pacing was much stronger in this book. Unlike "Ghost Station", which leaned heavily on a slow-burning mystery, this novel hits the ground running. There's a constant feeling of tension and unease, and once things start happening, they don't stop. The horror elements are well-executed, relying more on psychological fear and paranoia rather than outright gore and it works really well. There's a strong feeling of helplessness as Halley tries to figure out what's going on while floating in the middle of nowhere.

The biggest drawback of the novel, in my opinion, was the ending. After such a strong buildup, the resolution felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. It's not that the reveal was disappointing - on the contrary, I really enjoyed the way Barnes tied everything together - but I wanted more time spent exploring the ramifications of the final events. It felt like the book was racing toward the finish line instead of letting the conclusion breathe.

I read this book in both print and audiobook format, and I have to give credit to Amara Jasper's narration. She did a fantastic job capturing the tension and fear in Halley's voice, and her ability to differentiate characters made the story easy to follow. Her pacing and delivery enhanced the creepiness, making the audiobook a great option for those who enjoy a more immersive horror experience.

Overall, I found this to be an engaging and atmospheric sci-fi horror novel that delivers on its eerie premise. The setting is fantastic, the tension is palpable, and the mystery unfolds at the perfect pace. While the ending could have been fleshed out more, it didn't ruin the experience for me. This is the kind of book that's perfect for anyone who enjoys the idea of being trapped in deep space with an unseen horror lurking nearby. It's a solid read for horror and sci-fi fans alike.

I am a big fan of sci-fi and murder mysteries, but not of horror. Despite this, I can listen to SA Barnes’ novels without having nightmares. Yet they are creepy and filled with horrifying things that go bump (and screech) in the night. I think it’s because the horror is integral to the story. We follow Halley as she escapes from a station to hide out while a political scandal unfurls. She takes a job on a ship where her main job is to press a button every 3 hours, then to check on the cryogenically preserved humans that are the “paying guests.” But something is not as it seems…
We stick with Halley as she learns the truth about the ship and its inhabitants, and uses her determination to try and right some wrongs. Edge-of-the-seat listening with great narration!
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook #ColdEternity for review purposes. Publication date is 8 April 2015.

I thoroughly enjoyed Barnes' 'Cold Eternity.' She somehow manages to make a huge ship feel claustrophobic. The horror was on-point and very atmospheric. There was a feeling of dread throughout the novel. The narrator was great as well. 5 stars.

Halley’s currently hanging out on a space barge where the wealthiest people of Earth have been cryogenically frozen. Here she’s supposed to be alone. But soon weird things start happening. There are noises coming from the vents, and she starts seeing things in the halls. Is she really as alone as she thinks she is?

Oof this one was difficult. This is my 3rd Barnes book. Thus far, Dead Silence is still the best of hers. This one and Ghost Station were rough. Regarding this book in particular though, I had a really hard time orienting myself in the world Barnes builds here. In the beginning, I thought I had a sense of where we were, but I quickly got super confused and could not visualize the world at all. The characters are hard to keep straight as well. Except for Halley, I couldn’t tell you much about them. If you’re looking to get lost in a book (but not in a good way), that’s definitely Cold Eternity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. While I did enjoy Amara Jasper’s narration, this book was not for me.

I think this may be my favorite S.A. Barnes book yet! This was so creepy and claustrophobic. Barnes writes amazing space horror.

All I can say is read this if you want to be creeped out by a museum of cryogenic rich and famous with all of their possessions, glitchy holographic performers who scream deadly messages in your face, or if you vibe with that desolate, lost out in space isolation... you will not regret it!

The audiobook was so good!

S.A. Barnes has created her own locked room/deep space genre, and I am so here for it. I'm way behind on what I want to read and had to put everything else aside when this newest book became available. And I was not disappointed!
Barnes always manages to create sympathetic characters with complicated backgrounds, and Halley is exactly that. On the run and in hiding, Halley takes an odd job on what should be an empty spaceship, but why does she keep seeing odd things?
This was so suspenseful for me that it felt much shorter than it was. The narrator was wonderful, helping build the tension. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

I've enjoyed all of S.A. Barnes's books, but this might be my favorite. Listened almost straight through. Great characters, clever mystery, chilling horror.

S.A. Barnes is one of those authors who's an automatic read for me. I loved Dead Silence but not so much Ghost Station. I was worried I wouldn't like Cold Eternity, but I think I might like it even better than Dead Silence...

The narrator for this one was also great! The more audiobooks I've listened to, the more I realize how picky I am. It's always a plus to have a fantastic narrator so I'm not taken out of the story.

Can't wait to see what S.A. Barnes writes next!!

The narration for this novel was spot on. There was enough emotion to keep it engaging, yet it was spoken in a tone of voice that captured the isolation and tension that our main character was feeling.

I love all things space horror, but this authors previous two books fell a little flat for me. Not so much as to where I wouldn’t try this one out, though. I’m glad I did! It wasn’t as gruesome as I’d have hoped, but it definitely kept my attention much better. The creativity of Barnes’ mind is unmatched. Yet it’s written in such a way that I can visually picture this otherworldly atmosphere and the creatures within it. I like how we have a pretty minimal cast of characters. It keeps the eeriness and loneliness of the situation in the forefront of the readers mind. Cold Eternity delves into some themes of the cost of immortality as well as the corruption of the political world, and I ate it up. The weird romantic tension I sensed threw me off but it wasn’t a huge point of contention.

I just…god, these books are all so good. Barnes KNOWS what she’s doing, and she does it so so well. Cold Eternity feels more isolated and sadder maybe than I expected; the protagonist is alone for a lot of this novel, and the core connection/relationship in this one actually WRECKED ME. I really appreciated the exploration of what it means to do good in a system too large to effectively change on your own, and a lot of the larger worldbuilding and themes felt insanely relevant to the here and now.

I thought the plot and pacing were both very solid, the tension and spooky levels were HIGH, despite it being such an introspective book, and I loved Halley and the other sympathetic character. I’ll be thinking about the tragedy of that plot line for a LONG time, I think.

As for the audiobook—Amara Jasper’s narration was lovely. I thought she handled the pacing and tension well and she was easy to listen to. I didn’t notice any editing issues either! I’ll definitely recommend this one to folks.

And of course, the book in general is going on my list of recommendations for sci-fi horror.