I would like to thank Blackstone Publishing and Jonathan Maberry for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5 Stars

"On Earth scientist discover evidence of what looks like an alien spacecraft, the first discovery of its kind, the implications are...astounding. Inside are impossible secrets and a creature of unfathomable horror has just woken up.

Terrifying dreams and an even more haunting reality follow those scientists as they try and discover the secrets within the spacecraft. Dr. Evie Cronin and her team struggle to find answers, knowing luck isn't on their side and haunted at night by something they can't quite remember during the day. Eventually their investigation brings them to the orbit of Jupiter moments before the WarpLine gun misfires. Destiny is a vicious and devious thing.

On Asphodel Station, humans and the NecroTek fighting machines are engaged in a desperate battle for survival against the deadly shoggoth fleets. But a new and far more dangerous race of creatures is poised to attack.

The group of scientists from Antarctica and the survivors on Asphodel are pitted against an unstoppable enemy. If they fail, Asphodel Station will fall, and the Outer Gods will be free to wage a war of conquest across the galaxy—to Earth itself."


NecroTek: Cold War lifted the bar for what I consider good Science Fiction.

It was a riveting and enthralling tale from the first page and I kept being drawn back in for the next discovery. I will admit this title seemed to be crafted specifically for me. It had all my favorite things regarding cosmic horror. The absolute sense of dread you get when you realize the enormity of the enemy, the impossibility of it all, and still having to keep going on with daily life. How do people handle that, how does anyone?

I love that this book also tries to answer some of these more science based analytical/philosophical questions regarding first contact and the impact that would have not only on us as humans but in a faith/political way as well. The impact it would have on religion as a hole was a level of care in this novel I wasn't expecting but was very happy to have had included. It made the whole discovery feel real, the enormity of it all. The theoretical suddenly banished in the name of a new truth.

The other section of this novel takes place on Asphodel Station. This section I didn't feel as strongly attached to at first but as the book went along I started to see the fully formed idea and ended up loving it and the characters just as much as the section taking place on Earth. (I also came into this without reading the first novel so all of these characters were new to me). It was a pleasant surprise the way the two sides of the narrative came together and I have to say I did not see that twist coming, but I was literally gripping the edge of my couch when it did.

Another pro and a surprising one (for me) at that were the NecroTeks. I am not a huge fan of mechs or mech fighters etc. It's usually not my jam but this was done in such a cool way I could not deny I was hooked on the concept immediately. These guys added a whole different layer to the fighting and desperation of the fights and how bad the odds have been stacked. It was a great addition and I think really struck home the enormity of the situation everyone was facing out there.

The horror elements were really where this novel shines. I absolutely love the build up of tension and the way the different Lovecraftian monsters were introduced and bled through different parts of the setting. It really created this sense of the characters always being watched and never quite safe. That threat stayed with the characters until the end and really made me root for them despite the odds and the absolute level of terror/horror that was actually going on by the end of the novel really made that tension worth the effort.

I feel like I could talk for another hour about how much and how many different parts of this novel I liked. It's a true testament that my husband is also now feeling the brunt of my praises as I can't stop talking about it and how he'll definitely need to buy the audiobook when it becomes available.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes:
-Cosmic horror
-Xenobiology
-Lovecraftian lore
-First Contact scenarios
-LGBT Romance
-Science-Fiction

"Hell is empty, all the devils are here."