Thank you to Tor Books for sending me a copy of Cascade Failure in exchange for an honest review.
In the vast expanse of the Spiral, power is divided between the formidable Trust corporations and the influential Union labor force, with the Guild striving to maintain a delicate balance. But when Jal, a Guild deserter with a mysterious past, boards a Guild vessel, the crew of the Ambit finds themselves embroiled in an unexpected mission. Consisting of an AI captain, an engineer/medic and a no-nonsense XO, they aren’t the most likely world-saving candidates.
But their journey takes a dangerous turn when they respond to a distress signal from a desolate planet. There they find a lone programmer who has uncovered a sinister truth. The crew of the Ambit must act swiftly to thwart the Trust’s nefarious plans and stop total planetary destruction.
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Cascade Failure is the first book in the hopefully long-running Ambit’s Run series. L.M. Sagas’ debut is an exciting and charming adventure perfect for fans of Becky Chambers or The Murderbot Diaries.
This new novel is a deeply anti-capitalist space Western. It’s full of action and bloody violence, but somehow it’s still cozy. The Ambit’s crew is a ramshackle and unlikely found family full of quirky characters. All of them are a little bit anarchist in their fight against big corporations, but it’s all for the greater good.
While the world’s politics and inner workings are discussed and explored, readers spend most of their time within the Ambit. This is a universe where corporate powers rule and clash at the expense of their workers, and our main characters are finally ready to do something about it. While Sagas fleshes this world out, she doesn’t get too bogged down explaining the way things work. I’ve seen comparisons of Cascade Failure to Firefly, and there are definitely a few episodic, planetside jaunts that I could easily see translating into a big-budget television show.
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I’ll admit I did get a little lost in the science behind the bad guys’ plans. There’s a computer code that’s somehow quietly killing planets for financial gain and making it look like natural selection. That said, a little confusion there didn’t affect my overall enjoyment.
Cascade Failure is a good old-fashioned space adventure with shootouts, alien worlds and snarky AI. It also has some modern sensibilities that will easily appeal to current readers. If you’re still mourning Firefly’s untimely end, check out this new series. Best of all, you won’t have long to wait for the sequel! Gravity Lost is scheduled for a July 2024 release.
Cascade Failure comes out on March 19 and is available for preorder from your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.org.
TW: abandonment, blood, death, depression/PTSD, gun violence, medical content, murder, violence
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