Published 28th February 2023 by Dropship Publishing.
From the cover of the book:
Captain Kara Psomas was pronounced dead when her research vessel slammed into Jupiter.More than a century later, the crew of the Paralus, a helium mining freighter, find a pristine escape pod with a healthy young girl nestled inside. A girl who claims to be Kara-and she brings a message of doom.
She says she has been waiting in the dark for that exact moment. To be found by that particular crew. Because an ancient cosmic being has tasked her with a sacred responsibility.
She claims she must alter the Fulcrum, a lever in time-no matter the cost to the people aboard-or condemn the rest of civilization to a very painful and drawn-out demise.
She sounds convincing. She appears brave. She might well be insane.
***********
The Paralus arrives at Jupiter after months of space travel, to mine for the helium that Earth desperately needs - only to discover the planet's position seems to have altered slightly. Frantic manoeuvres are called for, but just when they think they have salvaged the situation, an object appears on their screens that is about to bring chaos to their mission...
The unexpected object is an escape pod that has materialised from nowhere, but it is what lies inside that blows their minds - for it contains a girl who claims to be Captain Kara Psomas, a woman who died when her ship crashed into Jupiter over one hundred and twenty years ago. How can a girl that looks to be only fifteen years old be this woman?
Things get even stranger when she tells them that she has been waiting for them, and has been tasked with saving all civilisation by an ancient cosmic being. Kara's purpose is to alter the Fulcrum, and she must complete her task before time runs out. Is this strange girl really here to save them from destruction, or is she simply a clone that has been driven insane by isolation? The crew of the Paralus must decide...
Gareth Worthington covers a lot of ground in this deeply thought provoking space adventure, combining lashings of gripping action with a solid kick of philosophising about life, the universe and everything. It is the kind of tale that you need to buckle up for as it makes the most of a myriad of threads about space and time, by exploring layered themes around the nature of gods and monsters, chaos and order, and the good old knotty push and pull of science vs religion - wrapping it all up in fast paced storylines that leave you with little time to breathe.
The plot begins with the usual fodder of a space opera, by introducing you to a cast of characters negotiating a mass of taut relationship issues, mostly caused by the irksome presence of the daughter of the head honcho of the company, psychiatrist Dr Sarah Dallas, who seems to create waves amongst the crew rather then being a calming presence. Things are already a bit tetchy between them, so when Kara becomes part of the equation, conflict quickly becomes the order of the day, exposing sinister intent on the part of some of them as the narrative flips between their points of view. No one really knows what to make of Kara and her claims, and as they procrastinate, bringing in the members of a scientific base on Europa into their dilemma, events spiral out of control. It becomes hard to ignore that there is something very odd going on in the vicinity of Jupiter.
For the most part I was entertained the mix of characters, eventhough they are generally unlikeable (except for the Europa bunch), as they cover an interesting range of personality types - with all the resulting trials this brings in close proximity. Although could have done with a bit less of Dr Kilkenny and the odd choice to have them as the sole character speaking in tortured dialect.
I am a kickass space adventure kind of gal, and there is lots in these pages that ticked this box for me. I enjoyed how Worthington brings in physics, mythology and religion to the story, giving them a twist and threading them through all that happens, but confess some of the more philosophical passages were a bit lost on me. I also found Worthington's musings on the future of humankind rather chilling. If you enjoy a space tale that takes you on a metaphysical journey then you are in for a full on treat with where this story goes. Lots to ponder on!
I suspect this will be a book that will divide the crowd depending on how you like your flavour of science fiction. I read it in a single session, and can confirm that it is slick, imaginative, lots of fun, and keeps you on your toes from beginning to end, if a little esoteric for my tastes. The premise is certainly an intriguing one, and this has made me more than a bit wary of what may be hiding under the ice out there in space...
Dark Dweller is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
Thank you to Black Crow for sending me a copy of book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
Gareth is an authority in ancient history, has hand-tagged sharks in California, and trained in various martial arts, including Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai at the EVOLVE MMA gym in Singapore and 2FIGHT Switzerland.
He is an award-winning author and member of the International Thriller Writers Association, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the British Science Fiction Association.
Born in England, Gareth has lived around the world from Asia, to Europe to the USA. Wherever he goes, he endeavors to continue his philanthropic work with various charities.
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