The third entry in Jeffrey’s savvy, team-oriented starship adventure series starts off with a bang, with an assassination attempt on the life of Captain Aidan Macallan and then after an exciting new mission for Aidan and the crew of the Sun Wolf that immediately finds them doing what they (and Jeffrey) do best: crack a cosmic puzzle, in this case coded coordinates. Their mission is to hunt down Cardew Amon, the murderous genius who has claimed a newly accessible astrocell—a huge swath of space teeming with potential life—for his “Posthuman empire,” and he’s creating “cloneborg” assassins, terrifying battle cruisers, and even worse for the cause. Aidan and co. have personal reasons, too, to chase Cardew, and face the exhaustive gauntlet of mysteries, dangers, and wonders that Jeffrey throws at them.Jeffrey’s novels, like the universe itself, tend toward the expansive, and The Light Within Darkness feels bigger than ever. Still, for all its new worlds (there’s many, and the crew relishes naming them) and unsettling marvels (a "cloneborg crèche”; a tiny, mobile black hole) nobody ever loses sight of home—the Earth—as they venture far beyond our solar system in 2218. Aidan listens to 20th century jazz, worries over “One Earth” movement conspiracy theories, and struggles with a form of addiction.
The action is brainy but still visceral, rendered in crisp prose, with stakes that couldn’t be higher. But the heart of this series is in teamwork, in singular solutions to intractable problems, in impossible dilemmas and hard choices, whether they be cosmic conundrums about the origins of life or the moral question of whether to destroy clones of a genocidal leader. Pacing is brisk, and Jeffrey proves a master of and-another-thing excitement: an early, low-key romantic interlude gives way to discussion of possibility of “intergalactic ecosystems analogous to organic planetary ones,” which is interrupted by a missile attack. Such moments are SF bliss.
Takeaway: Stellar space-faring SF bursting with new worlds and camaraderie.
Comparable Titles: C. J. Cherryh, Robert J Sawyer’s Starplex.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Blue Ink STARRED REVIEW
The Light Within Darkness: Space Unbound, Book 3
The third installment in David C. Jeffrey’s Space Unbound saga continues the rousing, grand-scale science-fiction adventure featuring commander of the Sun Wolf Aiden Macallan and his crew as they battle a villainous mastermind whose ultimate goal is nothing short of annihilating humankind.
Set in the year 2218, Macallan and crew are given a top-secret mission after he barely survives a brutal attempt on his life. They are tasked with locating the base of operations of C. S. Amon, aka Cardew, the seemingly mythical figure behind the assassination order. Cardew is the maniacal founder of a cult-like movement whose primary goal is to “save” humankind by replacing imperfect humans with infallible Transhumans—genetically enhanced and technologically augmented beings that are virtually indestructible.
As Macallan struggles to locate his adversary amid the vastness of space, his crew—and his microbiologist wife Skye Landen—make numerous jaw-dropping discoveries, including a new understanding of how life is spread throughout the universe and revelations regarding the significance of primordial black holes. But as these incredible discoveries irrevocably change the way they view humankind and its place in the cosmos, Cardew and his army of murderous automatons close in on his apocalyptic goal.
The novel’s space exploration aspect is exceptional as Macallan visits numerous unexplored planets, each revealing shocking scientific insights. The pacing is breakneck throughout, powered by one action- packed sequence after another. The characters are all deeply developed, and the dynamism between them feels authentic.
Additionally, the storyline is filled with more than a few wildly satisfying plot twists, which not only enrich the novel but plant fertile plot seeds for upcoming installments. The not-so-subtle commentary throughout, particularly at novel’s end—which packs a wallop regarding the current political and social landscape—is an added bonus.
Bottom line: Jeffrey’s stellar saga is just as good—if not better—than anything grand-scale science fiction fans will find currently being released by traditional publishers. It’s a stand-up-and-applaud, unforgettable reading experience.
— Blue Ink Review
A fantastic addition to the Space Unbound series that delivers on the promises made in earlier novels . . . The stakes are higher, the villains more terrifying, and the worldbuilding more complex than ever before. At its heart, The Light Within Darkness remains a deeply personal foray into the wonder of humanity, nature, and life, while it takes you on a fantastic adventure led by a compelling crew.
— Joelene Pynnonen for Independent Book Review
5 Stars. The Light Within Darkness excels at crafting a richly detailed and immersive setting, transporting readers to the far reaches of outer space. The author's graphical descriptions and skillful world-building bring the cosmos to life . . . Overall, it was an engaging read that will delight fans of science fiction and space exploration. With its captivating storyline, memorable characters, and stunningly vivid setting, this novel offers an unforgettable journey into the heart of darkness and the struggle to defeat a hardcore villain.
— Maria Yinks for Manhattan Book Review
5 Stars. Author David C. Jeffrey continues his thrilling space adventure series with another disaster that’s set to be even bigger and more dangerous than what has already come. . . Hard science fiction fans will find plenty of good space logic and interesting concepts for destruction via the maniacal mind of our central villain too. Overall, The Light Within Darkness continues all the excitement, tension, and atmosphere of a thrilling series so far, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
— K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
5 Stars. Explore new worlds and delve into the mysteries of the universe with this gripping installment of the Space Unbound saga, The Light Within Darkness. David Jeffrey weaves an action-packed sci-fi yarn soaked in mystery, suspense, and intrigue. . . All in all, a perfect odyssey for sci-fi lovers.
— Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite
5 Stars. The book's amazing details are one of its most noticeable features. Sci-fi lovers will love how extensive its descriptions of its scientific components are and how seamlessly they're woven into the plot . . . The Light Within Darkness is a sci-fi gem with perfect, well-developed features. Core sci-fi aficionados will especially love this book, just like I did.
— Foluso Falaye for San Francisco Book Review
"Pushing the sci-fi adventure genre and this ambitious series into uncharted space, The Light Within Darkness is a tremendous third chapter in the Space Unbound saga. The sci-fi world-building and creative future tech elements, as well as the author’s slow-drip exposition style, make the reading experience immersive and addictive. This novel crackles with creativity and some serious scientific clout to perfectly blur the line between fiction and our possible future." -- Self-Publishing Review
THE LIGHT WITHIN DARKNESS, is Book 3 in David C. Jeffrey's Space Unbound series. It is now available in paperback, e-book, and Kindle at all the usual places--Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Books, IndieReader, etc. Book 3 picks up where Book 2, SUN WOLF, left off. The adventures of Commander Aiden Macallan, Elgin Woo, and the crew of the Sun Wolf continue, and the stakes couldn't be any higher.
