Publisher: Blackstone Audio (Audiobook – 28 May 2024)
Series: NecroTek – Book One
Length: 15 hours and 24 minutes
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
One of the leading authors of action-packed fiction, Jonathan Maberry, dives headfirst into the science fiction genre with the unique read NecroTek, a remarkable Lovecraftian adventure in space that takes readers to some very dark places.
Readers of this blog will know that I have long been a fan of compelling author Jonathan Maberry, who has been impressing me with his elaborate, grim and varied book for years. A long-time writer of horror-filled fiction across the genres, Maberry has multiple books and series under his belt, and I have had the great pleasure of reading a large portion of his existing works. His main body of fiction is his Joe Ledger thriller series, which follows a tortured protagonist as he attempts to stop an array of dark technological threats assailing the modern world. This series, which includes great books like Patient Zero, Assassin’s Code, Predator One and Dogs of War, as well as the Rogue Team International sequel series (Rage, Relentless and Cave 13), proved to be a great introduction to the author for me, and my appreciation for him grew after reading his Kagen the Damned dark fantasy series. Made up of Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Son of the Poison Rose (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), and The Dragon in Winter (which I am currently reading now), the Kagen the Damned books saw the author bring his distinctive style to the world of dark fantasy in a big way, and I loved the end result.
Due to how much I love Maberry’s captivating and enthralling novels, I always instantly grab anything new the author writes, and this includes his first release of 2024, NectroTek. While his Joe Ledger books often feature strong science fiction elements in their thriller narratives, NecroTek was the first pure science fiction novel from the author, and I felt that he did an outstanding job applying his style and love for old-school horror into this new genre. Released under the banner of the iconic Weird Tales horror magazine, NecroTek was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024, and it did not disappoint.
Plot Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, NecroTek is a gripping sci-fi thriller full of ghosts, gods, and a battle for the soul of humanity.
Neither cosmic philosopher Lars Soren, hotshot pilot Bianca Petrescu, nor the high priestess Jessica McHugh–Lady Death herself–can say quite where in the galaxy they are. But after an experiment gone horribly wrong, one thing is clear: Asphodel Station isn’t in orbit around Jupiter any longer. Worse, the monsters that live out here–ancient eldritch beings thought only to exist in stories and nightmares–have now been alerted to Earth’s existence.
Their army of Shoggoths is coming for us next.
Humanity’s only hope for survival lies on the surface of the alien world of Shadderal, where a ghost named Lost, the last of an ancient race, still haunts the vast plains of the Field of Dead Birds. But hope has a cost. Lost tells Soren about ancient derelict spacecraft awaiting on Shadderal, shapeshifting machines that blend ultra-advanced technology with the dark powers of necromancy. These ships might just be nimble enough to defend mankind against the coming invasion.
But there’s a catch: they can only be piloted by the dead.
As human starfighters fall in battle, their spirits can be called back from death to pilot these ghost ships of a fallen race. But will this new necromantic technology–NecroTek–allow humanity to stand against the vast armies of the Shoggoths? And even if it can, is the war to save the human race worth the cost of its pilots’ immortal souls?
What another brilliant read from Jonathan Maberry! NecroTek was an outstanding and captivating novel that I unsurprisingly loved thanks to its elaborate and ambitious narrative, loaded with horror, carnage and a distinctive tale of survival against the odds. Moving, powerful and highly emotional, NecroTek was such an epic and captivating novel, and I must give it a full five-star rating as a result.
Maberry produces another complex, detailed and powerfully dark narrative for NecroTek that is part science fiction, part horror, and all excitement. Starting off just in advance of the events that will set the story in motion, Maberry does a great job of opening the book up and quickly setting the scene for the reader. The start of a new series unconnected from his previous works (for now), this is one of the easier Maberry novels to break into, and you are soon invested in the tale of scientific exploration. However, things change quickly once the teleportation experiment fails, and as this is Maberry, when things go wrong, they go wrong in a big and gruesome way. The author really leans into his love of horror during these opening moments, and there are some shocking depictions of the side effects of the jump through space, as well as the terrifying things waiting for the survivors on the other side. Maberry revels in featuring powerful depictions of terror and craziness here and it makes for a brilliant and often disturbing first part of the book.
After this horrifying start to the novel, NecroTek becomes more of a science fiction tale, although Maberry quickly infects it with his beloved Lovecraftian elements, as the protagonists soon discover that they have been discovered by Shoggoths above a mysterious planet. This allows for some fantastic moments, as the humans attempt to defeat this new alien foe with their existing ships, while continuing to dive into the complex science and philosophy surrounding their circumstances. This middle section of the book moves at a swift pace, and the readers are treated to some excellent battle sequences in space, as well as the character’s continued uncertainty as they try to understand the outrageous situation they have found themselves in. Maberry does a great job setting down the required Lovecraftian lore and bringing key parts of the plot to light during this part of the book, and readers easily become absorbed in his compelling ideas, especially when they are coated in a combination of adventure, horror and intriguing characters.
Everything leads up perfectly to the final third of NecroTek, which sees the protagonists desperate to defend both the station, and the important planet they hover above. Faced with attacks on multiple fronts and so many tragedies, the protagonists are forced to rely on a new ally and the titular NecroTek to face off against the Shoggoth fleet. Maberry keeps the tension riding high for this final part of the book, and you are constantly on the edge of your seat as several simultaneous battles rage around the reader, often fought in some extremely epic ways. There is some captivating tragedy, deeply moving moments of sacrifice, and elaborate dives into the human psyche as everything comes together, and you will be left dazed and moved by everything that unfolds. An overall exceptional and unique story, NecroTek was so much fun, and I liked the potential for story continuation that exists at the end of the novel.
Maberry has a very distinctive writing style that he utilises in all his novels, no matter the genre, and which always results in an awesome and complex read. Featuring a huge number of short and sharp perspective chapters that constantly jump between the key characters, as well as a few shots of the antagonists and other mysterious creatures, you get a layered story that shows so many complex actions at the same time. This style works extremely well in this science fiction adventure, and I loved the elaborate ways he showcased the dark events occurring around the station, whether you get the experiences of the recurring characters, or one-off chapters that shows what happened to specific characters before they die. These chapters deeply enhance the horror vibes in the book, which keep you on your toes and provides an overarching sense of threat and danger that really makes you concerned for the protagonists. This cool horror vibe blends well with the extremely detailed science fiction setting and storyline, to create a particularly striking read that really stuck with me, especially as the author also dives into Lovecraftian elements which work nicely into Maberry’s distinctive tone. As with most of Maberry’s work, NecroTek does get incredibly dark and disturbing at times, which may not appeal to every reader, especially when it comes to some of the more distressing occurrences. However, Maberry channels this darkness extremely well into the plot and the various action sequences of the book, producing a rafter of ultra-exciting scenes that really stick in the mind. I personally felt his various space-combat sequences were extremely good, and I loved how effectively he showcased the intricate nature of the battles, even when things get extreme with the inclusion of ghost-powered battle mechs.
As with all Jonathan Maberry novels, the true power and heart of NecroTek lies in its many impressive and complex characters, who the author utilises to tell a particularly powerful and layered story. Maberry has a real gift for producing compelling, damaged, and often highly over-the top characters for his various series, and NecroTek is no different as he introduces a range of figures whose unique perspectives shape and power the story. While NecroTek lacks the full-on antagonist’s perspective that usually make his novels so effective (due to the enemies being unknowable aliens), you get a great spread of alternating perspectives and thoughts throughout NecroTek, as well as the powerful emotions behind them. These emotions are greatly enhanced by the fact that all the human characters within NecroTek are disorientated or damaged by the earlier events of the plot, and watching them overcome their rage, fear or despair, really amps up the feeling of the unknown and the complex emotions that swirl around the plot.
While there are many characters featured within NecroTek, Maberry does focus the plot on a few key protagonists whose stories get a bit more attention. This includes cosmic philosopher Lars Soren, who serves as one of the main explorers of the new world and the voice of calm reason amongst the protagonists. I liked how effectively Maberry utilised a scholar protagonist for much of this novel, and it allowed for a much more thoughtful narrative at times. Of course, as this is Maberry, there needs to be a militant main protagonist as well, and that role was filled ably by military pilot Bianca Petrescu. A confident and skilled pilot, Bianca worked as a great partner to Soren throughout much of the adventure, and I liked the contrast in their styles and actions. Bianca also works well as part of the fighter group, known as the Lost Souls, who work to defend the station from the Shoggoth fleet. Acting like an extended family, the Lost Souls are a vital part of the book’s plot, especially as their eventual, many-layered sacrifice, results in some of the most emotionally charged scenes in the book, which is further enhanced by how much you have come to care for the whole group. Throw in an actual necromancer and an ancient alien whose guilt-ridden ghost provides aid to the protagonists whilst also damning them, and the cast of NecroTek was extremely strong. I really enjoyed the elaborate narrative threads that emerged around these figures, and it led to a very powerful and intense read.
As with most of the Jonathan Maberry novels, I chose to enjoy NecroTek on audiobook, which is easily the best way to enjoy one of the author’s elaborate and powerful novels. Maberry’s distinctive writing style of constantly shifting characters, loaded action, and horrifying elements really comes across when read out and I honestly believe that this is the best way to enjoy one of author’s books. A lot of this is due to the continued use of long-term Maberry collaborator Ray Porter, who has lent his voice to most of Maberry’s compelling audiobooks. One of my favourite audiobook narrators, Ray Porter has an outstanding voice that expertly moves Maberry’s complex and addictive narrative around at a fast and effective pace. Porter’s ability to instil emotion, intensity and often scary tones into his narration is extremely epic, and he can ensure that readers are always on the edge of their seats as they wait for more action or horror to emerge. Porter also has a great range of different awesome voices that seem to always perfectly fit the character they are assigned to, and I love the fun and entertaining tones that convey so much of fear, feelings and deeper emotional state. Coming in with an overall run time of 15 hours and 24 minutes, this is a long audiobook, although it proves easy to power through it quickly, especially in the action-heavy second half. As such, the NecroTek audiobook version comes highly recommended, and you will not be disappointed when you listen to it.
Jonathan Maberry once again deeply impresses me with his elaborate and addictively dark science fiction read, NecroTek. A very distinctive Maberry creation, NecroTek features a brilliant story that brings together cool new science fiction elements with the author’s love for all thing Lovecraftian into a brutal and captivating read. Fast paced and loaded with complex characters, fantastic action, and some truly epic sequences, NecroTek was such a great read from Maberry and comes highly recommended. I look forward to seeing how Maberry continues the series in the future, especially as a sequel, Cold War, is apparently set for release in 2025.
The Unseen Library 