Into the Dark (Alexis Carew Book 1)

From OldRetiredMilitary:
I really wanted to like this book, but I just could not get past the extreme Napoleonic era fighting sails motif. I've read a ton of science fiction starting in 1951 (Rocket Ship Galileo by Heinlein) and a lot of fighting sails novels starting in 1970 (Hornblower series while I was in Vietnam). I thoroughly enjoy each genre, but bringing forward almost everything from British warships of 1770-1820 to the era of a space navy just didn't work for me. I have seen the use of sails in David Drake's RCN series, but that use was reasonable and not overdone. Sutherland seemed to take everything, including nomenclature, from the fighting sails era and stretch and distort it to fit a future space navy.. What's bad is the protagonist, a plucky, persevering young lady from a male-dominated society, is very sympathetic and likeable. Unfortunately that could not overcome my inability to move past the overwhelming details of 18th century warship society used in a far future space navy.

The author has created his own unique FTL system coming the age of sail with space travel. The initial catalyst that drives our heroine into the navy is a bit hard to believe. That somehow only men where the original steaders and that these men who seeming grew up on more cosmopolitan world's would then pass a law of not just male-preference inheritance but absolute forbidden women to inherit. And that somehow their wives and daughters never saw a problem with that. But once she gets aboard ship that jst becomes a bit of colorful background information and the real story begins. The MC is kind of what I imagine Honor Harrington to be before 'On Baslisk Station'. A very enjoyable rea, though all the 18th century English words can throw you but generally they're easy enough to figure out in context.

First of a series (so far 4 books, 2 novellas, and one extra audio - I have read only the first book), Into the Dark star fifteen year old Alexis Carew in a three-act story. Act one is set on her home planet, where we get to know her, her family, and her situation. Act two has her learning the ropes of a midshipman, and in a world of Mylar-ish sails learning the ropes means climbing all over the ship's hull and up the masts into the big dark. Act three brings the building action of inter- and intra-spaceship engagements.

Well written and steady, slowly building action the first book sets up a solid base for the series.

Special notes: (1) While the main character starts at the "YA" genre age, this book is more of a military development in space story like Honor Harrington and Kris Longknife. I expect over the course of the series we will go way beyond the "YA" restrictions as the character ages past 18 years old and beyond. (2) Proofreading suffers from homophones issues - "too" vs. "to"; "sales" vs. "sails" - not too much, but enough to be noticeable. Because they are real words and the words are pronounced the same, figuring out what is meant is easy.

Things that annoyed me: The constant provincial (the book's word, not mine) attitude towards women, treating them as second class citizens. A great many cultures treat women as equal; I am very surprised to see none of them set up their own planets. The cultures of the Fringe Planets are a little too homogeneous for me. Why do authors feel the need to have women overcome blatant misogynous behavior to prove their strength? ... Although if any woman is going to throw off a dozen planets thinking a woman's place is in the kitchen, fifteen-year-old Alexis Carew is that woman.

The story is interesting, if a lot of disbelief has to be suspended. The story is set in a time in the future, but without any consideration of advances in any field except the ability to move through the universe at speeds greater than light. In fact everything else seems to have gone far back in time. The living conditions, rules and regulations, customs, etc. of a naval ship are those that were prevalent in the 18th century Royal Navy, along with bad food, floggings, confining the crew to the ship or closely guarded by marines when ashore to prevent desertion. It seems that every custom of that time was brought into the story. Even our heroine is signed aboard the ship; as a 15 year old midshipman, reminiscent of the era of wooden ships, before the establishment of the Naval Academies that replaced that custom. I don't know when story the is supposed to be taking place, but sometime in the future. Almost all of the really bad conditions that existed in the era of wooden ships had been solved and updated by the 20th century, so exactly how did the navy, as it moved into space, not take that technology with it. One could look at the voyages of the space ships as something like the nuclear powered submarine patrols of the late 20th century and beyond, where the boat could be sailing submerged for months at a time.
Oh well. The author imaged this set of conditions, set his world into it and proceeded to tell the story. The story is interesting enough that it's worth the read. I would still recommend it.

Read this BOOK! J.A. Sutherland has created a set of characters as rich and familiar as the crew of the Enterprise. I laughed, I cried, I sat reading in stark terror at one point. The author captured such a rich story centered around a strong yet very young woman, who is able to face her fears and her enemy's while retaining her humanity, humility, and retaining her core personality as she develops into a seasoned young officer. I have sent a copy to my adult daughter, with the express intention for her to read it to my grand-daughter. In hopes that she can see herself in the hero's role, and find the same sort of path to her future regardless of what she is to face down the road. I can't say enough positive things about this book, and I got it for free! I have read so many free books most are fine tales but there are those rare few that not only hit the mark but follow threw with unexpected thrills and pleasures that make a fine story into an epic one. Like most free versions of books my copy came with infrequent misspellings and poor editing - but rest assured it is but a small price to pay for such a rich and engaging story that centers on a female hero in a male centric world. If you like SyFy - read it, If you have children - read it to them, If you have a Daughter or Grand Daughter Read it and Share it!

:^)

Here is a fun adventure story. Like most science fiction, there is no actual science involved, but the construct of dark space allows a coherent excuse to put sailing ships in outer space. By some form of convergent evolution, the New London space navy parallels the form, culture, and lexicon of the British Royal Navy of the Napoleonic Era. So here we go: Horatio Hornblower in Outer Space. It's been done before--most notably in the Honor Harrington novels. The Alexis Carew series offers little originality in genre or character. The New London Royal Navy is the British Royal Navy. Alexis Carew is a clone of Elizabeth Moon's Kylara Vatta. Later novels in the Carew series introduce a mongoose as an apparent counterpart to Honor Harrington's treecat. But who cares? Originality isn't the point. This is good escapist fiction with a likable protagonist and plenty of action. It reads quickly, it's entertaining, and it makes no pretense at having any deeper significance.

Into the Dark is an interesting read. On the one hand it is a fine Science Fiction story of a young woman, Alexis Carew, who is forced by the social rules of her world to either marry by the time she turns 16 or lose her rights to her families extensive properties. She finds none of the young men who court her to be acceptable. As a desperate gamble to bypass marriage to someone she does not fancy, and yet to hang on to the family lands, she enlists in the nave and Into the Dark is mainly the story of her first cruise. The story is done well and I was engaged from the beginning.

I did have a hard time buying into the idea that many new worlds would adopt the societal standards of the 17th and 18th centuries.

There is a wrinkle in the book that alternately makes me think it's brilliant and stupid. The brilliant part is that the ships sail between the stars at Faster than Light (FTL) speeds by way of Dark Matter and Energy. The stupid part is that they are run like old time sailing ships. With people to haul in the sails, steering by nearly dead reckoning, etc.

Between the societal standards of the world at the time when sail was king, and the actual sailing of the star ships, there were times that I nearly lost the feeling that this was science fiction and not historical fiction. But the story is king, and the story was good. I am working on the third in the series.

I was really surprised by this book in many ways. Firstly, you think from the synopsis that this book is going to be just about this little girl fighting the "big bad space sailors" to become a part of the crew. Now that aspect is in there but not in such a way as to make you think this was written by some feminist trying to prove a point. This girl freaking rocks your socks off. Almost immediately, you are cheering (while your girlfriend looks at you weirdly) at the book because Alexis is such a great character. You want this girl to succeed and take the day in epic space battles.

The second thing that surprised me were those space battles. This book draws heavily on the British navy during the days of sails and things. Except, now the ships are in space. I know what you are thinking at this moment, "What?" but wait, the author manages to really make this subject work. The author describes (and I am not going to share details) these incredible ships and technologies that bring this subject of old school ship to ship battles to life. I am talking full on broadsides in space, with lasers!!!

For a few dollars you get a really interesting read with fun characters and characters that you hate then love dearly. Obviously, you can tell I enjoyed it. So... I will leave you with this, buy the book read it and enjoy.

This is my first book by this author, and while I would not call it astoundingly good SF it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I was a little put off at first by the "backwater" attitudes of a story set so far in the future, but I can see where there could be some social back-sliding on what are essentially pioneer worlds. The population of these frontier planets are forced to adopt animal transportation and expend huge amounts of manual labor to do what we would do with machines, simply because they are so far from civilization and their limited population can't support a high-tech society. In that kind of environment, I can see where they might take up some old social customs too. And at least the author makes a good case for it so we don't get the feeling it's something just thrown into the story to support a particular plot line.

I particularly liked the way the author infuses cutting-edge theories (dark matter) in such a way that it forces spaceships to operate in a very ancient manner (sails and rigging) in order to take advantage of the FTL capabilities of traveling in "dark space". I am also very glad the author doesn't make the mistake of trying to provide too much detail to this new "backwards science", which means it's actually more believable, as he is not contradicting any of the simple laws of physics that we already know and love.

I have to give it a resounding "Good Job!" and admit I'm looking forward to more from J.A. Sutherland.

With the advent of space travel, I would expect it to resemble the first steps of colonization in the "New World". The ones with money or a title would get first pick of the available lands, as well as offices in the administration of the colony. It does seem a little shortsighted to only allow the first born male to inherit and not all of the firstborn(female, for instance).
Alexis, unfortunately is caught in this predicament, so she confounds every one by joining Her Majesty 's Royal Navy as a Midshipman.
She excelled at her job and makes a surly crew respect her and like her as well. She is given more and harder tasks as she grows into her chosen progression, until she is given the ULTIMATE position as a middle!!! She is placed in charge of a " Prize of war", where she excelled in very trying circumstances and brings it to port after running through a storm in Darkspace and a revolt by her captive pirates which she puts down FORCEFULLY. SHE GETS A RATHER LARGE sum as a reward for her activities.
As the New war starts, she is FORCEFULLY transferred to a new ship, where this episode ends!!!!!!!!

Having spent quite a bit of time reading sci-fi with harder science or at least believable science, this book threw me for a loop at first. I read a few reviews comparing this series to Honor Harrington which is why I decided to try it out. Besides a female protagonist and British navy ranks, the similarities end there. The sailing ships in space thing, lasers that need to be re-loaded, and staring out a gun port and seeing the other spaceship you're fighting is completely unrealistic. I didn't like it at first because it didn't meet my expectations of the type of book I'd be reading. But then I took a step back and moved it to a my 'fantastical' internal category. Once categorized thus, I realized that this series is a wonderful flight of fantasy in the spirit of Jules Verne. Suddenly, sailing ships through made perfect sense, and the barest nods to true science that the author gives made the stories even more enjoyable. I hope Sutherland continues this series for a long time.

Liked this one right off. Mind you, I'm not a feminist, but, I do believe that people should be valued based on their actions rather than any accident of birth. I love the realism of the British Navy tradition used to build the story. I was caught up in the character's situation from the start. I've now read all three of the Carew books and would enjoy reading more of her experiences. I well make one comment on Carew's nightmares. I believe it was General MacArthur who said something the effect that real soldiers hate war. Anyone who's ever had to kill another person because they wore a different uniform or had to order people to their deaths well be troubled by nightmares for the rest of their lives regardless of the justness of their cause. I agree with with the third book's Admiral Cammack's answer to Carew's question: "Does it ever get easier to bear, sir?" "Given the cost...I should hope not, don't you." As I said before, I look forward to reading more of Carew's adventures.

Farmer, 2nd generation colonist, a teen girl, living in her own land, or is it hers, not? Why then does she has to save herself by becoming a Midshipwoman? No, Midshipman Alexis Carew bravely sailing into the dark, into what exactly?
Coming of age, joining the workforce, joining the navy of New London among the stars, navigating the dark expanse of lonely space, discovering more of you as you grow in the midst of a space navy crew and pirate violence..

SciFy:
An universe with sailing ships in outer space?
The far future already colonized?
And man still at war?
Yes. Yes. Yes.

And Alexis Carew Gets To Join The Navy!
Visit Far and New Planets!
Meet and Kill New People (mostly strangers, if you're lucky)

Reading the whole series, yes!

This is a coming of age story, in the coming of age "in the military" tradition of Mr. Midshipman Hornblower. While I haven't gone back and reread C. S. Forester's first volume of the Hornblower series, each of the significant events in Ms. Midshipman Carew's first star voyage parallels (as I remember them) a scene from Hornblower.

That said, there have been lots of Hornblower-like stories. Such as David Weber's Honor Harrington novel or the Kris Longknife books, etc. Into the Dark held my interest, it was well written and it contained blessedly few typos. [The is a funny one, however, where 'sails' is misspelled 'sales'.]

This is basically a story set in space (space-fiction), rather than science-fiction. As another reviewer has pointed out, wandering around the galaxy using sails (top gallant, top main, etc) on multiple masts and navigating by throwing a metal container off the aft end of the space ship (like the 'log' on a clipper ship) is ... bizarre.

Okay, I'll admit --- you need to suspend your disbelief quite a bit to enjoy this book. So take a deep breath and let the fact that we're unlikely to return to a more feudal society go. Then open your eyes and get ready to enjoy a rollicking good ride.

I found Into the Dark in the steampunk category, which I don't think is really accurate. That said, I can't quite figure out where the book fits better. It's a bit like His Majesty's Dragon...but with spaceships instead of dragons. Or like Airborn...in the future. In other words, Into the Dark is young adult speculative fiction roughly based on the Age of Sail, but tweaked to allow the author's imagination to truly shine.

The spunky heroine was another good touch, although I have to admit that I guessed partway in that J.A. was a man rather than my usual selection of a female author. Life was just a bit too easy for the only girl midshipman in the area. But I have a feeling book two is going to remedy that oversight, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the continuing adventure leads.

Gotta admit, the premise here threw me for a bit of a loss. Taking the rules and behaviors from old English sailing and dropping them into starships just didn't seem to make sense.

But once you set that aside, this turns into a fun book. A self sufficient tomboy who is denied the ability to inherit her family's property chooses to make her own way by joining the Navy. Breaking social norms and having to deal with being the only female in an enclosed ship for months at a time are only a few of the challenges that Mister Carew must face as a midshipman. Attempted rape, piracy, a steep learning curve, and vat grown beef keep the story moving along through to its conclusion. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

I've read the first and third book and enjoyed both. In some way's the basic plot os predictable- a young girl escapes the restrictions of her country town and enters a "Man's world", and proves herself etc etc. The backdrop and interstellar technology is a bit different from the norm and explained and utilised well by the author.

I only skipped through the second book because it had quite a dark feel to it, and I really just wanted to know how Alexis came through and what victories she inevitably won.

I'll be keeping an eye out for the next one.

This is one of the rare gems that make having a Kindle Unlimited account worth every penny. I started the book expecting to read another predictable Honor Harrington clone, but much to my surprise and delight, I found a well-thought out story, well written and edited, and though the author limited himself somewhat with his decision to base his world-building choice on empire-era Great Britain's navy, he still managed to bring the major characters to life.

That's not to say that there weren't a few predictable bits, here and there, and most of the minor characters were more two dimensional than I would have liked, but the fine storytelling and believable plot pulled the story through with little effort.

DISCLAIMER: I received this copy in exchange for a review.

WARNING: This review contains mild spoilers.

This is not a hard (or even mild) science fiction story. You need to set your expectations from the start. _Into the Dark_ sets the stage as an epic space fantasy of operatic proportions. Once you wrap your mind around science-as-magic, this is a fast-paced, enjoyable read and, a wonderful introduction to Science Fiction for Middle-Grades to YA.

There are favorable comparisons to Horatio Hornblower and Honor Harrington, both in setting and characterizations. This is a coming of age story wrapped in high adventure. Lass leaves a home with no future for the rigors and challenges of the space navy!

One of the wonderful surprises is the MacGuffin of Dark Space. In this region, travel is only possible by sail. Effects of this environment negate modern equipment and armaments, giving the notion of travel and combat a decidedly 19th century feel. The application of this was a tad inconsistent, but the overall effect is shiny!

Our hero, the determined and resolute Alexis Carew, doesn't fall into tired tropes. Even though small of stature, she isn't "spunky" or "feisty", nor does she have the physical or genetic advantages of Weber's Harrington. She comes across as driven, almost to the point of implacability, and her social interactions, some quite remarkable for a 15-year-old, are genuine and real.

The narrator, Elizabeth Klett, is a absolute jewel! Her diction, pacing, and accent shift from character to character, giving the listener immediately identifiable vocal prompts. You always know who is speaking. The audio production is smooth, rich, and clean. I heard no muddy audio or uneven edits. In addition to providing distinct voices, Ms. Klett has the gift of cross-gender characterization. The male characters sound definitely male, not just faux-deep voiced.

There were a couple of areas where I cocked an eyebrow and said "Huh?"

Dark Space (like Tahiti) is a magical place. It isn't internally consistent. Apparently electronics will not work there, but lights and life support will? There is some notion of a cushion of "normal space" surrounding the hull, masts, and spars, but if so, how does Dark Space interact with the sails? What is the motive power? Shouldn't the scans show the area contained by the "normal space" envelope, instead of just going dead?

I felt bludgeoned by the refrain "patriarchy is bad," repeated ad nauseam. Apparently, this is going to by a major plot line moving forward in the series. Hopefully, Alexis can affect positive change, otherwise this clod of dreary will weigh down a mostly positive and upbeat work. It's also unevenly applied. Colonials seem overrun by the notion, but the civilians in the core worlds aren't. Conversely, the Navy on the fringes has no problem with equality of gender, but the Navy in the core worlds support, and even advance, patriarchy.

One of the reasons I put this book on a Middle Grade to YA shelf is Alexis is seemingly never severely challenged, or placed in any real peril. She rises to events in workmanlike fashion, and there is never any doubt that she will prevail unscathed. Even when captured by pirates there is no insurmountable menace, no feeling that she may suffer. Weber's Harrington loses an arm and an eye. Alexis occasionally loses her patience.

*OVERT-SPOILER-STARTS*
In one scene, a full grown sailor attempts to rape Alexis. Please note that her size and mass are frequently referred to as small; smaller than a prepubescent boy, in fact. Yet, she manages to beat this large, tough, nasty man like a rented mule. Belief isn't just suspended at this point, it's unhinged. Mass matters. The type of skill she exhibited is acquired by an lifetime of extensive training, not casually picked up at a logging camp.
*OVERT-SPOILER-ENDS*

My reservations are the only reasons for my categorizations. This is a taut, action-packed, easy-to-listen-to story, well narrated and produced. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this novel to listeners of almost any age.

Really glad I found this book because I enjoyed it very much. There was a "feel good" feeling about it that just made me smile. In some ways it reminded me of the Ishmael Wang series by Nathan Lowell (which is a good thing), yet in other ways it was entirely different (also a good thing). While the main character is 15, I would not describe this as a young adult novel. It definitely has the feel of a regular adult novel, maybe because almost all the other characters are adults. Anyway, a delightful book. I hope the next one is as enjoyable. I'm a little worried based on the ending of this one that it might be quite frustrating for both the reader and for Alexis.

This essentially is a very old story of a new crew member adjusting to life on an English sailing warship (1770s?). The main character is now a young girl and the ship is capable of interstellar flight with energy weapons, but otherwise, everything is the same: the dialogue, the description of the ships sections, the protocol among ship's officers, etc. The author did show a few flashes of imagination, but otherwise this book could have been copied word for word from a historical piece of YA adventure fiction.

I've read a lot of science fiction. I could not accept the premise that 18th century sailing standards applied to space ships. While the underlying plot was interesting the science fiction was just too incoceivable to accept. I think the author would have been better off writing about the Britsh Navy in the 18th century.

I've read the first 4 volumes, and await the next. All well written and engaging. The plot device that supports sailing ships for star travel is pretty well thought out. .

The main issue that occasionally dents the required suspension of disbelief is the contrast between ships with fusion power plants, personal computer tablets, and encrypted communications with a crew (and officers) with 18th century levels of education and skills. And the Napoleonic era navy personnel policies. The author does a remarkably good job of papering over this chasm, but still ... I think the same books, cast in the actual Napoleonic context, would have been even better. Of course, the main character could not have been female in the real world.

This series, by the way, is a great example of what makes Kindle Unlimited attractive.

This book came up on the store with an audible price of $1.99 (I think). The story was a kind of Hornblower in space. Farm girl, joins the space navy and learns the ropes. The audible version is read by Elizabeth Klett. I believe her voice and accent lend to the story well, considering the main character is female and the environment is an age of sail in space. If you like sci-fi or age of sail, you should give this series a try. I agree with some of the other reviewers that the science has some holes but hey I'm no Stephen Hawking so I didn't mind. The author wanted to have a setting where common spacers had to climb up and down rigging and his explanation that machines would be too heavy simply did not add up. I chose to ignore that and just enjoy the story.

I've read many reviews talking about bad science. But, if you think that all of the science is bunk, try studying String Theory. That makes the craziest science in this series seem tame. English sailing ships in space, not so much science as literary license to tell a rollicking story. I for one am just fine with that. If you read carefully, you will find much history hidden in the tail of Alexis Carew. Still, as for the accusation of bad science, let us be clear. When I was in school, we studied extremely distant object in space which produced massive amounts of energy. Those objects were named LGM's. For those of you who are not in on the inside joke, that stands for Little Green Men. Why, what else could you call them? As for the so-called bad science. As best as current science is able to determine, both dark matter and dark space, exist. We've never seen it, but we can measure its effect. As strange as the very real science of String Theory is, only an ardent fool would completely dismiss Sutherlands description of dark space totally out of hand as bad science. Is his description of dark space correct, probably not. Is our current understanding of String Theory correct, again probably not? At one time, everyone knew that heavy objects fell faster than light objects. Aristotle said that so it must be true. Then came Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton. For years Newton was law, then came a man named Albert Einstein. Once again the face of known science changed. Today we know Aristotle was mistaken, Galileo, and Newton are special cases where relative speed is quite slow. Einstein is beginning to appear to be perhaps also a special case. So can we truly call the dark space of the Alexis Carew series bad science.

Like all science fiction, these books are an invitation to fun and adventure. They lead to hours of enjoyment where you care what happens to the characters created by the tale. The literary device of setting the series in the space born equivalent of the old Royal Navy of its sail born heyday but assists in creating an enjoyable story.

When the final shoe drops, is that not what science fiction is intended to do. Tell a good story. As for bad science, look at the great works of the past such as War of the Worlds, or 2001 a Space Oddity. Both are revered, both can easily be said to contain bad science, mixed with well thought out science. You ask what do those have in common with Into The Dark, all tell a rollicking good story by providing the reader the opportunity to curl up at the proverbial fire, with perhaps a glass and a good book.

Instead of complaining about someone's opinion that the science is bad, ask if you enjoy the story and find your self-wondering, what is next in the life of a young fifteen-year-old girl adrift on a universe bent on breaking any who stands for good.

Wow this is a great scifi series! I like the fact that the author uses wet navy ship terms on his vessels, and he uses British terms and speaking as well. Its a nice refreshing touch to be able to read something close to my language (American english) but I can still read it. I read another book that tried the same thing, but I think it was Gaelic in that instance and was horrible. I liked this book the best, the others not so much, and I look forward to book 4. Thanks again for this great book!

I really enjoyed this story and seriously debated giving it five stars (I have only done so once). The way Sutherland weaves together scifi and old sea sailing is truly original and very good reading. The part about a reprobate being rehabilitaed and coming to the rescue has been done before and so four stars. All in all i highly recommend this story for all ages.

This book mirrors the British Navy In the of the 17th and 18th centuries as the ships have sales and cannons just as worships did then. At that point the similarities end. This are spaceship onto a young girl signs on as a midshipman to escape being forced to marry in order to keep her family lands. The adventures begin and Alexis proves her worth as a member of the crew of the Merlin. Fast paced and I completely enjoyed it.

If Horatio Hornblower were to have gender reassignment, and the setting were to be reset in space, this book might be the result. It is colorful, has plenty of action, and proves that a book does not need graphic sex t be interesting. It also deals with sexism without preachiness or defensiveness.
The on
Y thing I did not care for was the several pages on what makes navigation and the sails work, but I suppose it is necessary for those who care about it.

A touch of Elizabeth Moon's Heris Serrano, Mike Shepherd's Kris Longknife, and a nodding of the head towards David Weber's Honor Harrington - Alexis Carew is prevented from inheriting her grandfather's holdings on a colony in the stars and goes to the stars to make her name. Overcoming misogeny and institutional hardheadedness Alexis is able to learn the Navy way, inspire loyalty from the spacers around her and even gets a French admirer. Great series.

I'm on the third book in this series. It's extremely well written with a very intriguing concept for space travel and it's application. It's english colonial meets space pirates. The main character is valiant and noble, yet vulnerable and human. You really root for her and her allies. Don't let the first part about the currency put you off - it's very helpful and a quick key to understand the monetary system throughout the series.

Again, a very well written story with good character development, suspense, intrigue and even a little romance.

Yes, you want to give Into the Dark a read. You want to take tea with Alexis Carew. Be warned, she is not the traditional lady.. she is singular, unique. Those readers who enjoyed the worlds of Honor Harrington and Heris Serrano will recognize her type though. And will quite probably join me in saluting the newest officer on deck.

Welcome aboard this novel blend of the Age of Sail and interstellar colonization. Change is in the air as is the sweat and grit of battle. Alexis Carew I salute you.

It would be five stars except for the teaser ending, meant to lure me to go on to the second book in the series. Doesn't the author have enough confidence in the characters, story, and universe the book creates to think I'd want to read on without it? Sad.

Except for that though, a thoroughly enjoyable book. I highly recommend it.

As others have commented this is pretty much a female Hornblower in space. In my view the science that supports the mechanics and technology of "spaceships with sails" and laser cannon that must be loaded like an 18th century cannon is laughable. That being said a willingness to suspend one's critical faculties is part and parcel of the science fiction readers necessary skill set. Once that's accomplished this is an absolutely a wonderful and entertaining read. The characterless are well developed and relate-able and the storytelling and writing is great. I've read all three of the novels and the short story and the quality is maintained through out the series. I'm looking forward to the next volume..

A good space opera that resembles Drake's RCN universe. I thought the 'sails' in space might be off-putting but with the author's expressed interest in dark energy, dark matter, etc. it all worked well. I still think a fantasy universe would have worked better (see Moon's Paksenarrion stories); however, I expect to read and enjoy the rest of the series.

This book had me right from the beginning. When coming to the explanation of the dark I got a little bored, almost to putting the book down. So glad I did not. I could not put it down and was surprised when I looked up and I was almost finished. Reminded me very much of Hornblower. Loved Hornblower and really loved reading this book. Cannot wait to get into the second one.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sutherland at the Ancient Citycon in Florida. His explanation of his general story line was intriguing. I decided to follow up and read the first book. I am very happy that I did. He has an interesting take on interstellar travel. Novel futuristic science with a Victorian twist. Does get bogged down to heavily in the fine mechanics of the science and a nicely developed heroine. I highly recommend you read Into the Dark.

Very enjoyable series. Folks that enjoy a heroine the likes of David Weber’s Honor Harrington would appreciate Alexis. While I’ve read other stories of 1800 century style ships “sailing” through space (Henry and Bretta Marytn by L. Neil Smith being some of my favorites), Mr. Southland’s Dark Space concept with it’s storms and shallows bring a much more detailed great ship sailing aspect to the action.

4.5 rounded to 5. This book was so much fun. I thought a good job of explaining how age of sail methods applied out in the stars. Good action, though could have used more character development. All in all a rolicking , fun read.

Excellent read. Well conceived and written settings, situations, characters, and new concepts. Fast passed page turner that will keep your attention and want you to see what's going to happen in the next scenario. Looking forward to others in the series!

This is the beginning of a great steampunk type story. The characters are relate-able and, although the setting is different worlds, there's not the overwhelming volume of new names and such that other authors feel the need to include. The writing is quite good, although the editing needs some work. The plot is unique and flows well, leaving you wanting more. Even the "science" as it is, is believable. I highly recommend giving it a read!

Not a big fan of teens as main characters but Alexis comes across as mature for her age. I also enjoy a character that has morals and a real sense of right and wrong. Great plot, characters and some snappy dialogue.

An interesting welcome to a new member in the Hornblower/Bolitho/Aubrey navy genre. This time the protagonist is female and the series begins with her as a newly frocked midshipman in Her Majesty's Navy. As with any new midshipman, Alexis has trials and tribulations but you can see her leadership skills developing. I'd recommend this to any reader who has a love of Royal Navy stories.

first blush...Master and Commander lite and twisted for the future.

Science and technology aside. Its a fun story juxtaposed against an anachronistic back drop of Her Majesty's Royal Navy in space c.American revolution through war of 1812.

I loved all 20 of O'Brian's; Aubrey, Maturin series. Not an equal but a fun story.

Characterization is good, as well as storyline, but very familiar; i.e., a female Horatio Hornblower. Hardest premise to accept is the "necessity" of sails and manual labor in "darkspace" - just a bit outlandish! A decent read and plot, just difficult to accept with all the inclusion of similar problems (bad food, bad water, etc.) from the time of wet Navy "Jolly Tars."

Well written and engaging. Alexis is a strong, well developed character. The science is well thought out, consistent, and well explained. I have already downloaded the second book and am looking forward to reading it

a great read in the fashion of David Drake's RCN series and David Weber's Honor Harrington series. Might be considered YA, due to the (unlikely) inclusion of youths as young as 12 in the Navy's Midshipmen program and how Alexis seems to overcome overwhelming odds. Give it a read!

I love science fiction, especially military sf . The first Navy heroine series written by Weber got me started and this book just continue in that vein with a delightful twist of the old sailing Navy . One star off for being just a little bit out there with an inexperienced midshipman knowing how to captain even a small pinnace . Otherwise a good yarn.

I seldom find an new (to me) author who can make me laugh out loud when relating the dark humor of specialists, be they military or blue collar concerning the hazards of their occupations.... In this book I found one, with an interesting group of characters related in an entertaining read, on to book two...

Very interesting story. Have always loved sci-fi and sailing stories. At the end the author asked for reviews and a few minutes later I thought "It is much like Midshipmen Hornblower set in space. No wonder I liked it so much"

A pleasant surprise. My first impression was another cheap Hornblower knockoff. But I found that while the language and situations were historic, they were used to describe future demands in an understandable fashion. This story is a solid and enjoyable read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, enough to stay up way too late reading it. I am a big fan of the Bloody Jack books, and I thought the use of "sails" in outer space was a unique and enjoyable concept. Alexis makes an excellent hero, there was plenty of action, and the rest was interesting. Well done!

Think late 18th century British Navy historical fiction, then put it into a sci-fi setting and make the main character a woman. Some reviews have complained about the use of masts and sails on the ships, but the author does a decent job justifying them since they are used in his equivalent of hyperspace, not to get around solar systems. I enjoyed the book.

In a universe with many settled Terran planets the Queen's navy operates as if in an 18th British world. Money is in pounds shillings and pence, and even farthings, and beer cost tuppence a pint. Being English, and remembering farthings myself, I like this. And, as other reviewers mention, the spaceships have sails (charged up in some unexplained way to provide forward motion).

Then there is the common plot of a green young officer learning the ropes (literally in this case). Alexis Carew (a female midshipman addressed as "Mr. Carew") is the heroine who shines and performs heroically - what else? A nice story, well written but not one of the rare, great sci-fi books.

A somewhat scifi stretch to the Hornblower series with space tech and some futuristic twists thrown it. Lots of things that you would expect to have happen in future space are eliminated through the physics rules specific to the "dark". It feels a little contrived but the book is still a reasonable read.

Ok, the concept of traditional sailing ships in space was a little (lot) contrived but, the author pulled it off. Lots of cliches and familiar plot devices but it jest felt comfortable. I couldn't put it down.

Well I was a little unsure if I wanted to read this series. After reading some of the reviews I downloaded it and then something weird happened, I got sucked in by a great story and enjoyed the book in two days. Thank you author for such a well written novel. Now on to book 2!!

Very good character development. The individuals in this novel are believable and life-like. The story line is cohesive and space travel concept interesting albeit a bit querky. I enjoyed this read and am looking forward to the next installment.

Despite some dubious science and a disappointing lack of copy-editing, Into the Dark was quite the fun read. Alexis is quite the strong female lead (evocative of Honor Harrington) and her ability to undermine sexism and other prejudices is inspiring (although I wish there weren't the need to do so in the first place). The plot carries along quite nicely and the exploration of a labor-intensive (vs. technologically-intensive) starship was intriguing. And then of course, there's a liberal sprinkling of humor throughout that kept me chuckling to myself throughout the story. Now, off to the next book!

Very enjoyable read. Although the tone is set for young adult reading... I am an old adult with a love for adventure sci fi series. The hero and the ships have elements of both Lt Leary and Honor Harrington. I look forward to further adventures with Alexis!

This book will be either 1 star or 5 stars if you can get past the main conceit. And its a doozy. Let me first say the writing is great and the story (excluding the one conceit I'll get to in a minute) is really interesting. The main character is well written, and fleshed out and anyone who reads this will be truly rooting for her, like I was. The action was compelling, the story and plot were tight, and the prose were interesting and well written.

Now the main crux of this story is that there is this 'dark space' that somehow makes spaceships have to fly through it with sails. Like an ocean going wind powered vessel of the 18th Century. And some how this same energy sucking dark matter thing makes lasers and energy weapons and their ilk unable to function. Also somehow aiming seems to be just like it was back then. Everyone ends up shooting cannon and heavy shot and grape shot and various types of artillery. When I read that this was sailing ships in space, I didn't quite appreciate just how literal that was going to be. I personally would have appreciated the story in a different setting, either actual sailing ships or your regular scifi type ship. For me it just stressed credulity that things would really--could really, happen like this. And I think whether or not you like this book will be directly related to whether or not you can embrace the somewhat 'weird' universe.

The author manages to combine the Age of Sail with the Space Age in this rollicking tale of a newly minted midshipman in Her Majesties Navy. A highly enjoyable read, I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

This is an excellent series and highly recommended. The author is a talented story-teller, the action is fast paced, the characters are interesting and likable and the book is hard to put down (I read it in a day). I recommend this book and this author to all lovers of military science fiction.

Thought there would be a little too much techie stuff regarding the ship but could totally follow the procedures being done. Totally loved the series and am looking forward to #3 in the series. Great read to take you away for awhile.

If you love a certain series of books that use history as a template, but are sick and tired of wading thru tons of techno babble porn? This book is the cure. Good writing and great characters here so enjoy!

Great concept. I really enjoyed the characters and felt that they were well thought out and developed. Mutiny on the Bounty in space...
I really enjoyed Sutherlands take on "dark" space and the idea that navigation was as much chance as it was science. I still think mechanical operation of certain mechanisms should still be possible and preferable.
The idea of using flogging as punishment was very powerful. ..you really feel the lashes and feel for the crew. Nicely done.

Despite some dubious science and a disappointing lack of copy-editing, Into the Dark was quite the fun read. Alexis is quite the strong female lead (evocative of Honor Harrington) and her ability to undermine sexism and other prejudices is inspiring (although I wish there weren't the need to do so in the first place). The plot carries along quite nicely and the exploration of a labor-intensive (vs. technologically-intensive) starship was intriguing. And then of course, there's a liberal sprinkling of humor throughout that kept me chuckling to myself throughout the story. Now, off to the next book!

Very enjoyable read. Although the tone is set for young adult reading... I am an old adult with a love for adventure sci fi series. The hero and the ships have elements of both Lt Leary and Honor Harrington. I look forward to further adventures with Alexis!

This book will be either 1 star or 5 stars if you can get past the main conceit. And its a doozy. Let me first say the writing is great and the story (excluding the one conceit I'll get to in a minute) is really interesting. The main character is well written, and fleshed out and anyone who reads this will be truly rooting for her, like I was. The action was compelling, the story and plot were tight, and the prose were interesting and well written.

Now the main crux of this story is that there is this 'dark space' that somehow makes spaceships have to fly through it with sails. Like an ocean going wind powered vessel of the 18th Century. And some how this same energy sucking dark matter thing makes lasers and energy weapons and their ilk unable to function. Also somehow aiming seems to be just like it was back then. Everyone ends up shooting cannon and heavy shot and grape shot and various types of artillery. When I read that this was sailing ships in space, I didn't quite appreciate just how literal that was going to be. I personally would have appreciated the story in a different setting, either actual sailing ships or your regular scifi type ship. For me it just stressed credulity that things would really--could really, happen like this. And I think whether or not you like this book will be directly related to whether or not you can embrace the somewhat 'weird' universe.

The author manages to combine the Age of Sail with the Space Age in this rollicking tale of a newly minted midshipman in Her Majesties Navy. A highly enjoyable read, I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

This is an excellent series and highly recommended. The author is a talented story-teller, the action is fast paced, the characters are interesting and likable and the book is hard to put down (I read it in a day). I recommend this book and this author to all lovers of military science fiction.

Thought there would be a little too much techie stuff regarding the ship but could totally follow the procedures being done. Totally loved the series and am looking forward to #3 in the series. Great read to take you away for awhile.

If you love a certain series of books that use history as a template, but are sick and tired of wading thru tons of techno babble porn? This book is the cure. Good writing and great characters here so enjoy!

Great concept. I really enjoyed the characters and felt that they were well thought out and developed. Mutiny on the Bounty in space...
I really enjoyed Sutherlands take on "dark" space and the idea that navigation was as much chance as it was science. I still think mechanical operation of certain mechanisms should still be possible and preferable.
The idea of using flogging as punishment was very powerful. ..you really feel the lashes and feel for the crew. Nicely done.

If you like David Drake or David Weber's take on the classic naval saga this is a good read. "Mister" Alexis Carew has so far avoided the trap of having near super powers or being so introspective as to stymie the action. I look forward to the other books in the series.

A charming opening to a new series. The parallels to David Weber's Honorverse are obvious, as well as the historical ties to British naval history. Things move a little too quickly, if anything, but the main character develops nicely over the course of the book

While the story is nothing new or groundbreaking, the writing is excellent and the book easily kept my interest. There are occasional proofing errors, but unlike many ebooks they are few and far between.

A bit different than how Midshipman Hornblower started his career with his seagoing Royal Navy, but there were some parallels. I thought the story started a little slow, but it quickly ramped up. I throughly enjoyed this first book and have already pre-ordered the second.

Excellent book. Great character development. Really very fun. Just original enough to hold interest, just traditional enough to feel cozy to a sci-fi fan. Really a fun read. Mister Carew'll win your heart, and the ending'll hook you like a big ole space fish.

Great story inspired by by the age of sail turned space opera. The author takes advantage of our lack of specific knowledge of the physics of dark matter to make it most convenient for his plot line. A fun read.

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this read because it's not my usual genre. I was very happy to discover that the author is a wonderful story teller The overall use of vocabulary and lack of typos was refreshing. I will look forward to reading more of this author's works.

I am very sure that the author has simply taken a sailor novel of the 17/18th century and replaced a few words. The novel could have been good if it had played in the 18th century. But a spacecraft without any technology which has to measure his speed using the log is absurd.
even if you would build a spaceship without technology, you would not do it in this way!

The characters, however, are very nicely done. Unfortunately, I think they only can really comes into there own in the original book.

PS: Sorry, for misspellings english is not my mother tongue.

I posted [on Usenet, where this review originally appeared] a miserable blurb yesterday from a self published book that the store
had recommended for me. In that case, the blurb itself was enough to warn
me off of what was almost certainly to be an awful reading experience.

However, many times my the store recommendations are spot on, and _Into The _Dark_
is a case in point. Though this book also is self published, the author
has absolute command of his craft, and the book (even including the cover,
which is often an issue in the self publishing world) is fully as good as
anything from the major houses.

Alexis Carew is a 15 year old girl living on the fringe world of
Dalthus in the care of her grandfather Denholm Carew. Her age is
significant as she is now marriageable. More to the point she *must*
marry: Due to the unfortunate establishment of male primogeniture
as the basis for inheritance by the initial settlers of Dalthus (her now
repentant grandfather among them), her grandfather's estates cannot pass
to her, but only to her husband. Although Denholm is still relatively
hale, the death of her father has shortened the time she can delay in
choosing, and she has already rejected all the most likely candidates.

It's all quite unfair as Alexis has already proved herself an exceptionally
level-headed young lady and routinely oversees the estate's work crews
and is intimately familiar with every crop and inch of the holding.
Nonetheless, needs must, and the book opens with Alexis rushing home from
a logging expedition to meet yet one more suitor. In the event, things
go.. badly ..with the contents of the tea kettle dumped over the head of
said suitor.

Despairing at her situation, and turning her thoughts to how she
might secure a subsistence income if all her grandfather's estate
reverts to the colony, opportunity suddenly presents itself in
the form of a New London Royal Navy recruiting mission. Her Majesty's
Ship Merlin is in port on Dalthus and finding itself desperately short of crew
has sent out recruiting parties among the local settlements. Denholm Carew
is happy enough to let one set up shop in his courtyard, knowing he pays
his workers better than the Navy ever would.. many of his neighbors are
much more reluctant. Intrigued and doing her research quickly, Alexis finds
that Navy rules fully allow for female crew, and in fact such is common in
the core worlds and home fleet (though unheard of in the fringe fleet).
Resolved, she presents herself for enlistment as a common Sailor but finds
her hopes dashed in the event of the minimum age requirement being 16.
Events quickly turn about though as the Merlin's captain is a shrewd judge
of character, and his host's granddaughter has already impressed him with
her quick thinking and common sense. Instead of signing on as a common
Sailor, he proposes to take Alexis on as a Midshipman, with such post being
open to those 13 years and up as they are intended to complete their education
on board...

So starts a classic sea story, very much in the Horatio Hornblower and
Honor Harrington mode. Book one of Alexis's tale is a coming
of age story that could easily stand as a "Young Adult" book. Alexis
learns to make her way in a man's world, makes friends and enemies
makes mistakes and suffers setbacks and finds success while occasionally
facing real danger. As in classic Young Adult science fiction books,
notably the Heinlein Juveniles, the issue of sex is barely addressed in this
book with the notable exception of Alexis being in danger of rape
at one point (though this is never explicitly stated, it is clear enough).
It is also clear to *us* if not to Alexis that had she enlisted as a common
Sailor in this Nelsonian "Sail or Jail" culture, she almost certainly would
have faced rape.

I say Nelsonian culture, and this is an issue that may put some
people off the series though it did not me. Alexis's "New London"
is clearly Napoleonic Britain with a shallow SF gloss. In fact
Sutherland's hyperspace analogue "The Dark" with its winds and
inimicality to high tech is clearly mumbo jumbo concocted to allow
actual Nelsonian sails, complete with masts, rigging and yard apes
to muscle them up and down to figure heavily in the plot. In fact,
I can't recall any SF books other than Barrington J Bayley's _Star
Winds_ and A. Bertram Chandler's _Catch The Star Winds_ which have
attempted such a straight star-ship/sailing-ship-of-the-line analogy.
Some will doubtless sniff "Bat Durston" and go elsewhere, but really
wasn't the point of "Bat Durston" that it was a *badly done*
transplantation? Alexis's story is told with well drawn characters,
sure writing, and more than a touch of humor.

I also invoked Weber's Honor Harrington a few paragraphs ago: I
have to say that _Into the Dark_ very much puts me in the mind of
_On Basilisk Station_, a straight out adventure tale told without
Weber's current reliance on detailing meeting after meeting and
what all the participants think about the last meeting. At the
same time, Honor Harrington's adventures started with her saving
her nation. Alexis's adventure starts on a much smaller scale.
The Merlin is a small ship operating in the backwaters of New London
space. To be sure, it puts down the occasional pirate or two, and
makes the odd rescue, but nobody on the ship has even *met* anybody
who knows the Queen.

Every career has to start *somewhere*..

I very much enjoyed the story. This book is one of those that will grab you with the storyline and the wonderful characters. It is full of adventure, characters evolving and interacting as well as the Navy in space with all the things old fashioned sailing ships had. I think it is one of the best books I have read in ages. I have already purchased the second in the series. If you want a good book to read, this one is a good book!

Alexis Carew is the granddaughter of a plantation owner on a fringe world of the Empire. She unfortunately can't inherit her family's land as she is a woman. Her grandfather is trying to change the law so she can inherit the land without having to marry. Her husband would own everything anyway not her. With her prospects of a husband few and far between, she decides to enlist in the galactic navy. At least if she ends up not being able to inherit her family's land, she will have a career to fall back on. Little does she know, her decision will change her life forever!

This is a great book series. One of the best space operas I've read! I really like the universe the author has created, The characters are definitely enthralling. I was drawn into the story from page one. The dialog is fantastic and very funny. I highly recommend this book and the series!

I really enjoyed this adventure story. It reminded me of a cross between David Drake's RCN (sailing ships in other space) and David Weber's Honor Harrington series. The only thing I can say that I didn't like with the exposition with all the sailing terms. While I understand why the author has that in there, I just basically skipped over the parts with all the sailing ship terms. I recommend this book for the great story.

A well constructed and entertaining story, with well developed characters and hidden plots. Reminded me somewhat of David Drake's Lt. Daniel Leary and the RCN series of books, but still unique and not a knock-off. Read it almost non-stop, other than a few hours off for work. Hard to safely read while driving. Lol

As a Merchant Mariner I have an affinity to the Horatio Hornblower type books. I also enjoy good science. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book. It is such a unique and different book that successfully managed to combine the two. I have already downloaded the next two books in the series to read on my next voyage.

2018 grade A

From the first sentence I liked this book. The basic type is a young adult coming of age adventure but that's just a category. It is a character study of a young woman who is denied inheritance by the rules of her colonial society so she joins the space navy. And it is an unusual navy indeed. The author has very successfully translated the Royal Navy from about 1700 to spaceships. It is complete with square rig ships (with a beautiful new hard SciFi explanation of how and why they work), colonies, coinage, prices, life on the ships, and Pirates. The action necessary in almost all stories does not start until the later half of the book but it is worth the wait.

Yes, there were some predictable events, but they were very well handled and never carried too far. But I have read and watched a lot of stories so many things are predictable to me. I have also read quite a bit about square rigged ships and what the battles were like. The book is very true to the old reality. The only part I did not like was the epilogue which I expect previews the basic set up of the next novel. But that won't stop me from buying it.

I actuallly prefer content like Romana Drew writes but this is still grade A. Recommended.