Vestige by Joseth Moore is a science fiction thriller set in space and follows Maintenance Tech Tyra Housenn as she, and her generation, must save the colony ship from an existential threat. She and her people have never had exposure to anything else apart from what is contained in the ship. When an ancient signal is found within the ship it sends Tyra on a perilous journey that will keep you turning pages.

Vestige uses lots of descriptive language to build up the ship as a character of its own in a book that is already full of fascinating characters. Everything on the ship seemed very well thought out, which I’m sure any science fiction fan will appreciate as it allows you to be immersed in the world.

For me, a science fiction book should have two things, a thought-provoking idea, which Joseth Moore has amply established, and intriguing characters. Vestige creates characters that are emotive with motivations that are easily understood, if not always relatable. I found myself comparing this story to Stark Trek The Next Generation in its ability to eloquently propose and explore compelling questions. While any techy will enjoy this book, there will be some who may find the vocabulary overly technical and get lost in the scientific words and mechanical language used throughout. It helped to immerse me in the life of the ship, but sometimes I had to reread a sentence or two to stay on track.

Vestige stands out to me as one of the most surprising books I’ve read this year. I was not expecting to be so fully enthralled by the mystery and the characters that sought to reach the heart of it. Fantasy fans who enjoy a good space adventure will surely find plenty to love in Joseth Moore’s novel.

Pages: 264 | ASIN: B081ZWN41D