Crucible: Records of the Argos by Michael Farlow is a tense, space-faring story that follows Nick Hall and his crew aboard the Argos as they investigate strange ship disappearances in a nearby system. Throughout the story, Nick finds himself in danger as he seeks to uncover who, or better yet, what kind of powerful organization, is seeking to collect these ships and wield them. When their backs are to the wall and all of the cards are on the table, will Nick and his friends choose the moral high ground, or will they follow orders? The decision is a difficult one, but the fate of many rests with Nick and the crew of the Argos.

It is easy to tell that this author has had some military experience. Dealing with espionage, hostages, tense confrontations; it is in these moments that the author excels, creating a plot that is dripping with drama and tension. Further, he also does well to develop each of the main characters into well-rounded individuals, giving the reader no choice but to care deeply for them and their situation.

While the author excelled with his physical descriptions of the characters, as well as their motivations and personalities, I would have really enjoyed if that same descriptive power was applied to the settings visited in the story because what we are given is very interesting and I wanted more of it. There is a lot of opportunity in this sci-fi thriller for exotic and varying locales, but I understand as a significant portion of the story takes place onboard the Argos and various other ships.

I’ll be looking forward to the next installment of this story, hoping that Nick is able to take on another mission, or maybe we can see another ship and their crew adventure through this galaxy that seems to be full of unique and compelling characters.

Crucible: Records of the Argos is a spellbinding space opera that takes readers on an action packed adventure through space. With intriguing characters at every turn, what I like most about this lively science fiction story is that it never forgets to entertain the reader.

Pages: 278 | ASIN: B08STPGBB5