Yume Kitasei’s The Deep Sky is a blockbuster of a novel set on a spaceship manned by the chosen few to save humanity. Akin to a mystery whodunit, The Deep Sky opens with a bang – well, an explosion – and throws everyone on board into a frenzy as the ship is blown off-course and the culprit is unknown. Things are just as complex and confusing back on Earth, and it will take Asuka every part of her training to get to the bottom of it.

This isn’t a simple space novel though, if space novels can ever be described as simple. We have a dual timeline in effect, taking us back to the years spent studying and completing for a place on the crew, as well as the environmental, political, and social pressures placed upon the candidates, especially Asuka. There is a lot to unpack, including themes of identity, purpose and worthiness, as well as the strained relationships with those onboard the Phoenix and back home. If you’re a sci-fi fan, the scientific jargon and foci will be entertaining, but I will caution those new to sci-fi that the scenes and topics at hand can be a little tricky to wrap one’s head around.

In terms of pacing and tension, I think there is a good sense of understanding for what elements f the story would impact the latter, but the pacing is pretty consistent throughout the book. For some, that may interfere with the rising tension and the higher-stakes as the timeline for correcting the ship’s course nears or the future of those on board becomes more grim, but for others it could be just right. I enjoyed the pacing and tension, though I would have liked the major conflict to have carried through a little further into the events of act three. There was a great setup for the mystery element, the big “it was you”, but the repercussions seemed to lessen the tension and intensity of the final hurdle.

I still thoroughly enjoyed this read, especially the flashbacks and moments discussing the issues on Earth. It’s difficult to predict and write an “ending of the world” lead-up, but I think Yume Kitasei has done a magnificent job at creating a viable and believable option to imagine. There are many influences at play, and while they may not all align or work well together, they paint a pretty interesting picture. another thing I found really interesting was the VR (it’s not exactly VR in the book, but it’s the easiest way to explain it); not only are the personalised VRs so interesting and bring out aspects of characters and personalities we otherwise wouldn’t have seen, but it lends authenticity to the development of such equipment and tech we see nowadays. I hadn’t thought of it being used in this way, but it makes total sense, and makes elements of story and plot more believable.

I recommend The Deep Sky to sci-fi readers new and old, not only because the content is intriguing and thought-provoking, but because this book brings up a lot of hearty discussion points regarding life of Earth right now. I don’t think diehard sci-fi or epic sci-fi fans will be as engaged in this book if you pick it up expecting a big sci-fi story, but it can still be an entertaining read with sci-fi themes and tech-focused aspects of the setting.