Cascade Failure

L.M. Sagas

Publisher: Tor Books

Release Date: March 19, 2024

Publisher’s Summary: L. M. Sagas’s debut, Cascade Failure, is a high-octane, sci-fi adventure blending J. S. Dewes’s Divide series with Firefly. It features a fierce, messy, chaotic space family, vibrant worlds, and an exploration of the many ways to be—and not to be—human.

There are only three real powers in the Spiral: the corporate power of the Trust versus the Union’s labor’s leverage. Between them the Guild tries to keep everyone’s hands above the table. It ain’t easy.

Branded a Guild deserter, Jal “accidentally” lands a ride on a Guild ship. Helmed by an AI, with a ship’s engineer/medic who doesn’t see much of a difference between the two jobs, and a “don’t make me shoot you” XO, the Guild crew of the Ambit is a little . . . different.

They’re also in over their heads. Responding to a distress call from an abandoned planet, they find a mass grave, and a live programmer who knows how it happened. The Trust has plans. This isn’t the first dead planet, and it’s not going to be the last.

Unless the crew of the Ambit can stop it.

Cascade Failure, the first novel in a planned series by author L.M. Sagas, is a witty, heartfelt debut with an eccentric crew of misfits, alien planets, epic space battles, an apocalyptic conspiracy, and a pulse-pounding story that will leave you wanting more. This is a high-octane sci-fi novel with a dash of horror, and it delivers what it promises: a nail-biting adventure with an imperiled crew who must first learn to trust one another before they can triumph over their enemies.

When Guild deserter Jal is picked up by the crew of the Ambit, the logical next step is to return him to the authorities to stand trial for desertion, no matter the heartache it might cause Saint, his former mentor. But things quickly take a turn for the sinister when the Ambit answers a distress call from a dead planet and finds themselves at the center of a conspiracy that threatens the very stability of their world.

Cascade Failure is an impressive debut, and Sagas has created a world that I’m eager to spend more time in. Boasting a fast-paced story, which introduces its interesting characters and interpersonal conflict quickly, Sagas uses this strong foundation to lead to the real conflict: a planet-killing virus whose existence has far-reaching implications in the ever-shifting balance of power between the Trust, the Union, and the Guild.

It goes without saying that the Ambit’s motley crew are the beating heart of this story. We’re quickly introduced to AI Captain Eoan, whose love of knowledge and discovery drives their desire to explore the universe and bond with its human crew, the ship’s engineer and medic Natsuki (Nash to her friends), whose gruff exterior belies a heart of gold, and Saint, a grizzled ex-soldier whose one-time protégé, Jal, provides most of the story’s early conflict.

The tension established early drives the story forward, propelling the reader to keep turning the pages as new clues are parceled out, intrigue deepens, and allies and enemies begin to take shape around our crew. High stakes, potentially apocalyptic consequences, and political and corporate pressure makes this universe feel believably expansive, but Sagas never loses the intimacy human stakes that drive each of the Ambit’s crew, even as all the puzzle pieces begin to fall into place and the noose tightens. Jal’s innocence, which matters only to those who care about him, is given just as much emotional weight as in the grand scheme of things as the planet-killing conspiracy, which is no mean feat. The stakes are suitably high that the reader worries for the fate of this crew, and the bonds they share.

The world of Ambit’s Run is well-developed, and a future where corporations and unions go toe-to-toe for the fate of humanity seems depressingly plausible. The alien planets are strange and beautiful, and the story’s villains are genuinely terrifying with motivations that will resonate with readers. Although the witty dialogue, fast-paced humor, and dramatic conflict make this story special, the relationships between the cast are where Cascade Failure really shines. The broken bond between Saint and Jal, and the fragile repairs they make to it throughout the novel, provide the novel’s emotional core. These characters have history, and no matter how tarnished their bonds have become, finding their way back to being a crew that can trust one another is at the heart of this story.

This ambitious sci-fi debut, with its high stakes and memorable story, is one that you’re going to want to have on your bookshelf to reach for on rainy days when you want to climb aboard the Ambit and soar with the crew. The sequel, Gravity Lost, has a planned release date on July 23, 2024, and I can’t wait to preorder a copy. Highly recommended.