Grave of the Waiting by Joshua Scott Edwards
Blurb:
FROM DARKNESS THEY CALLED. FROM RUIN WE ANSWERED.
Humanity's extinction is just around the corner, Ada Bryce is sure of it. But when virtual reality is indistinguishable from reality and anything is possible in the Chain, why not choose to remain shackled? It's easy to put Earth's slow decay out of mind when hedonic simulations are available with no more than a thought. As contemptible as her situation is, Ada is powerless to correct human folly. All she can do is make sure her own family's energy needs are taken care of until death inevitably claims everyone she loves.
Only, she's failing as a mathematician, she's already failed as a mother, and she's given up trying to escape the tragic memories that haunt her. So when she's offered the chance to leave Earth while ensuring her family has the resources they need to survive, Ada seizes it and embarks on a dangerous mission. She travels to a rogue planet with four other volunteers: an Energy War veteran, a zealous psychonaut, a pragmatic scientist, and the world-renowned founder of the Unity, the organization sponsoring the mission.
However, the Unity's founder is far from trustworthy, the rest of Ada's crew are unaware of the true purpose of their mission, and on this journey, they will learn that Earth is far from the worst place in the solar system. As firmly as Ada believes her home planet is beyond saving, it may be worth fighting for after all, for when she and her fellow crewmates step foot on a new planet, their presence awakens old life.
Life that calls out and seeks to reconfigure the Earth for itself.
Review:
I haven’t been able to dive into much sci-fi due to fantasy totally dominating my TBR. But Grave of the Waiting changed that in an instant. The blurb sounded very intriguing indeed, and when the author opened up the floor for ARC readers, I simply had to put my name in the hat without question. He originally began publishing it as a serial on his website, and I’m so glad he finally decided to turn it into a published chonky boi! And I would also like to extend my gratitude towards Joshua for hitting me up with a copy of his SUPERB new sci-fi horror entry!
What’s it about?
The path of human history wound its way from war to war no matter how hard anyone tried to change it.
Incomprehensible technology. Unlimited potential. Humanity could only dream of such a future.
The brutal Energy War going on between the world’s superpowers is in its last year. After all, everything always came down to energy. And as the 21st Century nears its end, with it, a young Ada Bryce is about to be thrust into a future of the unknown…
The start of the 22nd Century has brought with it something out of the blue – the sudden and totally unexpected arrival of a rogue planet named G9615… very close to our own. What mysteries does it hold? And more importantly, is it a threat in any way to our very existence?
If anything could pull humanity’s head out of its collective a*s, it was an external threat. But of all the people who could have been chosen to meet that threat…
Ada, now an adult, works as an obscure mathematics researcher. With “the hell that Earth had become”, VR/simulated reality has become a major and integral part of everyone’s life, thanks to The Chain. The usage of AI, augments, and nanotechnology is as common as anything, and one could hardly be anymore offline, so as to speak. Battling trauma not only from her childhood, but from her recent past, Ada is managing to keep things flowing just about. But all that is about to take a drastic turn when she’s contacted for a highly secretive mission by none other than Constance St. James – the founder of a magnanimous organization called The Unity.
The only thing you got trying to be a hero was a quicker death.
Teamed up with an inorganic expert, a biologist, a retired army medic, and Constance herself, Ada is tasked to not only investigate the rogue planet, but also save the world from a potential existential threat. Aboard the Dauntless Dive, the crew sets off. And the planet and its inhabitants have been waiting…
Ada grimaced. “Better off never being born than living in a world like this.”
She knew humanity’s extinction was coming, but she didn’t expect it to be this soon.
The good
First of all, I really enjoyed the plot as a whole. It was not only thrilling and engaging from page one all the way to the end, but also filled with action, tons of drama, and numerous twists and turns. The first half was mainly the setup of the mission (which was done very well indeed), while the second half was relentless and raced away to an ending which couldn’t have been any more perfect!
The not-too-distant setting of messed up Earth (no surprises there LOL!), along with the well depicted world building was nicely done. The science and technology depicted isn’t too far away from what we’re actually living and experiencing right now too! Kinda intriguing and scary at the same time, if you think about it.
The characters were well-written, and their chemistry was good to see through all the thick and the thin. The MC especially, Ada Bryce, was superbly written, and her character work and depth was brilliant given her experience with several traumas and events.
The writing was just excellent throughout (third person POV). Really enjoyed the multiple themes and emotions being presented in abundance. I could feel those strong feelings myself!
The “not so” good
The only minor criticism I had with it was the pacing of the first half. It was used as a setup for the BIG second half coming up, and I totally get that. But it felt a tad slow in my opinion. But that’s that. Nothing else to complain about whatsoever!
Highlights
When had they crossed that point of no return with Earth? Was it the Energy War? The first Industrial Revolution? Maybe it was so far in the past, no one would ever pinpoint it. Probably, it was when humans became the dominant species on the planet.
It was no wonder people spent most of their time consumed by their augments. The real world was too depressing, and since humans were the root of the problem, there was no possible solution. In the Chain, at least there was still some joy to be found.
Humanity had already ruined physical reality; the least they could do was preserve the virtual one.
Final thoughts
Grave of the Waiting is a SUPERB new entry in sci-fi horror. The writing was excellent with various themes and emotions present in abundance including that of love, fear, hope, sacrifice, family, etc. The characters were great, especially that of an incredibly portrayed MC having brilliant character work and depth. The not-too-distant setting along with the well depicted world building was very well done by all means. The plot was really engaging right from the start, with the first half laying the foundations and the second half relentlessly racing away to a conclusion full of action, drama, and packed with revelations one after the other. The ending, in my opinion, couldn’t have been any more perfect. It’s a journey that will make you think long and hard well after you’ve read the last pages, and ultimately keep nagging at you with one terrifying question – Are you willing to face your fears and sacrifice everything that’s dear to you if it meant that the fate of humanity rested on you to make the right decision? To put it simply, this is a treat for sci-fi fans, both rookie and veteran alike. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!
