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The Factus Sequence #1
Ten Low
Ten Low is eking out a living at the universe's edge. An ex-medic, ex-con, desperate to escape her memories of the war, she still hasn't learnt that no good deed goes unpunished.
Attempting to atone for her sins, she pulls a teenage girl from a crashed lifecraft. But Gabriella Ortiz is no ordinary girl—she is a genetically-engineered super soldier and decorated General, part of the army that kept Ten prisoner. Worse, Ten realises the crash was an assassination attempt, and that someone wants Ortiz dead...
To get the General off-world, they must cross the moon's lawless wastes, face military hit squads, savage bandits, organ sharks, and good old-fashioned treachery. But as they race to safety, something else waits in the darkness. Something ancient and patient. Something that knows exactly who Ten is, and what she is really running from.
Attempting to atone for her sins, she pulls a teenage girl from a crashed lifecraft. But Gabriella Ortiz is no ordinary girl—she is a genetically-engineered super soldier and decorated General, part of the army that kept Ten prisoner. Worse, Ten realises the crash was an assassination attempt, and that someone wants Ortiz dead...
To get the General off-world, they must cross the moon's lawless wastes, face military hit squads, savage bandits, organ sharks, and good old-fashioned treachery. But as they race to safety, something else waits in the darkness. Something ancient and patient. Something that knows exactly who Ten is, and what she is really running from.
332 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2021
119 people are currently reading
2535 people want to read
About the author
Stark Holborn
28 books138 followersStark Holborn is a novelist, games writer, film reviewer, and the author of Nunslinger, Triggernometry and Ten Low.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
July 31, 2021
Q:
Has he fallen from so far he doesn’t even know which moon he is on? (c)
Q:
emptiness beneath a brilliant, star-strewn sky. (c)
Q:
I stare out at the horizon. As the shards melt on my tongue and dextro rushes through me, bright and pure, what I see looks a lot like hope. (c)
Factus, ie A Moon. Felicitatum. New Despair.... Lovely places.
Accorded Companies, Nightwatchmen, Minority Force...
Love the sync: I just read
where there is a lot on the wood worldwide web. And here we go,
has it as well:
Q:
I once read about forest trees on Earth, and how they did much the same: used the last of their strength to send their life force through the roots and into the soil, giving it to others. (c)
Nice stuff:
Q:
My mind rebels, catapulting me back into myself, into a confusion of images: cold metal piercing skin, pain on the wings of black birds, a figure gloved in blood…
The images come on fast again: a bird with black wings, cold metal, bloodied hands... (c)
Q:
They are like a creature with a thousand eyes, hungrily tracing every outcome, showing me innumerable realities, too many for my mind to bear. (c)
Q:
Morning in the Barrens is beautiful, but it comes with an asking price of hunger and cold, loneliness and near-insanity. A price that almost no one is willing to pay. (c)
Q:
Different in the cities; there, hundreds of people make thousands of choices, every day. It’s enough to keep them at bay, people reckon, gives them enough to feed on. But out here in the wastes people are few and choices are scarce, and if you let yourself doubt – if you let chance into your life – you’ll shine out like a beacon through time and space and they will come to feed. (c)
Q:
‘The only place I am physically safe is in prison. And I am not about to break back in.’ (c)
Q:
‘“Creator, maker of planets and moons, who dwells in the space between thoughts, the breath between words, the eternity between the beats of a heart, give us the grace to walk this world of matter, and to shape it in your name and to your will, until we may meet with you, beyond substance, beyond breath, as one, in the place beyond all reality.”’ (с)
Has he fallen from so far he doesn’t even know which moon he is on? (c)
Q:
emptiness beneath a brilliant, star-strewn sky. (c)
Q:
I stare out at the horizon. As the shards melt on my tongue and dextro rushes through me, bright and pure, what I see looks a lot like hope. (c)
Factus, ie A Moon. Felicitatum. New Despair.... Lovely places.
Accorded Companies, Nightwatchmen, Minority Force...
Love the sync: I just read
where there is a lot on the wood worldwide web. And here we go,
has it as well:Q:
I once read about forest trees on Earth, and how they did much the same: used the last of their strength to send their life force through the roots and into the soil, giving it to others. (c)
Nice stuff:
Q:
My mind rebels, catapulting me back into myself, into a confusion of images: cold metal piercing skin, pain on the wings of black birds, a figure gloved in blood…
The images come on fast again: a bird with black wings, cold metal, bloodied hands... (c)
Q:
They are like a creature with a thousand eyes, hungrily tracing every outcome, showing me innumerable realities, too many for my mind to bear. (c)
Q:
Morning in the Barrens is beautiful, but it comes with an asking price of hunger and cold, loneliness and near-insanity. A price that almost no one is willing to pay. (c)
Q:
Different in the cities; there, hundreds of people make thousands of choices, every day. It’s enough to keep them at bay, people reckon, gives them enough to feed on. But out here in the wastes people are few and choices are scarce, and if you let yourself doubt – if you let chance into your life – you’ll shine out like a beacon through time and space and they will come to feed. (c)
Q:
‘The only place I am physically safe is in prison. And I am not about to break back in.’ (c)
Q:
‘“Creator, maker of planets and moons, who dwells in the space between thoughts, the breath between words, the eternity between the beats of a heart, give us the grace to walk this world of matter, and to shape it in your name and to your will, until we may meet with you, beyond substance, beyond breath, as one, in the place beyond all reality.”’ (с)
November 4, 2022
Ten Low is a gritty science fiction adventure set on a stark empty moon settled by former convicts and miners. Most of the moon is barren wasteland, dotted with mines, trading posts, saloons, and spaceports. There is little law and order on the world. Smugglers abound and in the interior it is the Seekers who control, not the Accord, who rule the rest of the known galaxy with an iron hand. The Seekers take anyone they find and harvest their organs, leaving nothing behind, not even shadows, not even memories. Shoot first and ask questions later is the motto of those that survive here and, if it reminds you of the American west in the 1800’s, that is perhaps no accident. Its sparseness and the Seekers who control the lawless interior remind many of Dune and the Fremen. Mad Max (with or without the thunderdome) could also describe this place.
Ten Low is both the title and the name of the lead character, a woman who survives out in the wastelands on her own with a few friendly smugglers to rely on. As we quickly learn, Ten Low is a medic, also referred to as Doc, and she has a tally she must fill to make up for her sins of the past. It is not till much later in the story that we, the readers, learn about Ten Low’s past and who she was and what she did. What we do know upfront is that she is a gritty, hard-nosed, survivalist, who makes a fateful choice to investigate a crash and lend aid to the survivors.
One of the survivors is our second major character, the General, Gabriella Ortiz. In a nod to Card’s Ender’s Game, the General appears to be a twelve-year-old, but is enhanced and improved and singlemindedly focused. Ten Low takes the General and flees across the surface of the moon with half the known universe on their tails. And, yes, most of these hard-nosed survivors are women.
There’s also a bit of a magical sense of flitting back and forth between realities and buzzing creatures that are barely seen, but who pre-date the advent of humans on this orb.
Overall, an excellent science fiction read.
Ten Low is both the title and the name of the lead character, a woman who survives out in the wastelands on her own with a few friendly smugglers to rely on. As we quickly learn, Ten Low is a medic, also referred to as Doc, and she has a tally she must fill to make up for her sins of the past. It is not till much later in the story that we, the readers, learn about Ten Low’s past and who she was and what she did. What we do know upfront is that she is a gritty, hard-nosed, survivalist, who makes a fateful choice to investigate a crash and lend aid to the survivors.
One of the survivors is our second major character, the General, Gabriella Ortiz. In a nod to Card’s Ender’s Game, the General appears to be a twelve-year-old, but is enhanced and improved and singlemindedly focused. Ten Low takes the General and flees across the surface of the moon with half the known universe on their tails. And, yes, most of these hard-nosed survivors are women.
There’s also a bit of a magical sense of flitting back and forth between realities and buzzing creatures that are barely seen, but who pre-date the advent of humans on this orb.
Overall, an excellent science fiction read.
August 18, 2021
I am a sucker for a space Western: maybe it’s having been brought up on “Star Wars”, but I can’t really resist the idea of scrapy misfits ganging up together to fight a big evil galactic army, so obviously, I placed a pre-order for “Ten Low” as soon as I read the synopsis and saw the great retro-futurist cover art.
Ten Low is a former army-medic, who is hiding from her past on a backwater moon. But old habits die hard, and when she sees a ship crashing, her instinct to rescue survivors is stronger than her urge to hide, and she saves the life of what appears to be a young girl. But this young girl is actually a genetically modified super-solider, General Gabriella Ortiz, and her crash was not exactly an accident… From there on, buckle your seatbelt, because it's pew-pew-pew in space desert, combined with weird psychic connection between our heroine and other enigmatic characters, which is awesome!
Fast-paced and action-packed, “Ten Low” is a fantastic space Western – but the comparison to “Firefly” and “Dune” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) are, in my humble opinion, a little off the mark… Sure, it takes place on a desert planet and there are lots of back-stabbing and political manoeuvring, just like “Dune”, but the world building and character development does not get the same rich treatment we get in Herbert’s masterpiece. In fact, an extra hundred page or so, to give the readers a chance to get a real feel for the world, and to get to know the characters a bit better, would have made this very fun book much more satisfying. And yes, there is the Old West vibe that made “Firefly” delightful, with the taverns, ships referred to as “mules” and “wagons”, and strange beings that live in the sand and pick bodies clean and its spooky. But “Firefly”’s strength was also the spirit of camaraderie between it’s scrapy yet wholesome characters, and I think that Holborn was going for something much grittier than that with this book.
To be sure, this is a super fun read, which was an interesting change of pace from the more philosophical sci-fi I had been reading this month, and if you are looking for a wild space ride, this is great! I think I was just hungering for a slightly bigger scope than what I got.
Ten Low is a former army-medic, who is hiding from her past on a backwater moon. But old habits die hard, and when she sees a ship crashing, her instinct to rescue survivors is stronger than her urge to hide, and she saves the life of what appears to be a young girl. But this young girl is actually a genetically modified super-solider, General Gabriella Ortiz, and her crash was not exactly an accident… From there on, buckle your seatbelt, because it's pew-pew-pew in space desert, combined with weird psychic connection between our heroine and other enigmatic characters, which is awesome!
Fast-paced and action-packed, “Ten Low” is a fantastic space Western – but the comparison to “Firefly” and “Dune” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) are, in my humble opinion, a little off the mark… Sure, it takes place on a desert planet and there are lots of back-stabbing and political manoeuvring, just like “Dune”, but the world building and character development does not get the same rich treatment we get in Herbert’s masterpiece. In fact, an extra hundred page or so, to give the readers a chance to get a real feel for the world, and to get to know the characters a bit better, would have made this very fun book much more satisfying. And yes, there is the Old West vibe that made “Firefly” delightful, with the taverns, ships referred to as “mules” and “wagons”, and strange beings that live in the sand and pick bodies clean and its spooky. But “Firefly”’s strength was also the spirit of camaraderie between it’s scrapy yet wholesome characters, and I think that Holborn was going for something much grittier than that with this book.
To be sure, this is a super fun read, which was an interesting change of pace from the more philosophical sci-fi I had been reading this month, and if you are looking for a wild space ride, this is great! I think I was just hungering for a slightly bigger scope than what I got.
May 29, 2021
A Western? In space?
Yes, please.
Ten Low, an ex-convict and ex-medic, lives on Factus, a remote moon. She tries to stay away from the authorities and forget her dark past. After rescuing a girl from a spaceship crash, she becomes embroiled in a deadly intrigue. The girl, you see, is a genetically engineered supersoldier and decored general who despises Low and sees her as a traitor. They strike a deal that, in theory, benefits them both. Practically, however, their journey through Factus turns disastrous but I won't tell you why. Because, you know, spoilers.
I loved the setting, and that's where I'll start. The action takes place on a moon at the edge of the universe, where no one cares about rules or the Accord. Those who don't know how to navigate Factus die. Those who can barely survive anyway. Everything ( meds, food, morals ) is in short supply on a cosmic desert. In other words, approach its inhabitants, sure, and talk to them, but have a weapon ready. Just in case.
Tonally, this book is cold, violent, and visceral, but you also sense the underlying elements of hope, loyalty, and redemption. Low's haunting past influences her decisions and makes her intriguing; she has many secrets and doesn't reveal them all at once. She wants to forget all the horrible things she did to survive, but she can't. We follow the events through her compelling POV. As a result, the world is constructed with a minimum of prose that reveals just enough to drive the story, but leaves even more to the imagination. Ten Low isn't about the world; it's about Low and General Gabriela Ortiz.
The story starts slow, but soon picks up speed and rarely slows down. The stakes get higher, the plot more complex, and the intrigue more exciting. The final chapters fly by at a breakneck pace. As entertainment, it is fun, yes, but it's also challenging and plays with the narrative. There is something deep inside Holborn's mind, something I can't quite grasp, but which shows more than a flash of itself.
Ten Low delivers a fast-paced redemption story full of twists, clever ideas, and surprises. With its bleak but oh-so-cool setting and Low's haunting narration, it offers much to enjoy. Consider adding this book to your already sagging shelves - it deserves its place there.
Yes, please.
Ten Low, an ex-convict and ex-medic, lives on Factus, a remote moon. She tries to stay away from the authorities and forget her dark past. After rescuing a girl from a spaceship crash, she becomes embroiled in a deadly intrigue. The girl, you see, is a genetically engineered supersoldier and decored general who despises Low and sees her as a traitor. They strike a deal that, in theory, benefits them both. Practically, however, their journey through Factus turns disastrous but I won't tell you why. Because, you know, spoilers.
I loved the setting, and that's where I'll start. The action takes place on a moon at the edge of the universe, where no one cares about rules or the Accord. Those who don't know how to navigate Factus die. Those who can barely survive anyway. Everything ( meds, food, morals ) is in short supply on a cosmic desert. In other words, approach its inhabitants, sure, and talk to them, but have a weapon ready. Just in case.
Tonally, this book is cold, violent, and visceral, but you also sense the underlying elements of hope, loyalty, and redemption. Low's haunting past influences her decisions and makes her intriguing; she has many secrets and doesn't reveal them all at once. She wants to forget all the horrible things she did to survive, but she can't. We follow the events through her compelling POV. As a result, the world is constructed with a minimum of prose that reveals just enough to drive the story, but leaves even more to the imagination. Ten Low isn't about the world; it's about Low and General Gabriela Ortiz.
The story starts slow, but soon picks up speed and rarely slows down. The stakes get higher, the plot more complex, and the intrigue more exciting. The final chapters fly by at a breakneck pace. As entertainment, it is fun, yes, but it's also challenging and plays with the narrative. There is something deep inside Holborn's mind, something I can't quite grasp, but which shows more than a flash of itself.
Ten Low delivers a fast-paced redemption story full of twists, clever ideas, and surprises. With its bleak but oh-so-cool setting and Low's haunting narration, it offers much to enjoy. Consider adding this book to your already sagging shelves - it deserves its place there.
May 28, 2021
So yeah, *takes a deep pull on a dart* that was fucking amazing! Like I don’t even smoke bro, but here I am *takes another drag*. Yeah dude, that was gooood. Just give me a moment to put myself back together here… Alright, I’m cool, I’m cool… Yeah, so this was a gritty spaghetti western in grimiest parts of space. Every aspect of the book came together absolutely perfectly. I think I’m in the nirvana those lululemon yoga chicks in the tight pants talk about. Ommmmmmm. Fuck yeah!
Our main gal is Ten Low who is wandering the desert on this lawless wasteland moon. She’s a roaming medic helping all those in need. She’s got a ton of bad karma and is trying to make up for the sins of her past. Her name ‘Ten’ was given to her because that was the number of years in her sentence on a prison hulk ship. You don’t quite know what she did, but you knew it’s some real serious shit.
But yeah, this ship crashes and she rescues this kid, or so she thinks it’s a kid. Turns out it’s this cybernetically enhanced general from the opposite side of the old war. This girl looks like she should be out having a tea party with her doll Mr. Buttons, but she’s this ruthless badass commanding troops in vicious battle for years. Despite being enemies, Ten’s got a deep moral debt, so she saves the little brat rather than let these crazy cultists, the Seekers, come cut her up and steal her organs. These two team up as Ten’s trying to make amends for her past and the General needs Ten to make it off the planet alive. They’re not cool with the situation, but they need each other right meow.
The story is non-stop action as they go from firefight to firefight. They ally with a gang of badass G’hals to try to get the General off planet all while dodging the Accord military, robber barons, crooked marshals, crazy cultists, and this weird ass alien presence called the ‘Ifs’. Dude, I gotta adjust my pants just thinking about it again. But anyways, the Ifs are this kinda superstition. People believe they making bad things happen and feed on doubt and chance. They’re attracted to chaos and influence the world to feed off the chaos. Shit always hits the fan when they’re around and Ten has an inexplicable connection with them.
Anyways, on top of the sweet ass characters that evolve in your mind through the story, the whole atmosphere was beyond rad. Most definitely my favourite aspect of the book. We’re at the forgotten edge of the civilized galaxy and also at the edge of the universe and the Void. No one comes back from the Void and the Seekers worship it. Neglected by the controlling Accord but influenced by the Ifs from the Void. A gnarly setup dudes.
My gold star recommendation is to buy this book, grab some nice bevvies, find a comfy chair, and enjoy the mother fucking ride! Pretty damn simple. So bail on all your previous plans (not that you actually had anything worthwhile going on) and do this asap bros.
Anyways, that’s about all I got. Adios amigos!
Oh wait, check out my rad site for more content like this: The SciFi Book Guy
Our main gal is Ten Low who is wandering the desert on this lawless wasteland moon. She’s a roaming medic helping all those in need. She’s got a ton of bad karma and is trying to make up for the sins of her past. Her name ‘Ten’ was given to her because that was the number of years in her sentence on a prison hulk ship. You don’t quite know what she did, but you knew it’s some real serious shit.
But yeah, this ship crashes and she rescues this kid, or so she thinks it’s a kid. Turns out it’s this cybernetically enhanced general from the opposite side of the old war. This girl looks like she should be out having a tea party with her doll Mr. Buttons, but she’s this ruthless badass commanding troops in vicious battle for years. Despite being enemies, Ten’s got a deep moral debt, so she saves the little brat rather than let these crazy cultists, the Seekers, come cut her up and steal her organs. These two team up as Ten’s trying to make amends for her past and the General needs Ten to make it off the planet alive. They’re not cool with the situation, but they need each other right meow.
The story is non-stop action as they go from firefight to firefight. They ally with a gang of badass G’hals to try to get the General off planet all while dodging the Accord military, robber barons, crooked marshals, crazy cultists, and this weird ass alien presence called the ‘Ifs’. Dude, I gotta adjust my pants just thinking about it again. But anyways, the Ifs are this kinda superstition. People believe they making bad things happen and feed on doubt and chance. They’re attracted to chaos and influence the world to feed off the chaos. Shit always hits the fan when they’re around and Ten has an inexplicable connection with them.
Anyways, on top of the sweet ass characters that evolve in your mind through the story, the whole atmosphere was beyond rad. Most definitely my favourite aspect of the book. We’re at the forgotten edge of the civilized galaxy and also at the edge of the universe and the Void. No one comes back from the Void and the Seekers worship it. Neglected by the controlling Accord but influenced by the Ifs from the Void. A gnarly setup dudes.
My gold star recommendation is to buy this book, grab some nice bevvies, find a comfy chair, and enjoy the mother fucking ride! Pretty damn simple. So bail on all your previous plans (not that you actually had anything worthwhile going on) and do this asap bros.
Anyways, that’s about all I got. Adios amigos!
Oh wait, check out my rad site for more content like this: The SciFi Book Guy
May 28, 2021
A moon on the farthest edge of Accord-controlled space is the setting for this fast-moving, violent story about a woman and her too many secrets and dark past. The woman goes by Ten Low, and provides basic medical help to anyone who needs it. Low travels about Factus (the moon), from settlement to settlement, and often out in the barrens, in an effort to mostly avoid notice by what few authorities are around. Low’s hiding from something, much like many of the people on the moon.
Into this situation, a girl literally crashes. Gabriella is a child soldier who was vastly augmented to be pretty much a super soldier, with the speed, deadly accuracy and strategic thinking of someone considerably older. She’s also on the opposite side of the war Low also fought in, so, Low and Gabi get along, well, not well.
And yet, they both need each other, as Low has to get Gabi to an Accord base, and Low wants military-grade medical supplies.
Factus is a mess. It might be an Accord moon, but it’s a desert where poverty, lawlessness, poor health and quick deaths are endemic. And that’s not including the secretive and scary Seekers, a group known for killing people and harvesting their organs. Everyone’s terrified of them.
Low and Gabi must travel through one terrifying situation after another; trust is difficult and Low is seemingly barely holding on to her sanity, while also, intriguingly, sensing different possibilities and outcomes with each new danger they encounter.
It’s impossible not to think of Mad Max and westerns while reading this book. The hellacious landscape, the widespread criminality, the sheer weight of Low’s guilt, and the constant risk of sudden violence make for great reading. The characters surrounding Low and Gabi are fast to shoot, live hard, and fear chance and luck. I’m a sucker for stories like these, with a protagonist bowed under the weight of her past, looking for a way to redeem herself, then finding someone who she must protect.
I loved the atmosphere and the action. And damn! All those great women throughout this story, not just talking tough, but proving it at every turn. And I loved the way the many possibilities Low saw were woven into the action, adding a fantastic element to a gritty, dark, and entertaining story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review.
Into this situation, a girl literally crashes. Gabriella is a child soldier who was vastly augmented to be pretty much a super soldier, with the speed, deadly accuracy and strategic thinking of someone considerably older. She’s also on the opposite side of the war Low also fought in, so, Low and Gabi get along, well, not well.
And yet, they both need each other, as Low has to get Gabi to an Accord base, and Low wants military-grade medical supplies.
Factus is a mess. It might be an Accord moon, but it’s a desert where poverty, lawlessness, poor health and quick deaths are endemic. And that’s not including the secretive and scary Seekers, a group known for killing people and harvesting their organs. Everyone’s terrified of them.
Low and Gabi must travel through one terrifying situation after another; trust is difficult and Low is seemingly barely holding on to her sanity, while also, intriguingly, sensing different possibilities and outcomes with each new danger they encounter.
It’s impossible not to think of Mad Max and westerns while reading this book. The hellacious landscape, the widespread criminality, the sheer weight of Low’s guilt, and the constant risk of sudden violence make for great reading. The characters surrounding Low and Gabi are fast to shoot, live hard, and fear chance and luck. I’m a sucker for stories like these, with a protagonist bowed under the weight of her past, looking for a way to redeem herself, then finding someone who she must protect.
I loved the atmosphere and the action. And damn! All those great women throughout this story, not just talking tough, but proving it at every turn. And I loved the way the many possibilities Low saw were woven into the action, adding a fantastic element to a gritty, dark, and entertaining story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review.
February 21, 2025
4,5/5 ⭐️
Una nota, innanzitutto, è doverosa.
Il romanzo NON è autoconclusivo.
Per niente.
Viene così venduto dalla CE, ma nel complesso è una trilogia e presenta diverse questioni che rimangono irrisolte (una su tutte, il mistero "esoterico" che interessa la protagonista e che si rivela essere la parte più importante del worldbuilding).
Decidere di farlo passare come stand alone è francamente fuorviante e, a mio parere, non del tutto veritiero.
Recensione:
La storia, avvincente e ricca di colpi di scena, è completamente priva di infodump: il lettore verrà accompagnato con pazienza attraverso un worldbuilding stratificato e pregno di dettagli;
I personaggi, fulcro della vicenda, bucano la pagina nel giro di poche righe, per merito di un lavoro di caratterizzazione sopraffino;
I dialoghi, scritti con perizia, realistici e dal ritmo incalzante, sono la classica ciliegina per una scrittura magnifica, una scrittura che non si perde in fronzoli, ma riesce comunque a risultare ricca e mai banale, a dimostrazione che ha più valore una sola metafora collocata con intelligenza che uno stile forzatamente barocco;
La traduzione, sebbene siano state fatte alcune scelte che in prima analisi possono risultare spiazzanti, si rivela al tempo stesso coraggiosa e coerente con il testo originale, a riprova di un lavoro encomiabile.
Il ritmo del racconto non conosce soste, e trascina il lettore in un crescendo costante di azione, scontri tra i cieli e nei deserti, imboscate e sparatorie; tutto estremamente divertente, ma in alcuni, rari passaggi, non sarebbe guastata qualche piccola pausa che permettesse una maggiore introspezione (comunque presente).
Ultima fermata prima del vuoto è un’avventura al cardiopalma, un sapiente intreccio di Dune, Mad Max e la tradizione del western “sporco e cattivo”. A questa miscela esplosiva aggiunge una manciata di personaggi ottimamente studiati e uno stile che, da solo, vale buona parte del voto finale.
Un romanzo consigliato a ogni amante della fantascienza e delle storie di frontiera, ma soprattutto consigliato a ogni amante della buona letteratura, a dimostrazione, se ancora fosse necessario, che non è il genere di appartenenza a decretare il valore di un libro
Una nota, innanzitutto, è doverosa.
Il romanzo NON è autoconclusivo.
Per niente.
Viene così venduto dalla CE, ma nel complesso è una trilogia e presenta diverse questioni che rimangono irrisolte (una su tutte, il mistero "esoterico" che interessa la protagonista e che si rivela essere la parte più importante del worldbuilding).
Decidere di farlo passare come stand alone è francamente fuorviante e, a mio parere, non del tutto veritiero.
Recensione:
La storia, avvincente e ricca di colpi di scena, è completamente priva di infodump: il lettore verrà accompagnato con pazienza attraverso un worldbuilding stratificato e pregno di dettagli;
I personaggi, fulcro della vicenda, bucano la pagina nel giro di poche righe, per merito di un lavoro di caratterizzazione sopraffino;
I dialoghi, scritti con perizia, realistici e dal ritmo incalzante, sono la classica ciliegina per una scrittura magnifica, una scrittura che non si perde in fronzoli, ma riesce comunque a risultare ricca e mai banale, a dimostrazione che ha più valore una sola metafora collocata con intelligenza che uno stile forzatamente barocco;
La traduzione, sebbene siano state fatte alcune scelte che in prima analisi possono risultare spiazzanti, si rivela al tempo stesso coraggiosa e coerente con il testo originale, a riprova di un lavoro encomiabile.
Il ritmo del racconto non conosce soste, e trascina il lettore in un crescendo costante di azione, scontri tra i cieli e nei deserti, imboscate e sparatorie; tutto estremamente divertente, ma in alcuni, rari passaggi, non sarebbe guastata qualche piccola pausa che permettesse una maggiore introspezione (comunque presente).
Ultima fermata prima del vuoto è un’avventura al cardiopalma, un sapiente intreccio di Dune, Mad Max e la tradizione del western “sporco e cattivo”. A questa miscela esplosiva aggiunge una manciata di personaggi ottimamente studiati e uno stile che, da solo, vale buona parte del voto finale.
Un romanzo consigliato a ogni amante della fantascienza e delle storie di frontiera, ma soprattutto consigliato a ogni amante della buona letteratura, a dimostrazione, se ancora fosse necessario, che non è il genere di appartenenza a decretare il valore di un libro
September 19, 2022
It’s a sci fi in a gritty, wilderness setting. It does have some Firefly vibes, but it’s darker and deadlier than Firefly. Ten Low is a medic trying to atone for lives taken in a big war (The Accord vs. Free Limits). She comes across a child soldier who fought on the other side and does whatever it takes to keep the girl alive. Ten’s determination is necessary to the plot and is explained by her need to save lives to make up for deaths she caused in the war.
The characters have very odd names, and I was not good at keeping them straight. I was never sure if a new character was someone we’d met before or was actually new. There is a lot of traveling and hanging out in bars. It started all blurring together for me; I think this is more an issue with me than the book. I was also confused by some plot points. This was probably also just me.
There are some really cool ideas, and it’s a solid story. It just felt kind of repetitive to me, which was not helped by being confused at times.
*Reader’s Choice Nominee Fall 2022*
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: Implied
Violence: Lots of violence with futuristic weapons; torture
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
The characters have very odd names, and I was not good at keeping them straight. I was never sure if a new character was someone we’d met before or was actually new. There is a lot of traveling and hanging out in bars. It started all blurring together for me; I think this is more an issue with me than the book. I was also confused by some plot points. This was probably also just me.
There are some really cool ideas, and it’s a solid story. It just felt kind of repetitive to me, which was not helped by being confused at times.
*Reader’s Choice Nominee Fall 2022*
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: Implied
Violence: Lots of violence with futuristic weapons; torture
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
Read
September 16, 2024The first book in an action-packed sci-fi trilogy, Ten Low is inescapably comparable to legendary works of fiction like Dune, Mad Max, and even Star Wars, thanks to its rich yet barren desert planet (or, in this particular case, moon) setting. Our protagonist is the titular Ten Low, named for the number of years she was sentenced to serve for the actions she took during a war between a federation and a rebellion within a single solar system.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/best-modern-s...
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/best-modern-s...
May 1, 2024
Three and a half stars.
Space opera quite entertaining, set in a world (actually a moon) poorly terraformed, an environment very similar to the Firefly series: Western type, with its outlaws, Indians... Everything is well thought out, with some added mysteries as well. As I say, space opera very entertaining, no more no less.
Space opera quite entertaining, set in a world (actually a moon) poorly terraformed, an environment very similar to the Firefly series: Western type, with its outlaws, Indians... Everything is well thought out, with some added mysteries as well. As I say, space opera very entertaining, no more no less.
March 25, 2022
Es interesante, y aunque es cierto que recuerda a muchas otras cosas (planetas del estilo a Tatooine de Star wars, Mandalorian, Firefly, quizá Dune pero no puedo afirmarlo, etc...) sigue siendo original, también aporta ideas nuevas.
La nota podría -debería- ser más alta pero al estar en un inglés de un nivel algo más alto que el que tengo, me he perdido muchas cosas y no he llegado a captar bien la totalidad de la historia.
Una pena, de haberlo leído en castellano lo habría disfrutado un montón, y lo que tendría que haber hecho era dejarlo al principio pero el primer tramo me atrapó y en este caso fue un error continuar...
Si el idioma no es problema, el libro merece la pena. Tiene acción, ciencia ficción, personajes bien definidos y es muy entretenido.
La nota podría -debería- ser más alta pero al estar en un inglés de un nivel algo más alto que el que tengo, me he perdido muchas cosas y no he llegado a captar bien la totalidad de la historia.
Una pena, de haberlo leído en castellano lo habría disfrutado un montón, y lo que tendría que haber hecho era dejarlo al principio pero el primer tramo me atrapó y en este caso fue un error continuar...
Si el idioma no es problema, el libro merece la pena. Tiene acción, ciencia ficción, personajes bien definidos y es muy entretenido.
June 17, 2021
The nitty-gritty: A gritty, desert-like setting, high stakes action and vividly drawn characters make this a standout science fiction adventure.
One of the best things about being a book blogger is discovering books and authors that you normally wouldn’t find on your own, and thanks to Titan Books, I now have a new favorite author! Ten Low was so much fun, a dark, gritty, action-packed science fiction adventure with interesting characters and even some humor thrown into the mix. Think Mad Max meets Dune with a bit of Firefly, and you’ll get an idea of what you’re in for. Although comparisons aside, Ten Low has its own unique feel, and it was exactly the mix of elements I love.
The story takes place on a distant moon called Factus and revolves around an escaped prisoner named Ten Low. Ten—named for the number of years of her sentence—was convicted of a war crime when she was asked to steal something that resulted in thousands of deaths. Rather than rot in prison, she decides to escape and tries to make up for her crime by saving as many people as she can—literally, since she was a medic in the military. When the story opens, Ten is struggling to survive in a wind blown, dusty land called the Barrens, when she witnesses a ship crash. She’s surprised to find a young girl still alive, although critically injured, and she manages to get her to safety. But the girl, a teenager named Gabriella Ortiz, turns out to be a military General, one of the Minority Force, children who were recruited into service and modified to be super soldiers.
The General makes a deal with Ten: help her get off world and she’ll pay Ten in precious medical supplies. But as it turns out, the General is being targeted for assassination, and now Ten is stuck in the middle. And then there are the Ifs, strange, dream-like creatures who can predict the future and are somehow communicating with Ten. There are many possible outcomes for every situation, but will Ten make the right choices?
Holborn’s post-apocalyptic world is a harsh one, full of criminals, scavengers and other lowlifes, all trying to survive on a dying moon. Food and water are scarce, and people survive mostly on snake meat and grubs and the occasional (and very rare) tin of fruit. Ten and her friends are constantly trying to avoid the Seekers, gangs who deal in organ harvesting. There’s also the Accord, the military presence who is after both Ten and the General, and of course the last thing they want is to be captured. I loved the Wild West feel to the story, with its lawless characters, guns and miles and miles of desolate landscape. Holborn’s writing is top notch, and I could almost feel the sand in my eyes and the sun beating down on my head.
And let’s talk characters. First, I loved that most of the main characters are women, all of them tough and capable and ready and willing to kick some ass if need be. Ten has plenty of personal demons she’s dealing with. She feels terrible remorse for the crime she committed—the details of which are revealed later in the book. She tries to save people, not kill them, but unfortunately in this world it’s often a “kill or be killed” situation. The terrible scar around her neck from the convict collar she had to wear is a constant reminder of where she came from and what she did, and it doesn’t help that others judge her by that scar. Poor Ten, I really felt for her! She’s also trying to figure out how she fits in with the Ifs, the otherworldly beings who feed on chaos and games of chance.
The General was also an interesting character, but she took some time to warm up to. She knows what Ten has done and hates her for it, and she spends the entire book calling her “traitor,” even though Ten keeps saving her life. I loved their antagonistic relationship, which was unexpected and didn’t go where I thought it would go. I was expecting them to bond more because they are both fugitives, but their relationship was like trying to mix oil and water and they just never seemed to mesh.
One of my favorite side characters was Falco, a woman who runs a bar at a way station and ends up helping Ten at one point. Falco’s “G’hals,” two friends named Pegeen and Boots, were awesome characters too, and I only wish they’d had more page time. Finally, Silas is one of the few males in the story, a pilot who comes in very handy when they need a ship to get the hell out of whatever bad place they end up in (actually, all the places in this story are bad places!) There’s a bit of romance between Silas and Ten, and it was sweet and just enough to add a little brightness to an otherwise very grim story. When Silas and Falco enter the picture, Ten and the General join them on their ship, and I just loved these characters together, a scrappy, found family who have to work together to survive.
And speaking of surviving, everyone in Ten Low is in constant danger and it was so stressful! The action pauses now and then, but a lot of the story is full speed ahead, as Ten and her friends are always having to outrun trouble of one sort or another. There are plenty of suspenseful fight scenes, and some of the action is a bit over the top, but honestly I loved every minute of it.
Holborn adds in a supernatural/metaphysical element that sets the story apart from other sci-fi tales, the “Ifs,” creatures who seem to be from another dimension and can communicate with Ten, for some reason. Whenever Ten faces dire circumstances, the Ifs allow her to “see” multiple outcomes of her situation, thus showing her the best choice to make. These visions, for lack of a better word, take only a split second, and in the face of danger or even death, Ten must make her choices quickly. The Ifs feed on the chaos created by games of chance, and even if I didn’t quite understand what they were, I loved the fact that they saved Ten’s life many times during the story, yet they remain a mystery. Why do they speak to her, and what do they want?
Holborn really nails the ending, too. Again, it wasn’t the ending I was expecting, but it was just right for the story. And although Ten Low doesn’t seem to be the start of a series, I sincerely hope that Stark Holborn has more to say about this world and these characters, because I will be the first in line for that book! Highly recommended.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
One of the best things about being a book blogger is discovering books and authors that you normally wouldn’t find on your own, and thanks to Titan Books, I now have a new favorite author! Ten Low was so much fun, a dark, gritty, action-packed science fiction adventure with interesting characters and even some humor thrown into the mix. Think Mad Max meets Dune with a bit of Firefly, and you’ll get an idea of what you’re in for. Although comparisons aside, Ten Low has its own unique feel, and it was exactly the mix of elements I love.
The story takes place on a distant moon called Factus and revolves around an escaped prisoner named Ten Low. Ten—named for the number of years of her sentence—was convicted of a war crime when she was asked to steal something that resulted in thousands of deaths. Rather than rot in prison, she decides to escape and tries to make up for her crime by saving as many people as she can—literally, since she was a medic in the military. When the story opens, Ten is struggling to survive in a wind blown, dusty land called the Barrens, when she witnesses a ship crash. She’s surprised to find a young girl still alive, although critically injured, and she manages to get her to safety. But the girl, a teenager named Gabriella Ortiz, turns out to be a military General, one of the Minority Force, children who were recruited into service and modified to be super soldiers.
The General makes a deal with Ten: help her get off world and she’ll pay Ten in precious medical supplies. But as it turns out, the General is being targeted for assassination, and now Ten is stuck in the middle. And then there are the Ifs, strange, dream-like creatures who can predict the future and are somehow communicating with Ten. There are many possible outcomes for every situation, but will Ten make the right choices?
Holborn’s post-apocalyptic world is a harsh one, full of criminals, scavengers and other lowlifes, all trying to survive on a dying moon. Food and water are scarce, and people survive mostly on snake meat and grubs and the occasional (and very rare) tin of fruit. Ten and her friends are constantly trying to avoid the Seekers, gangs who deal in organ harvesting. There’s also the Accord, the military presence who is after both Ten and the General, and of course the last thing they want is to be captured. I loved the Wild West feel to the story, with its lawless characters, guns and miles and miles of desolate landscape. Holborn’s writing is top notch, and I could almost feel the sand in my eyes and the sun beating down on my head.
And let’s talk characters. First, I loved that most of the main characters are women, all of them tough and capable and ready and willing to kick some ass if need be. Ten has plenty of personal demons she’s dealing with. She feels terrible remorse for the crime she committed—the details of which are revealed later in the book. She tries to save people, not kill them, but unfortunately in this world it’s often a “kill or be killed” situation. The terrible scar around her neck from the convict collar she had to wear is a constant reminder of where she came from and what she did, and it doesn’t help that others judge her by that scar. Poor Ten, I really felt for her! She’s also trying to figure out how she fits in with the Ifs, the otherworldly beings who feed on chaos and games of chance.
The General was also an interesting character, but she took some time to warm up to. She knows what Ten has done and hates her for it, and she spends the entire book calling her “traitor,” even though Ten keeps saving her life. I loved their antagonistic relationship, which was unexpected and didn’t go where I thought it would go. I was expecting them to bond more because they are both fugitives, but their relationship was like trying to mix oil and water and they just never seemed to mesh.
One of my favorite side characters was Falco, a woman who runs a bar at a way station and ends up helping Ten at one point. Falco’s “G’hals,” two friends named Pegeen and Boots, were awesome characters too, and I only wish they’d had more page time. Finally, Silas is one of the few males in the story, a pilot who comes in very handy when they need a ship to get the hell out of whatever bad place they end up in (actually, all the places in this story are bad places!) There’s a bit of romance between Silas and Ten, and it was sweet and just enough to add a little brightness to an otherwise very grim story. When Silas and Falco enter the picture, Ten and the General join them on their ship, and I just loved these characters together, a scrappy, found family who have to work together to survive.
And speaking of surviving, everyone in Ten Low is in constant danger and it was so stressful! The action pauses now and then, but a lot of the story is full speed ahead, as Ten and her friends are always having to outrun trouble of one sort or another. There are plenty of suspenseful fight scenes, and some of the action is a bit over the top, but honestly I loved every minute of it.
Holborn adds in a supernatural/metaphysical element that sets the story apart from other sci-fi tales, the “Ifs,” creatures who seem to be from another dimension and can communicate with Ten, for some reason. Whenever Ten faces dire circumstances, the Ifs allow her to “see” multiple outcomes of her situation, thus showing her the best choice to make. These visions, for lack of a better word, take only a split second, and in the face of danger or even death, Ten must make her choices quickly. The Ifs feed on the chaos created by games of chance, and even if I didn’t quite understand what they were, I loved the fact that they saved Ten’s life many times during the story, yet they remain a mystery. Why do they speak to her, and what do they want?
Holborn really nails the ending, too. Again, it wasn’t the ending I was expecting, but it was just right for the story. And although Ten Low doesn’t seem to be the start of a series, I sincerely hope that Stark Holborn has more to say about this world and these characters, because I will be the first in line for that book! Highly recommended.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
November 22, 2021
Look, this generic sci-fi wasn't bad, it simply failed to ever engage me, even a little bit.
From the start, the protagonist was simply fine. She had the cliche 'past she wanted to forget' schtick and very quickly began making choices for the sake of the plot. Her inner conflict felt forced and her growth barely registered in between the heavily plot-driven story. I never felt worried for her, especially not after the umpteenth 'close call' and subsequent injury which disappeared a scene or two later.
The same could be said for the other main character who was supposed to be an enhanced child soldier but who never showed any issues which could or should have afflicted her character. I think we only got a single scene where the concept of her 'lost childhood' was explored and even then, it seemed like an afterthought.
I'm not even going to get into the hopelessly forgettable secondary characters who lacked any sort of personality and mostly blurred into each other after a while.
The rest of the book wasn't much better. The world-building was unusually poor with most locations feeling bland and generic. I never felt like I had enough context for what was going on and all the backstory and world elements were poorly conveyed. And that's not even getting into the supernatural aspect which was dreadfully explained and executed.
As for the writing, it was a weird mixture of readable, yet supremely uninteresting, like someone talking a lot without actually saying anything of substance. This was undoubtedly exacerbated by the uninspired plot which had us jumping from one uninspired location to the next with repetitive and predictable results.
Upon finishing, I thought a 1-star is a tad harsh given that it seemed to deliver on its promise of a fast-paced, action-packed, western-inspired sci-fi. However, as I wrote down all the problems I had with it and couldn't actually find any redeeming qualities, I don't think I can sincerely give it more than that. I'm sure there's an audience out there for this kind of book, but I'm not it.
From the start, the protagonist was simply fine. She had the cliche 'past she wanted to forget' schtick and very quickly began making choices for the sake of the plot. Her inner conflict felt forced and her growth barely registered in between the heavily plot-driven story. I never felt worried for her, especially not after the umpteenth 'close call' and subsequent injury which disappeared a scene or two later.
The same could be said for the other main character who was supposed to be an enhanced child soldier but who never showed any issues which could or should have afflicted her character. I think we only got a single scene where the concept of her 'lost childhood' was explored and even then, it seemed like an afterthought.
I'm not even going to get into the hopelessly forgettable secondary characters who lacked any sort of personality and mostly blurred into each other after a while.
The rest of the book wasn't much better. The world-building was unusually poor with most locations feeling bland and generic. I never felt like I had enough context for what was going on and all the backstory and world elements were poorly conveyed. And that's not even getting into the supernatural aspect which was dreadfully explained and executed.
As for the writing, it was a weird mixture of readable, yet supremely uninteresting, like someone talking a lot without actually saying anything of substance. This was undoubtedly exacerbated by the uninspired plot which had us jumping from one uninspired location to the next with repetitive and predictable results.
Upon finishing, I thought a 1-star is a tad harsh given that it seemed to deliver on its promise of a fast-paced, action-packed, western-inspired sci-fi. However, as I wrote down all the problems I had with it and couldn't actually find any redeeming qualities, I don't think I can sincerely give it more than that. I'm sure there's an audience out there for this kind of book, but I'm not it.
January 29, 2023
This is by far one of the coolest sci-fi books I’ve ever read. Wow…I can’t believe how good this was!! It’s very Star Wars-y, with a desert planet and fugitives and politics. But most of it is running and fighting and building relationships with unlikely people. It’s just so well done.
Plus there’s a cool superstitious level that is threaded throughout the book, but then gets a good explanation at the end. I’ve never seen something like that done before.
Very much anticipating book two!
Plus there’s a cool superstitious level that is threaded throughout the book, but then gets a good explanation at the end. I’ve never seen something like that done before.
Very much anticipating book two!
May 12, 2025
Oggi vi parlo di “Ultima fermata prima del vuoto” di Stark Holborn. È il romanzo che dà inizio alla serie “The Factus Sequence”, ma che nella sua struttura rimane un eccellente autoconclusivo.
“Ultima fermata prima del vuoto” è uno di quei libri che definisco completi. È completo perché in 320 pagine mescola un worldbuilding curato, dei personaggi ben caratterizzati e solidi elementi narrativi tipici del romanzo fantascientifico, western, distopico e post-apocalittico. Non un’impresa facile, ma Stark Holborn ci è riuscita alla grande.
L’ignaro lettore viene catapultato in mezzo agli eventi senza alcun tipo di background. Stark Holborn gioca con noi, mostra solo il necessario, ci incuriosisce conducendoci pagina dopo pagina alla scoperta di un mosaico ricco e dettagliato. La storia è pregna di azione e colpi di scena, il ritmo si mantiene incalzante grazie a uno stile senza fronzoli, incisivo e sopraffino. I momenti di quiete sono importantissimi per l’esplorazione del worldbuilding, stratificato e complesso sia politicamente sia socialmente, e la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, profondi, sfaccettati, tridimensionali.
L’ambientazione, visionaria e immaginifica, mi ha ricordato con piacere i palcoscenici di Sergio Leone, i mondi di Tatooine, Borderlands e Mad Max. Factus è una luna desertica, inospitale e arida, dove corporazioni mercantili, fuorilegge, folli culti religiosi ed enti militari si contendono ogni centimetro di terra. Una vita cruda e aspra martoriata dalla legge del più forte. L’autrice, inoltre, imprime su carta un’idea del tutto nuova e originale del concetto di divino, un’idea che a me è piaciuta tantissimo (e che, per ovvie ragioni, non vi svelo).
Il cast messo in piedi Stark Holborn, salvo un’eccezione, è tutto al femminile. Un gruppo di rockstar che funziona perfettamente, iconico e memorabile, le cui componenti sono segnate da un passato nebuloso e tormentato. Nonostante le mille difficoltà a cui andranno incontro, proveranno a unirsi, a redimersi, a fare del bene e a rinascere. Sopravvivenza, identità, libertà. Factus impone un prezzo, il prezzo della lotta e del sangue.
“Ultima fermata prima del vuoto” è uno di quei libri che definisco completi. È completo perché in 320 pagine mescola un worldbuilding curato, dei personaggi ben caratterizzati e solidi elementi narrativi tipici del romanzo fantascientifico, western, distopico e post-apocalittico. Non un’impresa facile, ma Stark Holborn ci è riuscita alla grande.
L’ignaro lettore viene catapultato in mezzo agli eventi senza alcun tipo di background. Stark Holborn gioca con noi, mostra solo il necessario, ci incuriosisce conducendoci pagina dopo pagina alla scoperta di un mosaico ricco e dettagliato. La storia è pregna di azione e colpi di scena, il ritmo si mantiene incalzante grazie a uno stile senza fronzoli, incisivo e sopraffino. I momenti di quiete sono importantissimi per l’esplorazione del worldbuilding, stratificato e complesso sia politicamente sia socialmente, e la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, profondi, sfaccettati, tridimensionali.
L’ambientazione, visionaria e immaginifica, mi ha ricordato con piacere i palcoscenici di Sergio Leone, i mondi di Tatooine, Borderlands e Mad Max. Factus è una luna desertica, inospitale e arida, dove corporazioni mercantili, fuorilegge, folli culti religiosi ed enti militari si contendono ogni centimetro di terra. Una vita cruda e aspra martoriata dalla legge del più forte. L’autrice, inoltre, imprime su carta un’idea del tutto nuova e originale del concetto di divino, un’idea che a me è piaciuta tantissimo (e che, per ovvie ragioni, non vi svelo).
Il cast messo in piedi Stark Holborn, salvo un’eccezione, è tutto al femminile. Un gruppo di rockstar che funziona perfettamente, iconico e memorabile, le cui componenti sono segnate da un passato nebuloso e tormentato. Nonostante le mille difficoltà a cui andranno incontro, proveranno a unirsi, a redimersi, a fare del bene e a rinascere. Sopravvivenza, identità, libertà. Factus impone un prezzo, il prezzo della lotta e del sangue.
July 15, 2021
Not sure why it has such a high rating. Maybe I'm hyper critical of a world marketed as "Firefly meets Dune" or others just have really low standards.
The world feels barely explained and instead feels like just a backdrop. The side characters are... there? They never grew on me through the book and I often wondered why Ten would ever put up with someone like the General even with the whole "redemption" arc.
The world feels barely explained and instead feels like just a backdrop. The side characters are... there? They never grew on me through the book and I often wondered why Ten would ever put up with someone like the General even with the whole "redemption" arc.
September 11, 2021
4.5 Stars! I was engaged from the get go. Fun action packed story and great sinister undertones. Plays a lot with the ‘hidden past’ slowly unveiling through the story which was really kept me glued in as well
February 22, 2025
4.5 stelle
Factus è l'ultima luna terraformata prima del grande niente, al termine del dominio dell'Accordo, l'insieme di pianeti e lune su cui la razza umana si è espansa..
È un pianeta di frontiera, l ultimo per importanza, lasciato quasi del tutto a se stesso, dove le poche previste che l Accordo fa arrivare bastano a malapena per le varie città e avamposti..
Un pianeta desertico, con zone misteriose e pericolose..
Molti l accostano a Dune, ma a parte la sabbia con Dune non ha altro da spartire.. e per fortuna dico io, dato che di emuli di Dune se ne contano a bizzeffe.. Holborn invece crea un mondo unico, originale, con culture, vita animale, usanze, cibi e religione e molto altro, creati ad arte e ricchi di sense of wonder.. ho davvero apprezzato tantissimo la voglia di originalità dell'autrice, e la perfetta riuscita del progetto.. non avrei mai voluto tornare alla realtà..
È un mondo sporco, cattivo, traditore, di cui non ti puoi fidare, un mondo stile western, che mi ha ricordato molto Ares Express e Desolation Road di Ian McDonald, con tanto di riciclatori meccanici e umani stile Mad Max..
E un po' del sapore metafisico di Unity della Bangs.. infatti la parte più "metafisica", qua declinata più su esseri di pura potenzialità che in AI tecnologiche, la parte dei Se, è davvero eccezionale.. è la cosa più creativa e unica, tra le tante idee, dell'intero romanzo, che lo distingue da ogni altro..
Forse, e qui è la mezza stella in meno per me, per alcune delle parti più 'allucinate' che potevano essere scritte un po' più chiare, anche se alla fine si capisce di più.. e per qualche parte introspettiva di troppo..
Il libro è ha una sua perfetta conclusione così, la vicenda si conclude in modo eccezionale, forse un filo po' troppo buonista per i miei gusti, e le informazioni ricevute sono pienamente soddisfacenti.. certo, essendo parte di una trilogia è chiaro che i personaggi andranno avanti in altre avventure e probabilmente altre info sui Se e sugli altri misteri del mondo arriveranno.. e sono davvero curioso..
I personaggi sono stati l altra cosa perfettamente riuscita del romanzo, niente di stereotipato, o scontato.. il rapporto tra Decem e Ortiz è riuscitissimo, mai autocompiaciuto o stucchevole, sempre frizzante e divertente.. ma soprattutto realistico! Certo, ho letto che alcuni lo taggano come libro queer.. Decem solo in una frase dice di essere stata sposata con una donna.. Stop.. in questo primo libro per lo meno poi ha solo rapporti etero.. quindi chi cerca una storia queer (come indicato nella sinossi della versione italiana) qui non ne troverà nemmeno una traccia.. il libro resta però fresco e originale anche nell'approccio gender..
Davvero un ottimo libro, peccato nella traduzione italiana alcuni scivoloni ci sono stati con alcune frasi che non hanno letteralmente senso, o alcuni equivoci, come nel momento in cui viene sparato un colpo e colpito un personaggio e poi viene detto: meno male la pistola non era carica! Era carica, e il colpo è partito.. solo che era una normale pallottola e non una "charge pistol" che non vuol dire carica, ma nella sci-fi la Charge Pistol è una pistola pesante, a impulsi o Blaster.. niente che tolga punti al libro della Holborn, ma i seguiti vado a recuperarli in lingua originale!!
Factus è l'ultima luna terraformata prima del grande niente, al termine del dominio dell'Accordo, l'insieme di pianeti e lune su cui la razza umana si è espansa..
È un pianeta di frontiera, l ultimo per importanza, lasciato quasi del tutto a se stesso, dove le poche previste che l Accordo fa arrivare bastano a malapena per le varie città e avamposti..
Un pianeta desertico, con zone misteriose e pericolose..
Molti l accostano a Dune, ma a parte la sabbia con Dune non ha altro da spartire.. e per fortuna dico io, dato che di emuli di Dune se ne contano a bizzeffe.. Holborn invece crea un mondo unico, originale, con culture, vita animale, usanze, cibi e religione e molto altro, creati ad arte e ricchi di sense of wonder.. ho davvero apprezzato tantissimo la voglia di originalità dell'autrice, e la perfetta riuscita del progetto.. non avrei mai voluto tornare alla realtà..
È un mondo sporco, cattivo, traditore, di cui non ti puoi fidare, un mondo stile western, che mi ha ricordato molto Ares Express e Desolation Road di Ian McDonald, con tanto di riciclatori meccanici e umani stile Mad Max..
E un po' del sapore metafisico di Unity della Bangs.. infatti la parte più "metafisica", qua declinata più su esseri di pura potenzialità che in AI tecnologiche, la parte dei Se, è davvero eccezionale.. è la cosa più creativa e unica, tra le tante idee, dell'intero romanzo, che lo distingue da ogni altro..
Forse, e qui è la mezza stella in meno per me, per alcune delle parti più 'allucinate' che potevano essere scritte un po' più chiare, anche se alla fine si capisce di più.. e per qualche parte introspettiva di troppo..
Il libro è ha una sua perfetta conclusione così, la vicenda si conclude in modo eccezionale, forse un filo po' troppo buonista per i miei gusti, e le informazioni ricevute sono pienamente soddisfacenti.. certo, essendo parte di una trilogia è chiaro che i personaggi andranno avanti in altre avventure e probabilmente altre info sui Se e sugli altri misteri del mondo arriveranno.. e sono davvero curioso..
I personaggi sono stati l altra cosa perfettamente riuscita del romanzo, niente di stereotipato, o scontato.. il rapporto tra Decem e Ortiz è riuscitissimo, mai autocompiaciuto o stucchevole, sempre frizzante e divertente.. ma soprattutto realistico! Certo, ho letto che alcuni lo taggano come libro queer.. Decem solo in una frase dice di essere stata sposata con una donna.. Stop.. in questo primo libro per lo meno poi ha solo rapporti etero.. quindi chi cerca una storia queer (come indicato nella sinossi della versione italiana) qui non ne troverà nemmeno una traccia.. il libro resta però fresco e originale anche nell'approccio gender..
Davvero un ottimo libro, peccato nella traduzione italiana alcuni scivoloni ci sono stati con alcune frasi che non hanno letteralmente senso, o alcuni equivoci, come nel momento in cui viene sparato un colpo e colpito un personaggio e poi viene detto: meno male la pistola non era carica! Era carica, e il colpo è partito.. solo che era una normale pallottola e non una "charge pistol" che non vuol dire carica, ma nella sci-fi la Charge Pistol è una pistola pesante, a impulsi o Blaster.. niente che tolga punti al libro della Holborn, ma i seguiti vado a recuperarli in lingua originale!!
May 11, 2021
A startling and surprising book (and written in first person present tense! Which I love! But thought I'd throw that out there so all the FPPT snobs can recoil appropriately lol.) I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly, but TEN LOW defied those expectations in the best way nonetheless.
####
If you've read the blurb or the other reviews, you'll already know that Ten Low is an ex-con with an incredibly traumatic and complex past. Her name, Ten, refers to the sentence in years she is supposed to have served, and for reasons not readily apparent at the start, she is living on a tiny wasteland of a moon in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. This moon is, in fact, right on the edge of the Void - a great darkness from which exploratory ships have never returned (this chilling bit of information is casually dropped in at just the right moment.)
Acutely conscious of her crimes and sins, Ten Low spends her time travelling painfully across the moon, trying to heal and help anyone she finds. Ten is a brilliant character. She is by turns stoic and paranoid, philosophical and superstitious, haunted and hunted; her self-imposed mission of mercy frequently spins out more disaster, and the people she kills or is forced to kill far outweighs the people she manages to help, despite her best efforts.
In this context, Ten Low rescues a young girl from a crashed spaceship, who turns out to be an Enders Game-esque child-general--one who fought on the other side of the war from Ten Low. the General's motivations for working with an enemy are initially clear cut (survival), becoming more convoluted as the story unfolds. Ten's are complex right off the bat, and the explanations for them span the entire novel (a good thing.)
There's so much I could unpack in this review: for example, my admiration of the craft skill needed to sustain a propulsive and action-filled novel with a *very* small cast of characters. Large swathes of the book are filled with just Ten Low and Gabi.
The twisting of expectations and cliched relationships is another. World-weary old mentor figure and bratty naive warrior is an age-old combination, but everything about Ten Low and Gabi feels fresh, because the author doesn't allow the characters to ever slide into complacent, easy roles. Although initially sympathetic and admirable, Ten Low's past makes her a difficult character in some ways as the book progresses; meanwhile, although initially "spoilt" and violent in her presentation, Gabi actually has a clearer and more consistent sense of ethics than Ten, albeit a shade too much conviction for her own good.
Mostly, though, when I think back on the book, it's the atmosphere and the setting which stand out to me--above and beyond the written descriptions, although those are good, too. The wonderful thing about frontier-settings is that they explore, in very literal terms, what the breakdown of society looks like, in a context where we can still see the original society (usually positioned "back east" in a historical western, or simply on developed planets in an SF one).
And it's at this peripheral edge of civilisation where society frays that individuals can be put to the ultimate test, their natures laid bare and exposed. What does it mean to be good or evil, when ethics is a distant idea? What does it mean to be human when there is no room for anything other than survival? If there is no law to judge you, no system to weigh and process you, no eyes to see your actions, does it matter what you do, and who you are?
Ten Low lives not only at the edge of human civilisation, but of literal reality: her moon, inhabited by whispering metaphyiscal creatures, stares straight into the universal abyss. And Holborn, with quiet grace and adroit craft, takes us right to that edge with her.
Would definitely recommend this book, although the cover + mention of teens made me think it was YA at first. I only mention that in case it puts off anyone looking for adult fiction (or conversely, might disappoint someone hoping for a YA voice.)
####
If you've read the blurb or the other reviews, you'll already know that Ten Low is an ex-con with an incredibly traumatic and complex past. Her name, Ten, refers to the sentence in years she is supposed to have served, and for reasons not readily apparent at the start, she is living on a tiny wasteland of a moon in the farthest reaches of the galaxy. This moon is, in fact, right on the edge of the Void - a great darkness from which exploratory ships have never returned (this chilling bit of information is casually dropped in at just the right moment.)
Acutely conscious of her crimes and sins, Ten Low spends her time travelling painfully across the moon, trying to heal and help anyone she finds. Ten is a brilliant character. She is by turns stoic and paranoid, philosophical and superstitious, haunted and hunted; her self-imposed mission of mercy frequently spins out more disaster, and the people she kills or is forced to kill far outweighs the people she manages to help, despite her best efforts.
In this context, Ten Low rescues a young girl from a crashed spaceship, who turns out to be an Enders Game-esque child-general--one who fought on the other side of the war from Ten Low. the General's motivations for working with an enemy are initially clear cut (survival), becoming more convoluted as the story unfolds. Ten's are complex right off the bat, and the explanations for them span the entire novel (a good thing.)
There's so much I could unpack in this review: for example, my admiration of the craft skill needed to sustain a propulsive and action-filled novel with a *very* small cast of characters. Large swathes of the book are filled with just Ten Low and Gabi.
The twisting of expectations and cliched relationships is another. World-weary old mentor figure and bratty naive warrior is an age-old combination, but everything about Ten Low and Gabi feels fresh, because the author doesn't allow the characters to ever slide into complacent, easy roles. Although initially sympathetic and admirable, Ten Low's past makes her a difficult character in some ways as the book progresses; meanwhile, although initially "spoilt" and violent in her presentation, Gabi actually has a clearer and more consistent sense of ethics than Ten, albeit a shade too much conviction for her own good.
Mostly, though, when I think back on the book, it's the atmosphere and the setting which stand out to me--above and beyond the written descriptions, although those are good, too. The wonderful thing about frontier-settings is that they explore, in very literal terms, what the breakdown of society looks like, in a context where we can still see the original society (usually positioned "back east" in a historical western, or simply on developed planets in an SF one).
And it's at this peripheral edge of civilisation where society frays that individuals can be put to the ultimate test, their natures laid bare and exposed. What does it mean to be good or evil, when ethics is a distant idea? What does it mean to be human when there is no room for anything other than survival? If there is no law to judge you, no system to weigh and process you, no eyes to see your actions, does it matter what you do, and who you are?
Ten Low lives not only at the edge of human civilisation, but of literal reality: her moon, inhabited by whispering metaphyiscal creatures, stares straight into the universal abyss. And Holborn, with quiet grace and adroit craft, takes us right to that edge with her.
Would definitely recommend this book, although the cover + mention of teens made me think it was YA at first. I only mention that in case it puts off anyone looking for adult fiction (or conversely, might disappoint someone hoping for a YA voice.)
June 1, 2021
I received this as an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
Ten Low is an adrenaline rush! It is a quick-paced, exciting, and fun adult sci-fi with a western flair that kept me engaged the entire time. I loved it.
I was so invested in the characters. Ten is complex without being melodramatic, with a dualism to her that was realistic and understandable. She is driven but questioning, and tough yet vulnerable. She was easy to identify with and her motives made sense. I also adored the other character, the General. The blurb makes it seem like she’s a teenager, but in truth, she’s a child, which was even better. Snarky teenagers with chips on their shoulders are less interesting than child soldiers with tragic backstories. And because she’s a child, her actions and remarks turn from irritating to almost endearing, as you know it’s self-preservation and not just … puberty.
The other minor characters, Falso, her G’hals, and Silas were very likable, quite awesome really, and the villains were few but worthy of the title. I must say, I enjoyed the female-driven cast quite a bit. It’s very diverse in terms of LGBTQ+ representation and these aspects were normalized and not forced.
What I particularly loved about this novel is the gradual exposition of the setting and world-building. I’m so glad this is a trend now in sci-fi because one thing I hate is an info-dump. This novel drops you in media res and forces you to learn as you go as if you were a new arrival to the moon Factus yourself. The setting itself is very fun - it has a real Firefly-like setting, very Western in the sense of small towns struggling to survive in the dust. It also reminded me of the game Borderlands a bit, with the various raider-like gangs and overlords. The fight scenes are more reminiscent of Mad Max Fury Road, as they are a lot of fun and I was never bored. While I am listing comparable media, Ten Low doesn’t feel like parsed-together pieces of other things - it is its own story and setting and characters.
The plot is one conflict after another, but the story doesn’t feel rushed. The novel provides the characters with a few moments of downtime, which helps to broaden their personalities and dynamics. This allows for small bits of humour, usually with the General, and it served to build their relationship. The mystery around Ten is both what you expect but also not, which was a nice twist.
The writing is also as lovely as it is visceral.
Overall, the novel is a raw, exciting ride that deals with how far a person will go to redeem their conscience if that’s even possible.
I recommend it to anyone who loves gritty sci-fi, especially those fond of the game Borderlands and the show Firefly.
Ten Low is an adrenaline rush! It is a quick-paced, exciting, and fun adult sci-fi with a western flair that kept me engaged the entire time. I loved it.
I was so invested in the characters. Ten is complex without being melodramatic, with a dualism to her that was realistic and understandable. She is driven but questioning, and tough yet vulnerable. She was easy to identify with and her motives made sense. I also adored the other character, the General. The blurb makes it seem like she’s a teenager, but in truth, she’s a child, which was even better. Snarky teenagers with chips on their shoulders are less interesting than child soldiers with tragic backstories. And because she’s a child, her actions and remarks turn from irritating to almost endearing, as you know it’s self-preservation and not just … puberty.
The other minor characters, Falso, her G’hals, and Silas were very likable, quite awesome really, and the villains were few but worthy of the title. I must say, I enjoyed the female-driven cast quite a bit. It’s very diverse in terms of LGBTQ+ representation and these aspects were normalized and not forced.
What I particularly loved about this novel is the gradual exposition of the setting and world-building. I’m so glad this is a trend now in sci-fi because one thing I hate is an info-dump. This novel drops you in media res and forces you to learn as you go as if you were a new arrival to the moon Factus yourself. The setting itself is very fun - it has a real Firefly-like setting, very Western in the sense of small towns struggling to survive in the dust. It also reminded me of the game Borderlands a bit, with the various raider-like gangs and overlords. The fight scenes are more reminiscent of Mad Max Fury Road, as they are a lot of fun and I was never bored. While I am listing comparable media, Ten Low doesn’t feel like parsed-together pieces of other things - it is its own story and setting and characters.
The plot is one conflict after another, but the story doesn’t feel rushed. The novel provides the characters with a few moments of downtime, which helps to broaden their personalities and dynamics. This allows for small bits of humour, usually with the General, and it served to build their relationship. The mystery around Ten is both what you expect but also not, which was a nice twist.
The writing is also as lovely as it is visceral.
Overall, the novel is a raw, exciting ride that deals with how far a person will go to redeem their conscience if that’s even possible.
I recommend it to anyone who loves gritty sci-fi, especially those fond of the game Borderlands and the show Firefly.
July 28, 2025
4.5 stelle.
Non pensavo di potermi affezionare tanto a un western fantascientifico e invece.
Ultima fermata prima del vuoto è perfetto per chi come me ama la fantascienza in cui c'è una trama originale e ci si avventura anche nella psicologia del personaggio.
Decem Rea è un'ottima protagonista da seguire perchè piena di segreti, con la sindrome di Atlante e un carattere un po spinoso che però non si può fare a meno di amare. Sia lei che tutti i personaggi secondari sono vividi e ben caratterizzati, tanto che anche alla persona menzionata in un solo paragrafo non puoi non voler bene.
L'ambientazione poi, così cupa e sabbiosa, crea il perfetto sfondo per un western coi controfiocchi.
Non vedo l'ora che traducano anche i seguiti.
Non pensavo di potermi affezionare tanto a un western fantascientifico e invece.
Ultima fermata prima del vuoto è perfetto per chi come me ama la fantascienza in cui c'è una trama originale e ci si avventura anche nella psicologia del personaggio.
Decem Rea è un'ottima protagonista da seguire perchè piena di segreti, con la sindrome di Atlante e un carattere un po spinoso che però non si può fare a meno di amare. Sia lei che tutti i personaggi secondari sono vividi e ben caratterizzati, tanto che anche alla persona menzionata in un solo paragrafo non puoi non voler bene.
L'ambientazione poi, così cupa e sabbiosa, crea il perfetto sfondo per un western coi controfiocchi.
Non vedo l'ora che traducano anche i seguiti.
June 16, 2022
Personaggi perfetti e tutto ciò che voglio da un weird western, uno space western o comunque sia una roba con un world-building fighissimo che mette vicino anti-colonialismo, rituali e lotte tra scarabei. Tra le tante cose eh.
May 3, 2021
I was given an ebook review copy by the publisher.
Factus is bleak, desert moon, out on the edges of human exploration.
It provides the setting for this rollercoaster paced space opera that has shades of Mad Max crossed with a Western style Dune.
Ten Low (aka Doc) is a medic with a mysterious past who wanders the lawless, barren wastes of this moon helping the sick and injured in the desolate communities .
Low comes across the wreck site of a military space ship and she helps the only survivor - an injured teenage girl. However, Gabriella Ortiz is no ordinary teenage girl. She is a genetically modified warrior, a General in the army of the Accord, winners of a recent bloody war, in which Low was on the opposing side.
Low decides to forget the past and help Ortiz, but it soon becomes apparent that the crash was an assassination attempt by the Accord against one of their own. They must flee across the lawless wastes to find safety for Ortiz, avoiding military hit squads, smugglers, robbers, black market organ dealers, and a strange alien presence. She enlists the help of crime boss Malady Falco and her all female gang of G'hals, and between them they fight their way across the moon.
A terrific cast of characters of which Malady Falco and her G'hals deserve their own book.
One of the most fun books I've read this year - can't wait for the next installment
Factus is bleak, desert moon, out on the edges of human exploration.
It provides the setting for this rollercoaster paced space opera that has shades of Mad Max crossed with a Western style Dune.
Ten Low (aka Doc) is a medic with a mysterious past who wanders the lawless, barren wastes of this moon helping the sick and injured in the desolate communities .
Low comes across the wreck site of a military space ship and she helps the only survivor - an injured teenage girl. However, Gabriella Ortiz is no ordinary teenage girl. She is a genetically modified warrior, a General in the army of the Accord, winners of a recent bloody war, in which Low was on the opposing side.
Low decides to forget the past and help Ortiz, but it soon becomes apparent that the crash was an assassination attempt by the Accord against one of their own. They must flee across the lawless wastes to find safety for Ortiz, avoiding military hit squads, smugglers, robbers, black market organ dealers, and a strange alien presence. She enlists the help of crime boss Malady Falco and her all female gang of G'hals, and between them they fight their way across the moon.
A terrific cast of characters of which Malady Falco and her G'hals deserve their own book.
One of the most fun books I've read this year - can't wait for the next installment
March 21, 2023
I’m terrible at these reviews. I fear I’m too easily impressed haha
But honestly this was such a wild ride both through the world that ten lived in but also within her mind and beliefs.
I CONSUMED this on my 13 hour flight and I look forward to seeing what comes next for our main character <3
But honestly this was such a wild ride both through the world that ten lived in but also within her mind and beliefs.
I CONSUMED this on my 13 hour flight and I look forward to seeing what comes next for our main character <3
March 31, 2024
Deu Ras és ciència-ficció polsegosa, deutes pendents, sang seca i pell clivellada pels Erms.
Aquí trobareu la història d'una dona que busca redempció, un Mad Max reflexiu, però alhora brutal i ple d'acció, amb una dosi perfecta de weird psicològic.
Si mai heu tingut por a la foscor no és recomanable que camineu pel Caire. Us poden trobar ells.
Aquí trobareu la història d'una dona que busca redempció, un Mad Max reflexiu, però alhora brutal i ple d'acció, amb una dosi perfecta de weird psicològic.
Si mai heu tingut por a la foscor no és recomanable que camineu pel Caire. Us poden trobar ells.
February 21, 2021
A story filled with Mad Max adventure, Western gun fights, and Space Opera fun. I loved "Ten Low" and I hope we see more of her adventures in the future. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for my ARC.
May 31, 2023
More 3.5 stars.
This SF Western started strong with interesting worldbuilding and characters, yet the longer it went the more it was a repetition of similar feeling gruesome fighting situations. I wanted something more out of this promising premise.
This SF Western started strong with interesting worldbuilding and characters, yet the longer it went the more it was a repetition of similar feeling gruesome fighting situations. I wanted something more out of this promising premise.
August 30, 2025
A space western style story that was a fun time.
We follow Ten Low, a self reformed criminal now a medic who is desperate to escape her memories of the war. Ten rescues a teenage (12?) girl from a traincrash only to find out she isnt a regular teenager, rather a general for the other side. Via the rescue, ten and the teenage general find themselves wrapped up in a small conspiracy that both just want to survive.
I wish a bit of this plot had been a bit more fleshed out, but thats what the next 2 books are for. I found the teenage character slightly superficial rather than fully realized but loved the vibes of this story. The frontier, walking the line of law and lawless…. It was so fun.
We follow Ten Low, a self reformed criminal now a medic who is desperate to escape her memories of the war. Ten rescues a teenage (12?) girl from a traincrash only to find out she isnt a regular teenager, rather a general for the other side. Via the rescue, ten and the teenage general find themselves wrapped up in a small conspiracy that both just want to survive.
I wish a bit of this plot had been a bit more fleshed out, but thats what the next 2 books are for. I found the teenage character slightly superficial rather than fully realized but loved the vibes of this story. The frontier, walking the line of law and lawless…. It was so fun.
March 20, 2024
La première partie était intéressante, mais j'ai un peu perdu l'intérêt par la suite et j'avais hâte de finir le livre. Au final, ce n'est rien de vraiment nouveau, le monde créé par l'auteure est un peu trop flou à mon goût et les personnages ne sont pas très attachants. Ce n'est pas mauvais, mais je vais vite l'oublier.
May 24, 2024
Me he divertido mucho, me han encandilado los personajes y los echo ya de menos.
Creo que los libros de Stark son aventura constante y una idea genial tras otra, entre mucha acción y personajes con carisma.
Sé que tanto este universo como los de los matemágicos siguen y veremos nuevos libros en breve. Estoy muy IN con ellos.
Creo que los libros de Stark son aventura constante y una idea genial tras otra, entre mucha acción y personajes con carisma.
Sé que tanto este universo como los de los matemágicos siguen y veremos nuevos libros en breve. Estoy muy IN con ellos.
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