Escape Velocity started and gave me immediate Doctor Who vibes. But as it continues, Escape Velocity turns into a critique of mars exploration and capitalism. It’s part locked door murder mystery and secrets coming back. Keep reading this book review of Escape Velocity for my full thoughts.
Summary
Space Habitat Altaire is the premier luxury resort in low Earth orbit, playground of the privileged and the perfect location to host reunions for the Rochford Institute. Rochford boasts only the best: the wealthiest, most promising students with the most impressive pedigrees. Complete with space walks, these lavish reunions are a prime opportunity for alumni to jockey for power with old friends and rivals—and crucially, to advance their applications to live in an exclusive Mars settlement. Earth is dying, and only the best deserve to save themselves.
Aboard the Altaire for a 25th reunion, finance magnate Ava pursues the truth about her brother’s murder during their senior year. Laz, ambassador and political scion, hopes to finally win Ava’s heart. Sloane, collecting secrets to conceal his family’s decline, angles for a key client. And Henry, heir to a healthcare empire, creates an unorthodox opportunity to get to Mars in a last-ditch effort to outrun a childhood secret.
While these erstwhile friends settle scores and rack up points, they fail to notice the other agendas developing at the Space Habitat Altaire. Their own futures aren’t the only ones at stake—“the best” will soon regret underestimating those they would leave behind on Earth.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
We love a space resort vibe. And there’s always a layer to the decay in the decadence. Escape Velocity packs so much into the pages. It’s a class reunion with flashbacks to what happened. To the secrets that will never lie buried, to the lies we can never outrun. It’s also a story of a present murder mystery on a locked room style space resort. What’s better than that? Oh a story also critiquing the classism and prejudices in Mars exploration and capitalism.
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While I think that some aspects worked a bit more than others, I think Escape Velocity manages to explore the ethics of the future. The locked room mystery and class reunion dynamics were the most fleshed out. There was the veneer of who we want to appear like when we meet old class friends combined with all the secrets they know about us. These past versions of who we should be. Combined with the murder mystery, Escape Velocity delivers plenty of tension.
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
However, I think the actual critique of the prejudiced Mars system and capitalism is a bit light. It’s subtle-r in some ways and more explicit in others. The lead up is pretty subtle as the breadcrumbs are laid. But the actual pay off is relatively clear and explosive. Escape Velocity is a thrilling read with an ending I’m not even sure yet how I feel about. But if you read it, you need to message me immediately after! Find Escape Velocity on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.