Review: The Fractured Dark by Megan O'Keefe

The Fractured Dark

Megan E. O'Keefe

(The Devouring Worlds #2)

Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Paperback, 544 pages, Orbit

Genres: Adult, Sci-Fi

Goodreads

Dying planets, dangerous conspiracies, and secret romance abound in the second installment of the Devoured Worlds trilogy by award-winning author Megan E. O'Keefe.

 

Naira and Tarquin have escaped vicious counter-revolutionaries, misprinted monsters, and the pull of a dying planet. Now, bound together to find the truth behind the blight that has been killing habitable planets, they need to hunt out the Mercator family secrets. But, when the head of Mercator disappears, taking the universe’s remaining supply of starship fuel with him, chaos breaks loose between the ruling families. Naira’s revolution must be put aside for the sake of humanity’s immediate survival.

 

My Review

I said book one, The Blighted Stars, was perfect for fans of J.S. Dewes' The Last Watch and The Expanse series, and I 100% stand by those comparisons. If you love sci-fi that has complex terminology and likeable, realistic characters, then this series is for you.

The Fractured Dark picks up some months after the events of the first installment, but it wasn't a significant or unnecessary time jump. It makes complete sense why the two main characters would be racing around space for months on end trying to fix all the things going topsy-turvy. And I just love how Naira and Tarquin are trying to figure out what the heck to do after everything changed for them back on Sixth Cradle. It's heartbreaking for Tarquin, and so confusing for Naira. I will say, though, that the author didn't lean into that element as much as I'd hoped for. I wanted some angst there. It was brutal what happened to them, and things resolved fairly quickly, in my opinion.

Like in book one, our protagonists are trying to stop the spread of a nasty infection. This parasite thing basically infects everyone and lives in their bodies all the time, making decisions for them. Icky. Now, I do think that while the worldbuilding is still solid, based on what was structured from the first book, some things were less fleshed out in this one. Maybe I just couldn't remember the details between books, but I didn't feel like I knew as much about the various stations and rules of the stations and canus as I did with the limited location of Sixth Cradle.

As for the plot of The Fractured Dark, I really enjoyed the first 40%, then the main characters were separated for a while and I just kind of slogged through the next 20-30%. I adore Tarquin and Naira's dynamic together, him the nerdy, reluctant heir and her the badass bodyguard, so any time they weren't together hurt my romance-obsessed heart. After that though, things picked up and some weird revelations were made. But, unfortunately, things got very weird, very confusing, and everything was happening so fast in the last bit that I was a tad lost. I'm still intrigued to see where book three goes, but the actual plot of the story may have lost me a bit. I'm pretty much reading for the ship at this point.

All in all, this was a decent second book in the series, but I'm hoping book three really gets stuff back on track. I need more Naira and Tarquin time, more Naira badassery, and more awkward Tarquin, please. They're just adorable. And for all you sci-fi lovers who don't like the smooshy elements as much, I still think this would be a great series for you, there isn't anything overly romantic that would inhibit your enjoyment.

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.