THE CRYPT

A high-concept military/space opera SF in which a crew primarily made of misfits and criminals are sent to operate the Fleet’s most mysterious warship.

Centuries in the future, the Planetary Union fights the warmongering religious fanatics of the Purist Nation, a war that may well be reaching its end because the Union Fleet now has a secret weapon: the James Keeling, the only warship with the capacity for interdimensional travel—an ability that keeps the ship hidden from its enemies until it’s time to surface and attack. Not that many know about it, and those who do are likely to be dead soon. The Keeling’s unique, innovative ability comes with a deadly cost: For every dive into the interdimensional reaches, aka the Mud, the crew suffer hallucinations that often cause violent behavior, psychosis, and mental breakdowns. People don’t call the ship the Crypt for nothing; those who end up conscripted there feel like they’re metaphorically and often literally entombed. And that’s why only those with nothing to lose and those convicted of terrible crimes serve on the Keeling. If they survive a two-year stint, their records are expunged. Sigler’s incredibly fun opener to this series slowly introduces the cast members, who include a court-martialed executive officer with a reputation of cowardice, a psychopathic killer with the right connections to avoid a death sentence, a Purist murderer and spy, and an old soldier not willing to retire yet. They all forge unexpected bonds with one another and with a (possibly living?) ship that can potentially kill them. “A bunch of misfits, miscreants, criminals, and total rookies that had only two things in common—they were all Fleet, and they’d all wallowed in the Mud.” Also includes convincing battle/action sequences and character arcs that engage, entertain, and will leave readers ready for more.

A high-stakes, highly entertaining interstellar adventure.