Jax Reviews Salvation Day by Kali Wallace

A lethal virus is awoken on an abandoned spaceship in this incredibly fast-paced, claustrophobic thriller.

They thought the ship would be their salvation.

Zahra knew every detail of the plan. House of Wisdom, a massive exploration vessel, had been abandoned by the government of Earth a decade earlier, when a deadly virus broke out and killed everyone on board in a matter of hours. But now it could belong to her people if they were bold enough to take it. All they needed to do was kidnap Jaswinder Bhattacharya—the sole survivor of the tragedy, and the last person whose genetic signature would allow entry to the spaceship.

But what Zahra and her crew could not know was what waited for them on the ship—a terrifying secret buried by the government. A threat to all of humanity that lay sleeping alongside the orbiting dead.

And then they woke it up.

Publisher: Berkley

Source: ebook from publisher in exchange for a review

Release Date: July 9th, 2019

Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble 

* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

They thought the ship would be their salvation.

Zahra knew every detail of the plan. House of Wisdom, a massive exploration vessel, had been abandoned by the government of Earth a decade earlier, when a deadly virus broke out and killed everyone on board in a matter of hours. But now it could belong to her people if they were bold enough to take it. All they needed to do was kidnap Jaswinder Bhattacharya—the sole survivor of the tragedy, and the last person whose genetic signature would allow entry to the spaceship.

But what Zahra and her crew could not know was what waited for them on the ship—a terrifying secret buried by the government. A threat to all of humanity that lay sleeping alongside the orbiting dead.

And then they woke it up.

My Thoughts:

Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and philosophers of today - but the core of science fiction, its essence has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all. - Isaac Asimov

Salvation Day brought me back to my first explorations of science fiction, where stories could often be read just for the joy of the story but also offered the chance to see current issues from different perspectives. As a child, I didn't recognize the social commentary aspect for what it was, which makes rereading those stories a whole new adventure as an adult. It's just coincidence that I read this book at the same time as I am revisiting Ursula Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, Spider Robinson and Robert Heinlein. Wallace's writing is on par with these classic favorites.

It took a few chapters to really feel immersed in the world, but once the book found its stride, I had a hard time putting it down. The mix of conspiracy and action was well balanced. I enjoyed the exploration of how social issues can influence beliefs and choices, and that it flipped some of the issues around. You can absolutely read this book as 'just' an epic space saga, but if you enjoy a tale that gives you food for thought, you'll find Salvation Day to be a treat.