Seventh

The Marching Darkness, Book 1

By: Heath Pfaff

Narrated by: Sean Schroeder

James awakens to the glow of red emergency lights and discovers himself locked in his quarters aboard the deep space vessel Odyssey. Communication circuits are severed, and the Artificial Intelligence system is malfunctioning. It doesn't take the young cadet long to realize that the technical issues he's experiencing are among the least of his concerns.

Dark things wrapped loosely in human flesh haunt the strangely vacant halls of the Odyssey, and James can't be sure whether they really exist or he has lost his mind to the rigors of space.

Seventh is a fast paced, dark story that will keep you looking for answers and trying to find your way back to the light.

Seventh is a stand-alone scifi/horror novella and the first in a series of stories in The Marching Darkness universe.

©2014 Heath Pfaff (P)2014 Heath Pfaff

Interesting and Suprising

Would you listen to Seventh again? Why?

Yes. There was a lot of complexity in the story and I would enjoy going back to it in a year or so and picking up on different elements that I missed

What did you like best about this story?

That I enjoyed it so much.... I got this story from a Reddit give away and was somewhat dubious going in given it is not my normal type of book. It managed to hook me quickly and keep me interested.

What does Sean Schroeder bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Set the right pace with the novel. Was able to give the right inflection and presence to most scenes. I would have like a little more emotion in some of the madness experienced by the main character (but this could have gone very badly...). Would have a great voice for military sci fi.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Ahh.. maybe spoilers.... the moment when he realised he killed the marine. Not sure why, but that was rather a surreal moment with great narration hinting at the confusion and acceptance of the deed.

Any additional comments?

This would make an amazing manga movie. I would also really enjoy reading a solid sci fi novel set in this universe (rather than what I would consider a short story).

A bit like 2001 A Space Odessey......then.....?

What disappointed you about Seventh?

It started off well, in the fact that you wanted to listen and try to figure out what the deal is about the plot, but then it happens. You get the plot, and the rest of the book is an endless loop....a bit of revelation, then boom - off on another tangent. Not my style of literary strategy.

Would you be willing to try another book from Heath Pfaff? Why or why not?

I would try another book, hopefully better than this one.

Which scene was your favorite?

The abrupt end. Gave me the biggest WTF? I've had in a long time - thanks.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Frustration and anger....in that I forced myself thru to the end, and was rewarded with an even worse termination of the plot than I imagined. Got a good laugh at myself over that.

Any additional comments?

The narrator Sean Schroeder was quite good. I could tell though at certain points, even Sean had lost the plot, or at least I imagined it (pun for the author). The author should keep writing - there's potential there, but this story made me crazy. It almost got good, at certain points....