Assessment:

Plot/Idea: This harrowing, tension-filled plot takes off with a bang, maintaining a breakneck pace throughout. Chavez delivers plenty of twists—and gritty details, like the monsters who are stalking the mining base—that keep attention while conveying their fair share of shock value. The story’s confined space adds to the anxiety, as the characters have to survive their work, the unnamed terror killing them one by one, and, eventually, each other, all set in an isolated, wintry pocket of the world. 

Prose: Smooth, crisp prose is interrupted with a few staccato transitions that ruffle the pace, but overall Chavez is a skilled storyteller, capable of building sharp tension with minimal scene setting.

Originality: Aside from the story’s bleak, near-future setting, Chavez’s skill at crafting a dark edginess makes this raging thrill ride stand out.

Character/Execution: Chavez’s characters serve to advance the plot, though their development is minimal and occurs later in the story, as the action ratchets up. Despite that, readers will quickly feel connected to them, given the sheer scope of the odds they’re up against. There are no particular standouts, but the transport crew, as a group, is engaging—and Ava’s story intrigues.

Date Submitted: May 24, 2024