Ricketts makes a strong debut with this swift, polished, funny SF adventure of a scrappy spaceship captain forced to take on one deadly last job six months after the death of her crew. Haunted by events that the novel teases out over its briskly exciting present, Sam just wants to sell her kraken-class ship and start a new life, leaving shipping behind. But for all her grief and pointed gruffness, she can’t resist coming to the rescue of a woman, Kate, whom she sees flee a dive-y station bar. Soon after, an encounter with Miles Floodwater, the gangster who previously claimed a couple of Sam’s fingers, upends her vague plans. Turns out a member of Sam's crew had been smuggling a parcel for this tyrannical boss, and now Kate is on the hook for it.The Ship freshens up classic space-adventure elements with vibrant prose, welcome wit, and a clear love of the genre—Ricketts both honors and challenges readers expectations. For all the fun, action, and mystery, the characterization archetypal but alive, with the burgeoning relationships between Sam and her quickly assembled crew proving the novel’s heart. Sam and Kate bicker, but they quickly fall in together as trusted compatriots—"Do you have a splicer and some proto-casing?” Kate asks, early on, as Sam monkeys with the kraken’s innards. As those two edge toward acknowledging their interest in each other, Ricketts contrasts them with the hilariously blunter attraction Addy feels for mercenary Parker, a “tall drink of 70-round pulse rifle” keeping tabs on Sam for Floodwater.
Ricketts introduces her universe on the fly, through the eyes of Sam and co. and through the blaster shots of the pirates and others they encounter. Surprises like Kate’s status as a “Purifier” and the secrets of her old crew contribute to keeping the somewhat familiar milieu lively, but what makes this ship soar is its first-rate dialogue and character connections, which blend salty, sharp-elbowed chatter with found-family warmth.
Takeaway: Stellar SF adventure debut, bursting with wit, pirates, and found-family warmth.
Comparable Titles: Becky Chambers, G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward’s Invisible Kingdom.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
