Requiem by John Palisano

Before reading Requiem I hadn’t read anything by John Palisano. Browsing NetGallery, the amazing cover art drew me in and the premise — gothic horror in space? Gotta love that, right? — compelled me to request an eARC from Flame Tree Press. I love science fiction and am always on the lookout for new authors in the genre who can provide the wonder, thrills, and mind-altering perspectives that I crave. Palisano is now on my radar, and I will certainly read more of his books, although this one left me wanting a bit more at the ending.

In Requiem, Ava captains a small crew staying aboard Eden, a moon-sized orbiting mausoleum that houses thousands of Earth’s deceased who are labelled as “residents” by the Vita Nova Corporation who owns the satellite. Not only are the bodies of the residents stored on Eden, but so are their memories — very lifelike and active memories thanks to a strange entity awakened by the new requiem being composed onboard by a member of Ava’s crew. Something in the music begins to drive Ava and her crew mad, creating vivid and dangerous hallucinations. With the immense satellite seemingly coming apart around them and struggling to think clearly as she is haunted by her lost love Roland, Ava must discover the key to defeating the entity before it consumes the people on board and on the planet below.

Palisano hits all the notes for a gothic horror story, cleverly utilizing the space satellite in place of the typical haunted mansion, and he certainly knows how to ramp up the action for a page-turning read. However, I did feel let down by the story after the climax. The ending drags on through the last two chapters, a coda, and another piece of “Supplemental Material.” There’s plenty of time to explore the changed perspectives of Ava and her companions after their mind shattering experiences, to reveal their new philosophies on life and the afterlife —something I wish Palisano had delved into more, especially since he’s chosen such a diverse cast of characters.

As a fast summer read, Requiem hits the mark. As to whether I become a fan of Palisano’s writing, I’ll hold off on my opinion until I read some of his other work.