Readers' Favorite Reviews - #5

Heavy Weight of Darkness

Reviewed by Doreen Chombu for Readers’ Favorite #5

Heavy Weight of Darkness is a dystopian science fiction novel by J.M. Erickson. It follows the transformative journey of Willard Bennett, a first-class patrician citizen, who was imprisoned and stripped of his class status and privileges. After he recruits Cassandra Kurtz, she rebels on her mission to Mars, leaving Bennett to face the consequences of her actions. To regain his freedom, Bennett is tasked with finding and killing her. As he investigates Cassandra’s life, he discovers the injustices and corruption that form the foundation of the society he once admired. This leads to a total transformation as he confronts his complicity in a brutal regime. Bennett still needs to find Cassandra, but he is uncertain about the outcome of their meeting.

Heavy Weight of Darkness is a sequel to Endless Fall of Night, which tells Cassandra’s story. J.M. Erickson continues the story from Bennett’s point of view. The book is set in a dystopian world where racism, slavery, and imperialism are prevalent, and the upper class seeks to expand their control over the lower classes and other planets. This story is about redemption, morality, and transformation, and its themes will resonate with many readers. The lessons can be applied to our lives, encouraging us to reflect on our own choices and the potential for change within ourselves. The narrative also reminds us that no matter how far we stray, there is always an opportunity for forgiveness and moral growth. The novel tackles relevant social issues such as segregation, exploitation of minors, and slavery, advocating for equality and justice for the oppressed. The sneak peek at the end hints at an intriguing and exciting continuation of the characters' journeys, leaving readers eager to discover what comes next for Bennett, Cassandra, and the other characters. Overall, this is great work! – 5 stars

Self-Publishing Review

Heavy Weight of Darkness

by J.M. Erickson
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The interplanetary “terrorist” Cassandra Kurtz has become a liberatory force to be reckoned with, terrorizing the wealth-wielding Patrician class by freeing slaves and disrupting their colonization efforts on Mars. Acting Captain Thomas Bennett, after two years of reputational destruction and imprisonment for failing to kill that same rebel leader when he had the chance, is given a redemptive shot at revenge. However, Bennett’s experiences on the opposite side of the truncheon have changed him, and with eyes opening to the evils that drive and defend society, his critical mission is becoming more complicated by the day.

Reflecting the dark truth of humanity’s history of colonialism, slavery, and racialized oppression, this slow-burning book is an ominous prophecy about concentrated power and wealth inequality, and a warning not to repeat, revive, or forget humanity’s tragic errors of the past. Couched within the action and sci-fi intrigue, the novel is also a multilayered exploration of the struggle and humility of changing one’s ideology or beliefs, a crucial aspect of personal growth that feels sorely lacking in today’s deeply divided world.

While the action sequences and revolutionary stakes are riveting on their own, the probing philosophies and radical ideas are where the book really thrives, elevating the emotional core of this twisting plot, and transcending other works in the genre. - SPR 

US Review of Books 

Heavy Weight of Darkness
by J.M. Erickson

Book Review by Kate Robinson

 "I now understand what Kurtz meant in one of her transmissions about the ‘heavy weight of darkness killed them.’"

Earth’s Third Great Republic is in further crisis due in part to the news of Cassandra Kurtz freeing slaves and plebs on Mars. Meanwhile, her depredations of Martian colonies have cost billions in lost revenue. Willard Bennett’s previous mission imploded because of his failure to eliminate Kurtz when he was delivering her to Mars for an arranged marriage. Plucked from prison, Bennett is given a second chance. He is reinstated as acting captain in the Plebian Auxiliary Corps Task Force. Court-ordered to locate Kurtz, Bennett is charged with destroying her base of operations, executing her and all mutinous members of Bennett’s former crew, and returning all property, particularly slaves.

Just hours before the mission begins, Bennett delves into Kurtz’s psych files to better understand her motivation, and he makes a brief trip into Delta Exchange, a market where humans are bought and sold for labor and sexual pleasure. Kurtz was lost in the market for just thirty minutes as a child, an experience that radicalized her and which erodes Bennett’s confidence in Earth’s social order in just half the time.

Bennett, the former captain of the light cruising ship Jefferson Davis, and Cassandra Kurtz, a convicted terrorist formerly known as Cassandra IX, meet again four years after their original confrontation in this gritty sequel to Erickson’s Endless Fall of Night. Tight writing, fast pacing, prodigious conflict, and a knack for no-frills description make Erickson’s dystopian thrillers a good bet for sci-fi readers also interested in the complexities of racial and class inequity, extreme capitalism, and imperialism. Erickson also takes a creative spin on fictive environments on Mars and the fantastic flora, deadly fauna, and unique conditions underground that make any human journey there nearly impossible as Bennett and two selected crew members seek their elusive quarry.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review