The Daedalus Incident

By: Michael J. Martinez

Narrated by: Kristin Kalbli, Bernard Clark

Mars is supposed to be dead. Bizarre quakes are rumbling over the long-dormant tectonic plates of the planet, disrupting its trillion-dollar mining operations and driving scientists past the edges of theory and reason. However, when rocks shake off their ancient dust and begin to roll seemingly of their own volition carving canals as they converge to form a towering structure amid the ruddy terrain, Lt. Jain and her JSC team realize that their routine geological survey of a Martian cave system is anything but. The only clues they have stem from the emissions of a mysterious blue radiation, and a 300-year-old journal that is writing itself.

Lt. Thomas Weatherby of His Majesty’s Royal Navy is an honest 18th-century man of modest beginnings, doing his part for King and Country aboard the HMS Daedalus, a frigate sailing the high seas between continents and the immense Void between the Known Worlds. With the aid of his fierce captain, a drug-addled alchemist, and a servant girl with a remarkable past, Weatherby must track a great and powerful mystic, who has embarked upon a sinister quest to upset the balance of the planets the consequences of which may reach far beyond the Solar System, threatening the very fabric of space itself.

©2013 Michael J. Martinez (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

fiction sans science

I love steampunk. It gives writers and readers the ability to suspend belief and just enjoy the adventure. That said this writer is trying to bridge the gap between science fiction and steampunk. A worthy goal, but failes completely at the science part of science fiction, forgoes all known extraterrestral science and just makes things up on both sides of the coin. I found the steampunk world in this story compelling, and fun, but was completely aghast at the lack of basic science in the rest of it. Give me a world untethered to reality or give me a world based on at least a basic understanding of reality.

Yanks as Brits? Oh my!

That is the worst Liverpool accent I’ve ever heard. It’s really Edinburgh with a head injury.

Love this! Great study of leadership in crisis.

Would you listen to The Daedalus Incident again? Why?

I would - great storytelling!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved the two main characters, and the commanders of on both sides showed great leadership of them.

Which character – as performed by Kristin Kalbli and Bernard Clark – was your favorite?

I loved Finch!

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

When the two stories began to overlap, as you knew they would at some point, it was very exciting - like sit in your driveway because you don't want to stop it exciting!

Tremendous first book in a fantastic series

This is my second time listening to The Daedalus Incident, and it was just as great the second time through!
This book is a phenomenal blend of science-fantasy and a more grounded sci-fi approach. It literally has both being told as independent stories that end up meeting in a really fun and exciting way.
The world that Martinez has built is ridiculously cool, and this book does a wonderful job of launching a trilogy while still telling a complete story that feels satisfying even if you never end up reading the second and third books.
The narrators do an amazing job!

Well Woven Story-lines

Would you listen to The Daedalus Incident again? Why?

Absolutely. The two readers were excellent, the story was solid, and the way Martinez wove the two separate story-lines into a coherent whole was excellent. Plus, there's the possibility of follow-up novels.

What other book might you compare The Daedalus Incident to and why?

I've read a lot of Steampunk (though this doesn't quite fit the mold). I've read quite a bit of bad Naval Fiction, and not a small amount of good. This bridges the two. Imagine a Gaslight/Steampunk world (but based on alchemy, not steam) crossed with a modern detective story ... then spread it across the solar system. It's a melange I really can't compare to anything else.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are a myriad of good scenes in the book. Arguably, I'd have to say the meeting with the Zon (Xon? Zhon?) is one of the best because so rarely does an author do exposition well. It's often necessary to convey information to the reader, but the tendency to just Tell quickly to get back to the story rather than show is always there. I think of David Weber and, to a lesser extent, Ringo and even Niven (but especially Weber) with the occasional Holy Infodump. The revelation on Saturn was well done rather than just twenty-pages (minutes) of exposition.

Any additional comments?

Solid book. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in something genuinely new-feeling.

Fun, fun, fun!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but what I got was 'master and commander in space' meets 'Mission to Mars'. It takes a while for the genres to fully meld together, reading for most of the 15-plus hours as two separate books, but it's a charming read regardless. My major complaint is that one side of the equation is vastly superior to the other half, and the juxtaposition does not fare well for our female narrator and her female protagonist. Still, you cannot deny the excitement of alchemy, sailing ships, and space exploration.

A Winner ! Unique Story, Excellent Narration

Fresh, clever and interesting. In the first couple of chapters I thought this simplistic. As it moves forward, however, it picks up speed, becomes more complex and is a great deal of fun.

Someone said it is Master and Commander crossed with a near-future Martian colony -- but that HARDLY describes what goes on here.

I can't say too much without giving it away -- a wonderful first book ! Well worth the listen !!!!

Superb performances by both Ms. Kalbli and Mr. Clark !

Enjoyed This Book

What made the experience of listening to The Daedalus Incident the most enjoyable?

The dual narrators.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Daedalus Incident?

Traveling to the colonized worlds of the solar system.

Have you listened to any of Kristin Kalbli and Bernard Clark ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Only the rest of the books in this series. It was all solid.

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

No.

Any additional comments?

I was first intrigued by the notion of a sailing ship crashing into Mars. Then I decided to read the book and was hooked.
Reading this book was a mix of old and new. Of seems plausible and outlandish.
The author deftly handled both timelines.
I really want to have more stories in the Known Worlds.

Patrick O'Brian meets Ray Bradbury

What made the experience of listening to The Daedalus Incident the most enjoyable?

I was unsure about this one at first but then it sucked me in. The counter-position of two very unlikely stories that then merge was very well done. Some technical stuff was a little incorrect (I'm a scientist so I catch these things) but it didn't detract from the story. It was well written, well performed and very interesting.

What other book might you compare The Daedalus Incident to and why?

None that I can think of

Never wanted this book to end.

I love me a good story about sailors and astronauts. I would've read this book non stop in a few sittings. Instead, the experience was made much better by the extremely talented performance of the two narrators.
I am certain to buy Mr. Martinez' other books, I miss Weatherbee already!