Cast in Sand by Dustin Porta

The author kindly gave me a copy of Cast in Sand and Whalemoon (which I reviewed here) on audio. I’ll talk a little about both here. 

I like to try out new (for me) authors, including self-published ones. Many I’ve already heard of through social media, but Dustin Porta I just found through Audiobook.boom. It turned out to be a great find, as he is very creative. Whalemoon is essentially told as a fairy tale, with all the insanity that brings, and is immensely enjoyable. Where Whalemoon is pure fantasy, Cast in Sand has more of a grounding in science, with future humans living on a vast but derelict space station. 

Disclaimer – I read this in August, so forgive me if I’m a little hazy on some of the details.

So, what’s it all about?

For those of you who are old like me, this reads a bit like a futuristic version of Quantum Leap, with Edwina, our intrepid hero, exploring an enormous space station by mind-hopping into different inanimate entities on its many levels. Somewhere along the line, she loses her memory, therefore forgetting her purpose and where she came from. When she wakes in the body of a badass android, she endeavours to regain her memory but instead ends up on a journey to save the space station from a takeover bid. 

Is it any good?

To put it simply, yes. It’s not amazing, and not as wildly creative as Whalemoon, but it’s definitely worth your time if you want something fun and weird. Edwina is quite the character, easily the best thing about the book, realising she has the ability to fight against the king who wants to control the entire space station. The setting itself is also cool, an essentially derelict space station (sorry for the repetition) that seems to have different levels as different historical settings. My vibe from the antagonist was a sultan type, and his section of the station was desert-like (remember, listened to in August). Many of the other characters are just plain unpleasant, but I guess if I was trapped on a ancient space station, I’d be unpleasant too. 

Oh, let’s not forget the narrator, who did a pretty solid job voiding the various different characters.     

Verdict

It was fun to follow Edwina’s travails as she tries to figure out her past while saving the day. I recommend it for someone looking for something different in the science fantasy genre (or sci-fi/fantasy).

Format: Audiobook

Obtained from: Author

Listening time: 5 hrs 4 mins

Publisher: Self-published

ASIN: B08B8VRH1X 

Narrator: Rocky Taylor