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Rebecca Crunden
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Dust & Lightning Kindle Edition

by Rebecca Crunden (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 72 ratings
In the near future, humans have gone beyond simple space travel. By the year 4054, multiple solar systems are inhabited, and taking a spaceship is as commonplace as taking an aeroplane.

Unfortunately, not everything about the future is so advanced. The central planets, led by Earth, have risen high at the expense of cheap labour on distant worlds. Dissent is widespread and arrests are common. Sometimes prisoners are released; sometimes they disappear without a trace, sent to labour camps in other solar systems.

When Ames Emerys receives a letter telling him that his brother Callum has died en route to the remote planet of Kilnin, he takes the first ship he can off Earth, desperate for answers. But the secrets Ames uncovers prove far more dangerous than he could have imagined.

And trouble isn’t far behind.
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  1. Print length
    124 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    February 20, 2021
  5. File size
    1.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08X3XSPL5
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 20, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 124 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 72 ratings

About the author

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Rebecca Crunden

Rebecca Crunden

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
72 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this science fiction novella engaging, with one review noting how the author deftly builds intrigue and excitement throughout. The book receives positive feedback for its character development and readability, with one customer mentioning it could be read in one sitting. They appreciate the relationship between characters, with one review highlighting the genuine sibling connection.

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PaceBook lengthCharacter developmentReadabilityRelationship
14 customers mention "Pace"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pace, describing it as an exciting sci-fi novella that keeps readers engaged from beginning to end, with one customer noting how the author deftly builds intrigue and excitement throughout.

"...The world of this little book felt expansive and immersive, taking the reader from the filthy shuttle launch pad to the stark, alien world of Kilnin..." Read more

"...That said, I rather liked the bones of the story, and though many of the opportunities for exposition are shortened, I also liked the background we..." Read more

"...of his narrow escapes are a bit convenient, but they keep the story moving at a clipping pace. Ames’ gut beliefs drive him...." Read more

"I am in love with Rebecca Crunden’s writing. Her stories sweep me off my feet...." Read more

8 customers mention "Book length"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's length, describing it as a fun novella with a ride of excitement from beginning to end.

"...But this sci-fi novella isn't in a rush...." Read more

"So, this book is short, and it stands on its own with a beginning, middle, and end. There are two main characters and a host of side characters...." Read more

"This short book was very much a ride of excitement from beginning to end...." Read more

"...cool, multiplanetary future, an engaging story with steady tension, fun and realistic characters...." Read more

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters interesting.

"...The characters felt like real people, and their rapport with Ames was a delight...." Read more

"...The characters were interesting, and I think most of them had reasonable drive...." Read more

"...future, an engaging story with steady tension, fun and realistic characters...." Read more

"...I enjoyed Ames as the main character and was quickly invested in his search...." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, with one mentioning it could be finished in one sitting and another noting the author writes well.

"...occur IRL at 42% of the way through my reading - could easily be read in one sitting...." Read more

"Fun space adventure that you can read in a short amount if time...." Read more

"...The author writes well, her voice is engaging, and the story progresses at a great clip...." Read more

"Casual fast-paced read!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Relationship"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the relationships in the book, with one mentioning the genuine sibling connection and another noting the delightful rapport between Ames and the main character.

"...The characters felt like real people, and their rapport with Ames was a delight...." Read more

"...who is also my best friend, I appreciated that the sibling connection felt genuine and not forced...." Read more

"...Ames is an awesome MC and a caring brother. And Violet just added to the mix." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Anonymous
    5.0 out of 5 stars Friendships Light the Way in a Dystopian Future
    Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Dust and Lightning hooked me at a London space station and kept me onboard for the ride until the end. The story takes place in the year 4054. Humanity has found solutions to some of our most pressing problems, but sadly, these still benefit the wealthy first and foremost. We do not follow a powerful figure, but an ordinary citizen, Ames Emerys. After being fed an implausible story about his brother, Callum’s arrest and sudden death on a distant world, Ames has been grounded on Earth. But Ames is not the compliant sort. When we meet him, he is already defying the authorities and looking into the suspicious circumstances surrounding Callum’s disappearance. This mystery leads Ames down a murky path of political intrigue.

    Fate is on his side as he encounters people who help him slip through the security loopholes of a corrupt system. I agree with other reviews that suggest some of his narrow escapes are a bit convenient, but they keep the story moving at a clipping pace. Ames’ gut beliefs drive him. He is a street-smart guy who is good at thinking on his feet. I liked the weird, irreverent nicknames he gives to new constellations and a cat he meets on his journey. They contribute nicely to his distinctive personality.

    I really enjoyed the depth of the platonic relationships in this novella, starting with Ames’ new friendship with Violet, a quick-witted lawyer who escapes a bad situation with his help. His circle of allies continues to grow from there.

    The political figures of this galaxy are distant cyphers who make baffling decisions that significantly affect the lives of ordinary folk (seldom for the better). Not all that different from what we experience today. We only encounter ground-level antagonists and don’t get any insights into the motives of the powers that be.

    Vivid descriptions add texture and grit to a terraformed planet; covering details from the colour of the sky to the smell of the dirt. If you gravitate towards hard sci-fi where space travel is explained in detail, I am afraid this isn’t for you. But sci-fi is as much about socio-political commentaries as it is about technology; Crunden has a solid understanding of these systems and conveys clear messages without over-simplifying them.

    Towards the end, several things come together very quickly, providing a satisfying short-term resolution. You get the sense that these characters are tiny cogs in the machine of change. D & L works as a standalone novella as it delivers on early promises while setting something larger in motion; it feels a bit like Rogue One in that way (minus the rather tragic aspects of that story).

    Content warnings: violence, implied domestic abuse, profanity.
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  • Devin
    4.0 out of 5 stars Book wants more pages
    Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    So, this book is short, and it stands on its own with a beginning, middle, and end. There are two main characters and a host of side characters. That means that we're going *fast.*

    Crunden skips a lot of what we know will happen. We meet a new character with means, motive, and opportunity to join up, with "Competence" written on her forehead. That one is going to be MC 2. We know it, we just don't know how.

    How it happens in most novels involves a lengthy period of learning about them, establishing rapport, showing the smouldering remains of all the bridges behind them, and a statement of resolve/gratitude/shared goals.

    In this one, we skip all that first bit and the characters are drawn to the same goal by magnetism and through the miracle of handwavium.

    Most of the filler bits (charitably referred to as "characterization" in longer novels) are similarly eschewed. Crunden knows where we're going, knows we know where we're going, and simply teleports us to the resolution of many of the more formulaic aspects of novels.

    That's just how it goes when you want a complete story that you can finish in 60 minutes on your couch, man.

    That said, I rather liked the bones of the story, and though many of the opportunities for exposition are shortened, I also liked the background we did see. What I'd love is a director's cut with 200 more pages, a little bit more agency for Violet (lawyer solidarity, sister) and a smidge longer for dread and tension to set in during the confrontations.

    Criticisms:
    Ames has a rather unique physiological trait that is mentioned exactly once, and it's not terribly plot relevant. It should be absolutely impossible to mistake this fellow for anyone but himself, and yet he does a remarkable job of remaining incognito all the time. I wondered if this detail was something the author meant to cut but left a mention of it in the beginning by accident. Goodness knows it's happened to me.

    End of list.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • D.M.Barnham
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect but solid, light, and fun
    Reviewed in Australia on June 17, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Amazon Rating: ☆★★★★
    Book Rating: ☆☆★★★

    —

    A short and enjoyable read. Part of me kept comparing the world to older light, sci-fi books, most notably Harry Harrison’s ‘Stainless Steel Rat’ series, not for the storylines or the comedic way he wrote, but because the universe Ames and Violet inhabit feels so much like the same one Jim DeGritz inhabited. I could actually see this being set in an earlier time to Jim. If I’m being completely honest, this upset me in the beginning, don’t get me wrong, I certainly liked it, I love those books - it triggered the nostalgia feels. But there was also this niggling feeling, perhaps because I wasn’t expecting it. We are galavanting two thousand years into the future but it feels like it is still very much a hands-on and analogy world. People jump into random flying cars and take to the steering wheel. They have wallets and use payphones. They have security but it's old school and passive. In the beginning, these things did bother me, but then I realised that was me being pedantic, I was so focused on the background that I ignored the foreground. It has a 70s space fiction feel, so what, a lot of my favourite shows written outside their time utilise that effect, Just think Terry Gilliam’s Brazil or the Fallout Games. And once I did that I was digging the world around me.

    At the end of the day. This is a light and entertaining read. It is fun and some of the scenes are beautifully written. The stand out to me is the start of the book when Ames is waiting for the ship to arrive and it starts raining. The words and visualisation they imprinted make me think ‘hot damn, this is so well described.’ It does drift after the start, the slow descriptive style makes way for action. Overall a solid and very easy read.

    This is also a story that focuses’ more along the lines of the people in the scene and less around everything else. It is a book about relationships and how far they’d go for someone they love. I do have one or two problems with passing characters. You know. People who might just be in it for a short while and leave. And that’s that I found their complete and utter acceptance and dialogue choice highly unbelievable. If this story has one major flaw, it is that strangers are willing to take a risk on each other without even a hint of hesitation. This is fine for some; aka it is the foundation of Ames and Violet's instant friendship and I liked it, they also had a reason to trust and support each other. But it felt like everyone was 100% trusting the moment they meet, and it grated. The main characters had their own unique voices, but the side ones felt a little sameish.

    ---

    My rating Systems:

    Amazon Rating: (because they suck when it comes to book ratings)
    5 – Fantastic work. Anything from brilliant to highly likeable.
    4 – A decent solid piece of writing with a lot going for it. I really dig your jive.
    X – No rating if I didn’t like it or think others won’t like it.

    All other Book Rating Systems:
    5 – Absolutely genius. I probably want to marry you.
    4 – Fantastic story. I loved it and will pick up your other work without hesitation.
    3 – A good, solid story. I enjoyed it and I’m sure others will too.
    2 – I wasn’t into it. Some potential but missed opportunities.
    1 – Yeah, na.

    Amazon score is my honest rating + an extra star.
    If I’m reading outside my preferred genres I auto-add a star to offset my own bias.
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  • Mirien Silowendë
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb scifi
    Reviewed in Germany on March 15, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this immensely. It was fast paced and easy to read. It resolved itself very neatly but that's the case for short stories and novellas I think. A satisfying story.
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  • Sonja Bauernfeind
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced sci-fi adventure following an ordinary man off to do the extraordinary for his brother.
    Reviewed in Sweden on November 28, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I am tenderly awarding this book five stars. Plus an extra paw. Why a paw you may ask? Well, I’ll get to that in a bit.

    Dust & Lightning is 122 pages of expertly paced dystopian science fiction. And if my dog, Loki, is to be believed (and he is), it is also extremely captivating. See, I read in bed. Sometimes that confuses Loki because the lights are on and I am not sleeping as I should, which means he’ll be looking at me from between his paws like I just committed a crime. And have you ever tried to read while there is a dog judging you? It’s distracting.

    So I started reading the book out loud to him for a while and aaaa you should have seen his face. He perked up, ears and all, got his big and alert puppy dog eyes out, and listened very intently while the tip of his tail did a little wag. He loves the book is what I am trying to say, which I fully understand. I do too!

    There’s so much to love in these 122 pages. Driven on by a letter insisting that his brother is dead, but convinced that there is more to it than what everyone wants him to believe, Ames (our protagonist) is thrown into a world of cruel conspiracies. He chases the only lead he has, all the way across the solar system and beyond, all the while desperately trying to stay one step ahead of the people who’d vanish him if they caught up with him. On that journey, we get to see what sort of man Ames is, what his principles are, how far he’d willing to go for the people he cares about, and why he should not ever be allowed to name a cat.

    The world-building in the book is excellent. Not a single word is wasted and everything mentioned has meaning and builds towards a greater whole. The characters are immediately memorable, from our protagonist all the way down to the supporting cast. We’ve also got an amazing friendship shaped between a man and a woman, one that doesn’t rely on attraction (something I love dearly). And have I mentioned the prose?

    No?

    Well, there’s a sample from the first few pages of the book, which I hope gives you an idea what sort of treat you’re in for:

    Each new discovery prompted exploitation, greed, uprisings. Like humans were in an abusive relationship with the universe.

    Bottom line: If you like dystopian sci-fi and have a thing for adventures where a small group stands up against a corrupt and ruthless regime, then I absolutely recommend this book. It has mystery. Chase scenes. Friendship. Weird bugs. A cat. And an electric ending.
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  • Alan K. Dell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly immersive futuristic sci-fi novella
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 28, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The scene setting in Dust & Lightning is top notch. The opening sequence in the spaceport was incredibly immersive with strong industrial vibes, and I immediately got the measure of the main character, Ames. The book’s plot was thoroughly engaging and well-written with the right amount of mystery and thrilling action, with Ames teaming up with Violet to track down his missing brother.

    The way the platonic relationship between Ames and Violet develops is very well done, and Violet herself was a fantastic character. She provided a great contrast to Ames, who - while compassionate - is extremely single-minded. Violet on the other hand struck me as far more adventurous. The two form a strong bond of friendship quickly, and I enjoyed the way she dove headfirst into danger and did whatever was necessary. I loved how the author dealt with injury in this book, with Ames continuing to nurse his cuts, bruises and headaches throughout. It affected him in a believable way.

    The novella was paced just right, with a boatload of action across the different locations - from giant cruise spaceships to secret underground lairs - as well as touching character moments that broke it up nicely. Being a novella, it’s a quick blast, and I was glued to my Kindle for a whole afternoon. The worldbuilding was immersive from start to finish, an I particularly enjoyed the planet Kilnin with its weird creatures and strange barren environment.

    The superhero elements were well-grounded and didn’t feel out of place with the world, though I can’t really talk about those because I try to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible. Let’s just say that the end of the book leaves us with some interesting implications, and I would love to see more in this universe.

    Overall, I thought Dust & Lightning was great fun, and I look forward to reading more of Rebecca’s work.
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  • Fantasy Book Nerd
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyably fast paced novella!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    It's the year 4054, and the earth is polluted and humans have populated other worlds.

    Ames Emery is searching for his brother, aid worker Cal, who after being imprisoned for unknown crimes against the ruling Democratic Planetary Alliance, is reportedly dead. However, Ames has received a communique from his cousin that Cal has turned up on a mining planet called Kilnin, despite the ship summarily disappearing.

    Catching a ship to search for his brother, Ames aids Violet escape from an abusive marriage and the two become firm friends and compatriots in their search for Callum.

    Throwing the reader into the action almost immediately, Rebecca Crunden writes a pretty enjoyable techno thriller that has secret government agencies, secret experiments, political tensions and a thrilling space race to find Ames's brother.

    The plot is immediately engaging as we stumble into the first scenario, hooking the reader in to find out more about what is happening and subsequently find the fate of Ames's brother and what the consequences will be for the Democratic Planetary Alliance as a whole.

    Both of the main characters are engaging and it was nice to see a platonic relationship develop between the two characters rather than an insta love attraction between the two.

    If you you want a fast paced short novella that's engaging and fun, then Dust and Lightning is a really good read.
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