Critical Reviews:
“Perfect Reads for Spooky Season by Lee Hall, October 11, 2021.
I’ve always got time for a little space horror especially when it is this good and chilling. A stranded and down on their luck crew of the I.S.S. Mordrake discover a seemingly abandoned vessel floating in the depths of space. What they discover takes the reader on an awesome ride. Full Review Here.“
“Spooky Season Book Recommendations by Lee Hall, October 19, 2020.
It’s the season of spooky and what better way to celebrate the nights drawing in and those leaves falling than to read a Hallow-tastic book. Here at the Hall of Information we love a thrilling and chilling reading experience so here’s a run down of some recommendations perfect for the season…
Space and horror, simultaneously they are right up my alley and back in 2018 Christina Engela made history by being the first ever author to approach the Hall of Information for a book review. Of course we obliged and the journey of discovery began.
Imagine ‘Alien’ and ‘Event Horizon’ combined with Engela’s immersive writing style and you have the tale of the I.S.S. Mordrake; a ship seemingly stranded and damaged beyond repair in the furthest reaches of space and then it begins… They run into another ship that appears abandoned and just floating there. What unfolds is a tale of mystery and suspense. Check out my full review here and this book is part of the wider ‘Galaxii’ series which I plan on reading more of soon! [read more]” – Lee Hall, UK writer & reviewer in “Spooky Season Book Recommendations” Oct 19, 2020.
“Demonspawn by Christina Engela – a review
‘In space, not all things are certain… not even death’
Demonspawn is a detailed well-imagined space story, which I found hard to put down, in fact I read the book in just 3 sittings. Christina Engela has created a believable world of space travel, delivering it in way that seemed to me logical and explained without straying from the main plot.
From the very opening, there is a deliberate psychological vagueness as to what the ‘big bad’ could be. This heightens the mystery giving readers a real urgency and a want to find out, eventually you will. With that tension steadily building the story follows the somewhat damned crew of the I.S.S. Mordrake; a ship seemingly stranded and damaged beyond repair in the furthest reaches of space. Their captain is found murdered and so it’s up to main character Joe Lofflin to investigate along with a cast full of convincing characters.
Then they discover a derelict ship just floating in space.
This story reminded me of films such as Alien and Event Horizon but Demonspawn could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with them. There were many concepts of the sci-fi genre in this book that were original and put together in a way not seen before anywhere else (this was especially so for the ‘Akx’.)
It’s an enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more. 5 Stars.” – by Lee Hall, UK-based writer, playwright and reviewer, October 3, 2018.
Something’s waiting in the dark…
On an Imperial ship, damaged in a battle with corsairs and now floating adrift, tensions begin to rise as the crew slowly begin to realize that they are all about to die. The captain, unable to accept that the current situation they find themselves in is all his fault, sits in his cabin getting drunk when he is confronted by a killer.
And it is in this moment that a small sliver of hope appears.
An alien ship, abandoned in an asteroid field, provides their only hope of salvation but going aboard, the crew soon discover there is a reason why the ship is empty.
Everyone onboard has been slaughtered.
With no other choice, the crew begin the slow process of cannibalizing the alien ship for parts, all the time only too aware that there is not just a killer in their midst but also on this abandoned alien ship as well. As more and more people begin to die, it becomes a race against time – can the crew get the parts they need and get out of there before it is too late? And even if they do, will they still be safe even then?
This book is an awesome read and one that comes across as a mash-up of such films as Alien, Hardware, and Event Horizon. If this makes the book sound like it is derivative, fear not!
Christina Engela has a unique and brilliant voice that helps make this story her own as she slowly builds the tension to a shocking and tense climax. Quite simply, Christina Engela is one of the best voices in sci-fi right now and to not read her work would be to miss a treat!
If you like classic space opera with an ultra-modern twist, you should check her out. Having read previews of her forthcoming work, I can guarantee you the best is yet to come…” – Mark Woods, author of ‘Time of Tides’ and ‘Fear of the Dark’, 2015.
A real page turner…
“Joe Lofflin, second in command of the Terran deep space cruiser ISS Mordrake, has to inform his crew of 226 survivors of the devastating news that they now only have a few days left to live – no thanks to the actions of their Captain, Philip Wainright Blaine.
The Mordrake was on a mission to locate the home world of their arch enemy – the Corsairs, and after suffering catastrophic damage in a battle, was now left adrift in space – helpless and marooned.
Joe also comes face to face with his own desires as he falls for one of his junior crew members – Dellon Bennett, a handsome 24 year old man in the prime of his life.
The murder of Captain Blaine sees Loffin taking charge of the ship and leading the survivors into an uncertain future. Facing not only death itself, with limited oxygen, they also have to deal with finding the murderer. But that’s not all – this human enemy is not the only adversary they will have to face. A derelict alien ship crossing their path adrift for over 6000 years offers them a tantalizing chance at life, but at greater risk.
Will the murder of Captain Blaine be solved? Will Joe Loffin’s interest in Dellon grow into something more? And will the Mordrake and its crew survive the ultimate enemy?
This Sci-fi thriller brings everything to the table, murder, suspense, action, love. A real page turner by Christina Engela.” – Zenja Collins, Zen Entertainment, 2015.
Reader’s Comments:
Very Exciting
“This book keeps you craving the next page. So well written and narrator is fabulous as always. Brings so much excitement to the book. Love it” – Gwen Boseman, review of Demonspawn on Audible, May 14, 2023.
“Another good space opera romp in the shadow of Trek meets Aliens. More great narration from Nigel Peever.” – PJM, review on Audible, 09 December, 2022.
A ghost ship brings both hope and fear
“Demonspawn is one wildly intense thrill ride of a story set within the darkness of space. The I.S.S Mordrake is facing a disastrous situation as their captain’s miscalculations in the heat of battle have left the ship stranded and slowly dying… with only a miracle that could save them. In a disturbing twist of fate, someone has murdered their captain leaving the XO to helm a morose crew while unraveling who ended Captain’s Blaine life. Everything changes the moment an ancient and abandoned ship floats within range, offering the Mordrake their “miracle” and move to salvage to bring life back to their ship. Aboard this empty ship is a dark entity that is setting its sights upon the Mordrake crew as its now hunting ground; forcing the crew to fight not only for their own future but finally bring peace to a haunted ship. Narrator Nigel Peeve once more delivers an extraordinary performance you won’t soon forget. Highly recommended.” – Lori, review on audible, 06 December 2022.
A perfect blend of sci-fi horror & realistic snark
“Floating dead in space, the crew of the ISS Mordrake face (almost) certain death by suffocation or hunger, that is until they spy another derelict ship that may offer them salvation. Skipper-less, the crew decide to board what appears to be an alien vessel, to find the means to repair their ship….and that’s when things go very wrong. Something unknown is on the ship, which begins to hunt the crew while they franticly seek a way to repair their engines and escape, but the mystery of the Akx may hold the secret to their salvation, or suffer the same fate as the ship’s previous crew.
With a real sense of claustrophobia, tension and action, the book could easily be classed as nothing but a dry sci-fi horror novel but Christina has a wonderful gift for writing realistic characters and injecting humor in a way that feels both natural and believable. Both the action and the characters are brought to life with the usual mastery of Nigel Peever who, with both music and sound effects, creates a perfect listening experience. Each character is is instantly recognizable, every emotion feels honest and the terror palpable throughout this amazingly produced audio.
With excellent writing, brilliant narration and more than a few dry laughs, this is an absolute must for all fans of sci-fi horror adventures. 5 stars.” – Ryan Pascall, January 9, 2022.
An Awesome Adventure!
“A great action and adventure book. Love the narrator and additional sounds that brought the story to life.” – 4 stars, February 03, 2021.
Johnathan Goodall gave “Demonspawn” 5 stars in his review on Audible.co.uk, January 21, 2021:
Great Sci-fi Story
John Gibson gave the audiobook for “Demonspawn” a fair review on Audible.co.uk October 10, 2020:
Excellent Series!
“This is an action packed sci-fi tale. The writing and narration are both expertly done. I’m looking forward to the next book.” – D. Sturgeon, 5 stars, October 05, 2020 on Audible.
Second Book In Series Is Excellent
“The first book in the series, Blachart, was excellent. You don’t need to even look at it to go through this one. Different storyline in the same universe.
I’m not much of a horror fan but this book has the feeling of a horror/sci-fi storyline. I really enjoyed it. It’s written quite well and the Narrator does a great job yet again, appreciate it Nigel.
Give it a go, I feel it’s well on the worthy side.” – Amazon Customer, 5 stars, September 15, 2020 on Audible.
Awesome And Incredible Reads
“Both books [‘Blachart‘ and ‘Demonspawn‘ ] were awesome and incredible reads. I couldn’t put them down. They were fantastic and I was able to get vivid mental images of the scenes as I was reading them. That’s the sign of a great author. Congratulations Christina. Your writing truly ROCKS!” – Scott M. Darrah, reader, April 10, 2016.
A Riveting Blend
“A riveting blend of horror and science fiction laced generously with Ms. Engela’s trademark quirky humor.” – Alex S. Johnson, author of “The Doom Hippies”, 2016.
Awesome book!!!
“Really enjoyed reading this one. I had a hard time putting it down. Every page leaves you with a burning desire to find out what happens next. The way she writes this book makes it so easy to picture the entire story in your head. Its more like watching a movie than reading a book!!” – Stephanie Bothma, reader, 2016.
Engrossing space story
“A crew faces imminent death due to a poor decision to battle a ready foe. Just when they think they’ve found salvation in the form of a salvage ship they hope to use for parts – things go from bad to worse. The best part about the story was the quality writing. Excellent description. Good pacing. Recommend.” – J. Hunter, reader, 2016.
Sci-fi fans will love this book
“They say in space no one can hear you scream. In Demonspawn: Galaxii Series Book 2, there are plenty of screams as a creature rips its way through the inhabitants of a spaceship. A crew member, Kaine, tries to take the creature down in one last desperate move.
Reminiscent of Alien, where a helpless crew faces an alien terror, the story drew me in and I could feel that same claustrophobic feel I got when watching the movie. I felt the characters were well developed and the story moved along at a good pace. Sci-fi fans will love this book. It is available to buy now on Amazon. Rated it 5 of 5 stars” – S.K. Gregory, 2015.
A knack for writing villains
“The Space Fleet ship I.S.S. Mordrake has been damaged in a confrontation with the Corsairs. The main transmuter coil has burned out and there is no replacement. They are on life support which is running on the emergency batteries and will last only a few more days. Captain Philip Blaine has been murdered and Commander Lofflin has to take over. There is no hope until they spot a derelict ship in space that could have spare parts to salvage but an ancient terror, the Akx awaits them on the ship.
Christina’s writing is lucid and while reading I found myself shifting into ‘3rd gear’, able to immerse myself, immediately grabbed by the story. I liked the way the characters were developed. The strong leadership skills of Commander Lofflin are contrasted with the complete lack of leadership in Captain Blaine. There is moreover a strong theme of ‘confronting your fears’ in this story. Commander Lofflin has to confront his fears continuously. From addressing the crew about the impeding doom, the damaged ship and failing life support systems, right up to asking a young man out for a date. On almost every page this theme is brought in and I found it tremendously interesting.
Christina seems to have a knack for writing villains. With the Akx she really raised the bar. I felt suspense filling my whole body while reading. It kept me reading up till late to find out what happens.
A clearly written sci-fi novella with an interesting theme on confronting fear. The characters are well done and a villain that will raise suspense. Rating: 4 stars out of 5.” – Mr.Green, reader, 2014.
Further Reading: