The Heart of Matter: Odyssey One by Evan Currie

Science Fiction/Space Opera

The Heart of Matter: Odyssey One is a book I received from Amazon Vine.  It is the second in the series and while it can be read as a stand alone I recommend reading IntoThe Black: Odyssey One first (follow the link to read my review).  The Heart of Matter lingered on my TBR shelf for a while, not because I did not want to see what happened next but because of the size of the book.  This is a trade paperback that is over 600 pages long.  A book of this size is just uncomfortable to hold and read.  Once I started I did not want to put it down but still wished it were not as bulky to hold.  

The story is very good however I do think it could have been edited down a little.  Evan Currie wants his readers to know how everything works and that is where some of the explanations could have been shortened or edited out without damaging the story. 
If you have an ereader it might be the way to get around that problem and make it easier to read.

Here is the story from Amazon: 

After an epic maiden voyage that introduced Earth to a larger universe—and a cosmos full of terrifying new enemies—Captain Eric Weston and the crew of the NAC spacecraft Odyssey have spent months cooling their heels under their admiral’s watchful eye. But when Earth’s newest ally, the Priminae, strike a defense deal with the North American Confederacy, the Odyssey finally receives her orders: return to Ranquil, the Priminae’s war-ravaged homeworld, and lend badly needed support against the invading Drasin.

Weston and his crew are hungry for action, yet once back on Ranquil, they realize not all is as it seems. Yes, the Drasin are a formidable foe, but Weston suspects a powerful unseen force is waging the war that could alter forever the face of the universe. Determined to unmask the mysterious puppet masters, Weston and his motley crew defy NAC protocol and venture into deep space…where they will discover an enemy unlike any they have ever faced. The long-awaited follow-up to the spectacular Into the Black: Odyssey One combines old-school space opera with modern storytelling to create an exhilarating new sci-fi adventure.

This is an action driven more than a character driven story and the Odyssey is again in the heart of the action.  The first part of the book sets the stage for the action in the last half.  Look for action, drama, surprises and lots of tension.  Like any good Space Opera just as you think all is lost something happens to save the day.  Don’t look for the action to solve the problem.  In fact the Odyssey discovers new elements that change the landscape and leave a cliffhanger for the next book.

Evan Currie writes a good fast moving story. The story reminds me of many of the classic science fiction stories.  The Heart of Matter has a strong hero, a great supporting cast, aliens that we can identify with and a enemy that is wants to destroy everything.  Behind all of that is a mystery that needs to be solved.  While the story is classic there are new elements that keep the plot new and fresh.

47 North published The Heart of Matter: Odyssey One by Evan Currie in 2012.