Review
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this book. But I was pleasantly surprised before after just the history and prologue. Nicholas Keating Casbarro delivers and strong debut with Vitalerium: Descent into the Void. The book is action packed with high stakes, fantastic worldbuilding, a creative and sophisticated plot, interesting and entertaining characters, and even a little romance sprinkled in.
Our MMC is as tortured as a hero can get. Roman has a tragic backstory and can’t seem to catch a break. He’s very good at what he does and succeeds at many things. And yet, his tendency to self medicate and maintain detached relationships put him in situations that make his life arguably worse. But that also makes for a highly intriguing character and story arc.
The author doesn’t hold back in terms of the gritty, dark, and depressing reality that prevails in society, even hundreds of years after humans colonize other planets. Government corruption and political conspiracy are alive and well. Wealth gaps and poverty are rampant. Advancements in technology lead to not only fancy and impressive gadgets but also questionable self indulgence. But the author weaves these details naturally to paint the picture without overloading the reader with information about the universe in Vitalerium.
Casbarro paces the story well, delivering a true action-packed space opera. Even with a higher page count, I finished the book rather quickly because the entertainment and adventure kept going. And just when we think that a character’s POV is irrelevant, it comes back to be crucial to the bigger picture, let alone Roman’s survival.
The characters fit into the world beautifully, while offering readers a glimpse into Roman’s personality through his interactions with them. I only wish that the author didn’t rush some of the character relationships. For example, we don’t get much about Roman’s friendship with a certain character and how that developed before their tragic end. As a reader I understand that the death was a huge turning point for Roman’s story arc. But there was little build up for his death to pack the punch that it could have been.
Readers should note potential content warnings such as substance abuse, human trafficking, homelessness, deaths of parents, prostitution, alcoholism, torture, blackmail, and infidelity.
Nicholas Keating Casbarro joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast for a long discussion about his debut novel, worldbuilding, and plans for the series. Keep an ear out for the episode and pick up a copy of Vitalerium, available now.
Book
Nearly six centuries have passed since humanity’s discovery of vitalerium, which ushered in a golden age of space exploration and colonization. Planet Deorum’s society is centered around this illustrious, gravity-bending blue crystal. The year is 2701.
Following a near-fatal disaster, roughneck freelancer Roman Matthews becomes unwittingly trapped at the center of a harrowing conspiracy. Hunted by Deorum’s government, the Coalition for Prosperity, Roman must use his deadly skillset to survive against all odds.
Roman and his band of unlikely allies will discover that the Coalition’s indiscretions threaten the delicate balance of advanced civilization. As a sect of the Coalition prepares to implement their Machiavellian vision of utopia, the proverbial pendulum begins to swing toward chaos…
