Ivan, a government squad leader, is tasked with retrieving Tuck. Why, he doesn't know. He leads the mission among water purifiers and air recyclers, with bolt guns, sizzlers and EMPs as his weapons. He manages to rescue Tuck, who's been drugged with Rapture, and hauls him back to base. But with the kid in detox, Ivan looks into computer records and decides that the government has been turning kids into spies to put down rebellion and he wants to get Tuck out before worse harm befalls him. The attraction between the two young men builds to a physical relationship and helps them trust each other.

I don't know why a vast space habitat would be orbiting Pluto, which seems a likely spot for collisions with Oort cloud material, but by the time of this story the station has been there so long that probably nobody knows the reason. Ally Blue has created a consistent world where robotic insects scavenge and people with artificial eyes drink double espressos. I did find the ongoing underground rebellion story a little claustrophobic, but there is plenty of action, suspicion and well-drawn characters.

Ally Blue has written several other books including paranormal mysteries, and HELL'S END will appeal to hard SF fans, thriller readers and anyone who wants a grungy, far-future romance that's out of the ordinary.

Book Summary