Cascade Failure: A Novel (Ambit's Run #1) (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
Out in the depths of space, three groups hold all the power - and they're hiding something big. When the ragtag group aboard the Ambit respond to a distress call, they find a planet full of dead bodies, one grateful programmer, and a whole lot of trouble. Who knew trouble could be so fun and heartwarming? This crew is so charming and full of life that it's easy to forget that one of them is the AI that captains the ship. If you like your action and adventure with a side of creative nicknames, knitting, and pancakes (AKA if you're always chasing that Firefly feeling), this is the book for you.
— Rachel CopelandDescription
L. M. Sagas' debut, Cascade Failure, is a high-octane, sci-fi adventure blending J. S. Dewes' Divide series with Firefly. It features a fierce, messy, chaotic space family, vibrant worlds, and an exploration of the many ways to be—and not to be—human.
There are only three real powers in the Spiral: the corporate power of the Trust versus the Union's labor's leverage. Between them the Guild tries to keep everyone's hands above the table. It ain't easy.
Branded a Guild deserter, Jal "accidentally" lands a ride on a Guild ship. Helmed by an AI, with a ship's engineer/medic who doesn't see much of a difference between the two jobs, and a "don't make me shoot you" XO, the Guild crew of the Ambit is a little . . . different.
They're also in over their heads. Responding to a distress call from an abandoned planet, they find a mass grave, and a live programmer who knows how it happened. The Trust has plans. This isn't the first dead planet, and it's not going to be the last.
Unless the crew of the Ambit can stop it.
Ambit's Run series
Cascade Failure
About the Author
L. M. SAGAS is an author of rowdy, adventurous science fiction and fantasy stories full of characters who live hard and fight harder. She writes to give folks a few good laughs, but has been known, on occasion, to tug a few heartstrings along the way. When she isn’t writing, L.M. daylights as an intellectual property attorney in Nashville and moonlights as a dirt-smudged gardener, breakfast food enthusiast, and professional pillow to the world’s snuggliest shelter pup. Cascade Failure is her debut novel.
Praise For…
“Cascade Failure is an emotional and fun ride that you won't want to end. I loved this book!”—Mur Lafferty, author and Hugo Award-winning podcaster of Escape Pod
“With Cascade Failure, L.M. Sagas brings to life a gritty, grippy, space adventure with the big time stakes of The Expanse, the engaging family dynamics of Becky Chambers, and the sweet, tangy snark of Murderbot.”—Chris Panatier, author of Stringers
“Cascade Failure? More like Cascade EPIC WIN. Fast paced, heart-felt SF goodness. Sagas' debut will keep you grinning from first page to last!”—Jason M. Hough, New York Times bestselling author of Instinct
“Fans of Firefly and Lois McMaster Bujold’s brilliant Vorkosigan series, Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas has you covered. A ragtag crew full of grit, genius, and quirks with weary hearts of gold, finding the mission of their lives in a ship like no other. I loved everything about this book, including stunningly original world-building that ranks among the best I’ve ever read. Get this one. You’ll thank me.”—Julie E. Czerneda, award-winning author of To Each This World
“Gear up, strap in, and hold on. Fast, brash, and wickedly fun, Cascade Failure is 100-proof space juice injected straight into your veins.”—Dayton Ward, author of Star Trek: Coda
“A total blast. Clever writing, high-stakes danger, cinematic action, and witty banter—this book has it all. You’ll be rooting for these messy, lovable disaster misfits from the very first pages. Cascade Failure has earned its place among my favorite found family tales, alongside Killjoys, Mass Effect, and Battlestar Galactica.”—J. S. Dewes, author of The Last Watch
"An unambiguous holler against taking the worst of our ways with us into the final frontier. An intriguing debut and a damn good adventure."—Zig Zag Claybourne, author of Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe
