Really enjoyed my time with this book, and the only complaint I'd really have is I WANT MORE. The Dead Space vibes, the horror of the situation, the feeling of helplessness. Damn this author made me feel and shudder and wince and hooboy.

Highly recommend this for horror and scifi fans.

Breached is a great, quick read for sci-fi horror lovers that enjoy the likes of 'Pandorum' and 'Another Life'. I finished this book in about 3 days because I only set it down when the real world needed me. (Which was too often). The novella follows multi-POVs after an explosion puts two crews in a life or death situation on a far away space outpost. Disconnected from the rest of the universe, and even each other, Candace and Travis have two very different ideas of how best to survive. It isn't just the systems being down they have to contend with, but a terrifying monster roaming the halls. Seeking victims.

There is a lot of gore moments that made me squirm (I'm sensitive). They were really well described. The author clearly has a handle on body-horror. I strongly recommend reading the Content Warnings before hand.

Lawrence J West writes from many different perspectives in this novella, which really enhanced the anxiety of being cut off and alone in space with a monster. The character Aeon was hard to stomach. Candace I wanted to shake. And Travis I yelled at. Rita was probably my favorite! What I am getting at... West gave us a well-ranged cast of characters that invoked many different emotions out of me as a reader. Something we need in horror stories featuring of multi-POVs.

I look forward to reading more works from this author in the future. Hopefully my squeamish side can handle it.

Breached is a fast-paced sci-fi/horror thrill ride that’ll please genre fans and the unconverted alike. It leans nicely into its influences, like Alien and Event Horizon, without ever feeling like a lame pastiche of them.

The chapters are short and offer different character’s povs, and this is handled very well by West. It’s a method that helps build an all-encompassing sense of panic within the story while never allowing the pace to drop. Suffice to say I read this book across a two day whirlwind of ancient monoliths, panicked galactic outpost staff, and wonderfully creepy monsters.

While not all of the characters are likeable, West’s approach is generally one of realism within the situation he creates, and the competing ideas of how to tackle the problems at hand, and the arguments and conflict these cause, is a well the author mines expertly.

Overall, Breached reminded me (stylistically) of something like The Meg - it’s great fun, rattles along at a pleasing pace, and offers plenty of interesting science-y elements alongside some monster-oriented action. Highly recommended.