Death (Descent #2) by Ishmael Soledad

Temple Dark Publishing, August 2026

ISBN: 9781068250750

Available: Paperback

Buy: Bookshop.org  | Amazon.com

Death is the second volume in the author’s sprawling space opera hexology, and is similar to the first: written in the present tense, very character oriented, and above all, truly mind-blowing.  Readers who read the first volume won’t want to miss this one.  For readers considering getting into the series, be sure to read them in order, you can’t jump into the middle of this series.  A review of the first volume, Diathesis, is on this website.

Where the first book was focused on the question of genetically engineering humans for interstellar flight and the wisdom of doing so, the narrative lens has shifted in this book.  Its overlying theme is, can humanity be saved from their follies by interstellar flight, and are they worth saving?  And if so, should it be everyone, or just certain types of individuals?  As he did so well the last time, the author weaves these questions into the story, as seen through the actions and thoughts of the characters.  The genius scientist-turned-saboteur Maria plays a large role in the story, as her presence on the Saturn mission has the potential to alter the fate of humanity.  Readers may not always agree with her actions, but her motives can certainly be understood, if not always condoned.  It’s a skill to make “bad” characters sympathetic, and Soledad does it very well.  His characters feel real.

There are a few new characters, the most important being Richard and his sister Elyse, who are on the run from the Chinese government, although they have committed no actual crimes.  Their plot thread is the one where the author weaves in the question of what type of people should be the ones to survive a potential apocalypse, due to their innate characteristics. Book discussion clubs would have a bonanza with this series.  The research group in Greenland covers the last part of the narrative, as it introduces alien contact, which will have a say in the fate of the Earth.  Their motive?  Unknown at this point, although their final actions were certainly a surprise.  Hopefully, that gets answered later in the series.  It gave the overall plot a very large direction change, and leaves the series wide open for future possibilities.

It’s a lot to fit into 416 pages, but the author does a masterful job putting it all together.  The only minor tweak I would like to see is a bit more added in on the narrative side, for clarification of the story.  During the sections set on the Saturn mission, I got a bit confused with some of the details on what was happening, although it was enough that I got the overall gist of it.  This is one hell of a space yarn, but that minor change would help push the series even higher.

Bottom line is, if you read the first one, don’t miss this one.  If you haven’t, this series is well worth checking out: it’s an impressive saga of science fiction and humanity.  It’ll make you think, and leave you pondering certain ideas long after you finish reading: if you like Robert Heinlein, it will remind you of his writing.  Definitely recommended.

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson