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A Darkling Sea: A Novel Hardcover – January 28, 2014

by James L. Cambias (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 495 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
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On the planet Ilmatar, under a roof of ice a kilometer thick, a team of deep-sea diving scientists investigates the blind alien race that lives below. The Terran explorers have made an uneasy truce with the Sholen, their first extraterrestrial contact: so long as they don't disturb the Ilmataran habitat, they're free to conduct their missions in peace.

But when Henri Kerlerec, media personality and reckless adventurer, ends up sliced open by curious Ilmatarans, tensions between Terran and Sholen erupt, leading to a diplomatic disaster that threatens to escalate to war.

Against the backdrop of deep-sea guerrilla conflict, a new age of human exploration begins as alien cultures collide. Both sides seek the aid of the newly enlightened Ilmatarans. But what this struggle means for the natives―and the future of human exploration―is anything but certain, in A Darkling Sea by James Cambias.

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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tor Books
  4. Publication date
    January 28, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    6.18 x 1.16 x 8.46 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0765336278
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0765336279
  8. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
495 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story creative and enjoyable. They describe it as an entertaining read with a rich world-building. Readers praise the writing quality as well-written and thought-out. The characters are described as likable with distinct personalities. However, some feel the pacing is slow at times.

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Story qualityReadabilityImaginationWriting qualityCharacter developmentConceptPacing
50 customers mention "Story quality"43 positive7 negative

Customers find the story engaging with a creative plot, great characters, and good storytelling. They describe it as an enjoyable sci-fi adventure about human scientific curiosity versus interstellar interaction. The setting is well-executed, with a plausible world and situation. It's a good twist on a classic genre with solid science and careful historical details.

"The setting is exotic, the plot suspenseful, and the aliens believable. I found this book hard to put down, and very entertaining...." Read more

"Imaginative, funny, great characters and really good storytelling. Never disappointed with the author's work, and always looking for the next one." Read more

"...It’s a classic, solid, hard SF story (but not too hard) that reads quickly and does not disappoint...." Read more

"...That plot potential was completely ignored. However, good twist on a classic genre, good characters, good universe, and fairly fast paced...." Read more

41 customers mention "Readability"40 positive1 negative

Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They say it's worth reading, with an interesting science fiction story about a new world. The characters are described as imaginative and humorous.

"...I found this book hard to put down, and very entertaining. This is how science fiction should be written! The novel isn't perfect...." Read more

"Imaginative, funny, great characters and really good storytelling. Never disappointed with the author's work, and always looking for the next one." Read more

"...This is a superbly entertaining work by an author who will bear watching in the future. John Litchen" Read more

"...This book is interesting in part because of the science but I don't use that term. The author has another book coming out next year...." Read more

26 customers mention "Imagination"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book imaginative and thought-provoking. They appreciate the rich world-building and believable characters. The concept is amazing and the world is unique.

"Imaginative, funny, great characters and really good storytelling. Never disappointed with the author's work, and always looking for the next one." Read more

"...It’s a classic, solid, hard SF story (but not too hard) that reads quickly and does not disappoint...." Read more

"...However, good twist on a classic genre, good characters, good universe, and fairly fast paced...." Read more

"...There is a universe of backstory, solid science, and careful historical research in the author's well-packed head: one strongly suspects there is..." Read more

16 customers mention "Writing quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and creative. They appreciate the premise and how the author integrates an engaging story. While some feel the development and pacing could be improved, the author doesn't bog down with technical details. The setting and story are described as beautifully crafted and explored. Readers enjoy the tale of cultural conflict told from both human and alien perspectives.

"...Never disappointed with the author's work, and always looking for the next one." Read more

"Pretty well written. Characters who were more than 2 dimensional stereotypes; you could actually relate to them...." Read more

"...While a good solid read, the development and pacing leave a bit to be desired...." Read more

"...the plot, and the flow of the book were, for the most part, skillfully done...." Read more

15 customers mention "Character development"15 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the human characters likable, but the alien characters have distinct personalities and cultures.

"Imaginative, funny, great characters and really good storytelling. Never disappointed with the author's work, and always looking for the next one." Read more

"...However, good twist on a classic genre, good characters, good universe, and fairly fast paced...." Read more

"...take the time to savor this: luxuriate in this world, enjoy getting to know its characters, and taste the many carefully crafted threads that make..." Read more

"...The main Ilmataran character, Broadtail, is likable enough. But the main human character, Rob, seems childish, silly, and inappropriate...." Read more

7 customers mention "Concept"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the concept of first contact interesting and engaging. They appreciate the believable descriptions and the fascinating exposition on human exploration and perils. The book is described as a fun read with likable characters and an intriguing first contact concept.

"What an interesting concept in finding and communicating with alien races...." Read more

"...about explorers, aliens, strange new worlds, and the sharing of knowledge and discovery...." Read more

"An enjoyable sci-fi adventure about human scientific curiosity versus interstellar politics versus first contact protocols...." Read more

"...The early first contact descriptions believable and interesting. However the longer the book went the more cliched it became...." Read more

5 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive5 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book slow at times. They mention the story starts quickly but then bogs down.

"...However, just as things should be picking up speed, the story bogs down, the arcs fragment, at least one major set is left dangling and then, within..." Read more

"...It’s just that the political intrigue, the violence, and the lack of believability made this, for me, a nonstarter." Read more

"...3.5 stars, but the pacing and the balance bring it down: the story starts quickly, bogs down, and then offers a rushed ending...." Read more

"...It was a little slow to start, but well worth the time to read." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful SF novel with convincing aliens
    Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The setting is exotic, the plot suspenseful, and the aliens believable. I found this book hard to put down, and very entertaining. This is how science fiction should be written!

    The novel isn't perfect. I thought the ending was a bit artificial. The ongoing tensions between humans and the other space-traveling aliens are left hanging, and instead we get a puzzle in a box. Yes, it's pretty weird: what use would the primitive, blind underwater aliens have for one of THOSE? But wondering about it doesn't really take me anywhere; ending a novel with a puzzle is not the same as providing an ending. I wish Mr. Cambias would explore this mysterious universe further. Yes, I am tired of all the unending series (and "sagas", "story arcs", not to mention "epics") that clutter the SF world today. A self-contained novel would be a refreshing change. The problem is that this novel isn't entirely self-contained because the ending leaves so many questions. Did the fight described in the book lead to war with the (space) aliens? What's the meaning of the Mysterious Artifact? And I'd like to hear more about our aquatic friends.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Another Great One
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Imaginative, funny, great characters and really good storytelling. Never disappointed with the author's work, and always looking for the next one.
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  • J. A. Partridge
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stumbled on this book and couldn’t put it down.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I heard about A Darkling Sea from a post on John Scalzi’s blog. When I read James Cambias’ thoughts on why warfare between alien races was extremely unlikely and why Star Trek’s Prime Directive “stems from a mix of outrageous arrogance and equally overblown self-loathing, a toxic brew masked by pure and noble rhetoric,” I was pretty much sold on the novel before I could read the sample pages.

    It’s a classic, solid, hard SF story (but not too hard) that reads quickly and does not disappoint. I only have a few minor quibbles about it.

    1) It seems too short. Perhaps I’m too used to epic fantasy doorstop books, but I wanted it to be twice as long and I really want to know what happens between the humans and the Sholen as a result of all this. I felt, occasionally, that I would have liked him to linger a little longer on some of the scenes. At times it almost felt like some scenes were missing or the plot just skipped to the next plot point without fully explaining the impact of some of the events.

    2) The scenes from the Ilmatarans were in the present tense. I realize this probably had something to do with their perception of time and I believe there is a somewhat oblique reference to that late in the book. It doesn’t really add to the narrative in any way and mostly just distracts the reader and remind him he’s reading a book.

    3) Aliens speaking each other’s language. This is a personal pet peeve of mine and I know it’s common in SF, but it’s probably even more unlikely than war in space. Any westerner who’s tried to learn Mandarin as an adult can understand how hard it is to do so after the brain begins to lose the ability to recognize (much less reproduce) new phonemes. Now imagine how hard this would be if you don’t have the same physiological structures to make or hear those sounds. I thought the whole issue of language with the Ilmatarans was particularly well thought out, but the Sholen speaking multiple human languages seemed unlikely. If we ever contact another intelligent species all conversation will almost certainly have to be handled through computerized translators.

    Still, I was gripped by this book and the only reason I didn’t finish it the day I got it was because work kept interfering. I will most definitely be looking forward to more works from James Cambias.
    One person found this helpful
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  • TyeFinns
    4.0 out of 5 stars Underwater space opera
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Pretty well written. Characters who were more than 2 dimensional stereotypes; you could actually relate to them. I will say I thought the author could have taken more advantage of the claustrophobic fear and anxiety of living entirely under an alien sea. That plot potential was completely ignored. However, good twist on a classic genre, good characters, good universe, and fairly fast paced. It would be great to see other stories written in this same universe. Would love to see a follow-on chronicling the future of Broadtail and the rest of the Ilmatarans.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Paul Cassel
    3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing World But Uneven Pacing
    Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is a potentially complex tale given we have earthlings mixed in with two aliens on a very different alien world. While a good solid read, the development and pacing leave a bit to be desired. The story starts off roaring right along and seems to be building to an interesting mash up as various parties who you know will meet up somehow move along in their various arcs.

    However, just as things should be picking up speed, the story bogs down, the arcs fragment, at least one major set is left dangling and then, within a few pages, the entire story finishes abruptly. There's a mysterious twist sort of element at the end which went right over my head. I'm not sure if I wasn't paying attention earlier on and missed something or if the author inserted this twist in expectations that all readers would be able to see its meaning. Anyway, it was as if the final paragraph of this novel was written in Kurdish or another language I don't understand.

    In the end, I think there were too many ingredients in this soup. Either the meeting of the earthlings and the main aliens would suffice for a story or alternatively, the conflict between earthlings and the other aliens would make for a good story. Mixing the elements turned out to be too many factions to explore any of the interfaces in enough depth to do them justice.

    The author shortchanged himself. Unlike many recent SciFi books where the 'aliens' are barely disguised humans, here we have three vastly different groups involved in a multifaceted conflict too complex to resolve within the space allocated. Then again, maybe the author's to be congratulated for doing a complete novel rather than giving us a complete novel in three volumes with enough filler to triple the length.

    Then again, the mysterious (to me) twist like ending may signal volume 2 on the way. If so, I'll probably go for it too.
    13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • buschtrommler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Top Unterwasser Sci-Fi
    Reviewed in Germany on July 29, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Der Planet Ilmatar, samt seiner Bewohner und die Unterwasser-Forschungsstation "Hitode", laden im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes zum Ein- bzw. Abtauchen ein. Das erfrischende und atmosphärische Unterwasser-Setting lässt auch über kleinere Schwächen in der Story oder Charaktertiefe hinwegsehen. Wer ein gutes Unterwasser Sci-Fi Buch sucht - und davon gibt es nicht allzu viel - wird mit "A Darkling Sea" viel Freude haben.
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  • F. Byers
    5.0 out of 5 stars Now we see through the deeps darkly.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Up there with the best scifi of 2014, very little tops this impressive debut. Well-written, providing enough detail to keep things scientifically plausible and make the aliens convincing.
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  • Doug Paterson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting concepts and a great read
    Reviewed in Canada on June 6, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This book kept me up half the night reading. Undersea action and sexualized aliens! What a concept. I will read more of his books for sure!
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  • Oskar Axelsson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is a very good read. One of those books that pulls you into the story and it all comes alive in you mind. Highly recomended for those who enjoy a good science fiction story with some good science facts on the side .
    It takes place under the ice of a distant planet in a realistic universe with the facts and consequences in good order. There is a political game with two well described alien species and humanity and it gives an interesting perspective of various standpoints.
    The book reads a bit like a thriller, being rather fast paced, which is quite nice but I'd preferred a bit more flesh on the bones and a less abrupt ending to give it a fifth star.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Great!
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