Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

Argos Incident by David Kuntz presents a world overrun by terrorism. When space colonies are struggling to build strong relationships among themselves, someone driven by greed is determined to disrupt the peace and make it harder for different planets to operate and successfully engage in trade relationships. He wants control. It is a world where espionage is expected, where mysterious assassinations happen frequently, and spies lurk everywhere. When the freighter ship New Horizon is infiltrated by terrorists, who will the crew trust? Most importantly, can they survive a deadly attack from the vicious Jordan?

Argos Incident is a thrilling story, deftly plotted and with twists that readers won’t see coming. The world-building is fantastic, and David Kuntz puts the characters in a space that feels real. Most of the action occurs between Argos and Kadar, and the activities on the ship are well narrated. One has the feeling an experienced engineer wrote this story, or else it was exceedingly well-researched. The characters are elaborately developed, and when readers are introduced to Al Jordan, the sly and cunning terrorist who can sabotage any attack, they don’t like him. He is well-written to reflect the danger he poses, together with Samuel, his companion.

From their physical appearance to psychological exploration, the author keeps the characters interesting. I was swept away by the efforts of McDermont to save a ship under dire circumstances and expose the terrorists. Characters like Sara Martin, Samuel, and McDermont are complex, multilayered, and utterly sophisticated. There is espionage, intrigue, and outright terrorism deftly woven into the gripping plot. Argos Incident is well-plotted science fiction with an ending that will not only surprise but stun readers, and I hope there is a follow-up planned. David Kuntz is a skilled storyteller with a substantial gift for exciting dialogues and realistic, memorable characters. A spellbinding work.