Reality Rift (dark Shepherd book 2) by Fred Gambino (book review)
Many SFCrowsnest readers will, I imagine, be aware of Fred Gambino’s work as a freelance Science Fiction artist. Starting as an illustrator of SF book covers, he has also worked as a concept artist for TV, video games and such films as ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’. If you haven’t seen his art, do visit his website, where you can see the enormous range of subjects he’s painted, both traditionally and digitally, over the years.
Gambino isn’t just talented with a paintbrush, though. He’s also an author. ‘Reality Rift’ is the sequel to his debut SF novel ‘Dark Shepherd’, which came out in May 2024 and which I reviewed here at the time. If you’ve not read it, I’d recommend that you do, as it’s a wonderful example of pacy and energetic space opera.
Before jumping into the storyline, I should note that Gambino’s publishers, NewCon Press, have outdone themselves once again. In addition to the standard paperback and eBook versions of ‘Reality Rift’, there are also two limited edition versions. The first is a signed hardback in a print run of 50 copies. The second is a signed deluxe hardback edition of just 28 copies which, amongst other things, includes a limited edition print and the chance to win an original drawing by Gambino. If you’re tempted by either of the limited editions, though, I’d get a move on, as they have nearly sold out ahead of publication.
‘Dark Shepherd’ ended with young female protagonist Breel and the rest of our heroes finding themselves seemingly stranded in an unfamiliar part of space, scant reward for their efforts to stop the Church of Second Light’s plans for domination. ‘Reality Rift’ picks up from that ending without a break.
Their spaceship, Scavenger, was badly damaged during their escape from the Church ships that were pursuing them. Struggling for power, Breel pilots the ship close to the converted asteroid where they fought their last battle, so that ship’s captain Matt, along with engineer Kaemon and the Deacon, an escaped former Church scientist, can head down there in spacesuits and try to locate power cells and other supplies that will enable them to repair Scavenger.
What they’re not expecting to find on the asteroid is a survivor of that battle, a badly-injured Church of Second Light soldier whose spacesuit’s emergency systems have managed to keep the person inside alive. Just. Not willing to murder an unarmed prisoner of war, they bring the soldier back on board and start to nurse their prisoner back to health while doing running repairs on the ship. While most of the crew hope the rescued soldier will show gratitude, Kaemon keeps reminding them that the Church indoctrinates its troops, trying to turn them into fanatics who will seize any opportunity to kill their enemies. Only time will tell who is right.
Their next destination is the only other object that’s anywhere near them: Book one’s titular ‘Dark Shepherd’ moon, which they’ve been heading towards for ages, as Breel has some strange affinity towards it. Having been shocked to learn that she was adopted in the previous novel, Breel is hoping that she’ll find out who she really is and where she came from, down on the moon.
It soon turns out that Breel’s intuition seems well-motivated. When they get close to the moon, they see signs of alien life, although the moon’s atmosphere would kill a human in short order. More surprisingly, they also see a large, clearly artificial building complex on the surface. Their scanners show some areas inside it which have suddenly gained an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, suspiciously suitable for humans to breathe. It looks like someone or something wants them to come and visit. Short of any viable alternatives, they’re forced to take up the offer.
Almost inevitably, the moment they get down to the surface of the Shepherd Moon, things start to get complicated and increasingly dangerous. Who is their mysterious host? What do they want with Breel? Most importantly, are any of them likely to survive the encounter?
Second books in a planned trilogy can sometimes be criticised for lack of pace or limited plot development, as they can lack the excitement of the initial novel and the energy of the concluding volume while, at worst, just filling in the gap between them. Thankfully, such a response would be totally wide of the mark here. So many different things happen in ‘Reality Rift’ that the main problem is finding an opportunity to take a breath.
As a visual artist, Gambino has demonstrated his ability to invent new settings countless times. He did the same, through the medium of prose, in ‘Dark Shepherd’ and goes even further in this second novel. The Shepherd Moon, which forms the setting for much of this book, is extremely odd in countless different ways, testament to the extraordinary creative powers of the now long extinct aliens who constructed it. As Breel and her companions try to locate whoever or whatever has summoned them, they encounter many strange creatures, along with inexplicable oddities in the local physics. However, this is an SF novel not fantasy and there is always some explanation available for even the weirdest stuff they come across.
At the heart of any successful novel are the characters. Many of those in ‘Reality Rift’ are familiar from ‘Dark Shepherd’, although we find out more about them here, in some cases turning our view of a particular character on its head. Breel remains consistent between the two books while growing in stature as she starts to realise her full potential. There are new characters too, providing freshness and a level of uncertainty that I found extremely enjoyable.
At the other end of the spectrum, the main antagonist from ‘Dark Shepherd’, the Lord of Light who heads up the Church, reappears at various points through book two. Gambino continues to do an excellent job of treading that fine line between creating a villain so horrible that they risk becoming a caricature and one whose motivations and back story are explored in enough detail that you actually grow to have some level of understanding of where they’ve come from and how they’ve become the person they are.
At one level, ‘Reality Rift’ is simply a hugely enjoyable slice of space opera. At another level, though, it explores many issues of real importance today, including the risks of unchecked individual power, the potential that artificial intelligence may have for both good and ill, the importance of seeing other people as individuals, not just as ‘friends’ or ‘enemies’ and the almost limitless possibilities that human beings possess if we can only master our more destructive impulses. Strongly recommended.
Patrick Mahon
December 2025
(pub: NewConPress, 288 page paperback. Price: £13.99 (UK). ISBN 978-1-917735-16-2.
check out: www.newconpress.co.uk and www.fredgambino.co.uk