'The Darkness Outside Us' & 'The Brightness Between Us' by Eliot Schrefer
- Reed
- Dec 31, 2025
- 2 min read
Author: Eliot Schrefer
Rating: A
Vibe: YA sci-fi romance with a side of mystery and just enough horror to keep you uneasy
Here's my advice: stop reading this review. I'm serious. The less you know about these books going in, the better. All you need is this—it's the distant future, two young astronauts are sent on a rescue mission together, and things are not what they seem. That's it. That's your pitch. Now go buy both books and come back when you're done.
Still here? Fine. I'll tell you what I can without ruining the experience.
Eliot Schrefer has crafted something genuinely special with this duology. From the first chapter, there's a persistent sense that something is off—a feeling that settles into your bones and doesn't let go. Ambrose wakes up on the Coordinated Endeavor with no memory of the launch. The ship's operating system speaks in his mother's voice. And his shipmate, Kodiak, has barricaded himself in the other half of the spacecraft and wants nothing to do with him. You're dropped into this disorienting situation right alongside Ambrose, piecing together clues at the same pace he does, and Schrefer plays completely fair with the mystery while still managing to pull the rug out from under you.
The chemistry between Ambrose and Kodiak is magnetic. They come from opposite worlds—Ambrose is warm, sarcastic, a little dorky, and emotionally fluent in a way that feels refreshing for a male protagonist. Kodiak is guarded, stoic, and deeply skeptical. One was raised in privilege; the other was raised by the state to be expendable. They shouldn't work together, and at first they don't. But isolation has a way of forcing connection, and watching these two slowly lower their defenses—first for survival, then for something more—is one of the great pleasures of the first book. The dialogue between them is natural and sharp, laced with humor even when the stakes get dire.
I tore through both of these. Couldn't put them down.
As for The Brightness Between Us—I'm not going to tell you much, because doing so would spoil the first book. Just know that the stakes are raised even higher, and it builds beautifully on everything that came before. Schrefer takes a more ambitious structural approach in the sequel, and it pays off. It deepens the world and the characters rather than simply extending them.
Is this high literary fiction? No. But it's not trying to be. It knows exactly what it is—a propulsive, romantic, slightly creepy sci-fi thriller—and it executes that vision with confidence and craft. The worldbuilding is clever without being overwhelming (the future Earth has only two remaining superpowers, and the geopolitical tension between them is baked into every interaction between Ambrose and Kodiak). The pacing is immaculate. And there are moments of genuine tenderness that sneak up on you.
Sometimes a book doesn't need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes it just needs to be a damn good ride. This duology is both—a propulsive read that also manages to ask interesting questions about identity, survival, and what we're willing to sacrifice for the people we love.
If you're planning to pick these up, grab both. You'll want the second one ready the moment you finish the first.
