Spotlight on Indie
Cover of Orders of Magnitude
Want to Read

Sign in to build your shelf

Get the book

Amazon
Kobo Apple Books

Orders of Magnitude

by Yuval Kordov
4.7
· 3 reviews 3 shelved
Military SF Cosmic & Eldritch Visonary & Metaphysical

The Moon was once colonized. Now it lies silent—mostly.

When a mysterious radio signal echoes from the abandoned colony of Serenitatis, the Vatican dispatches an elite squad of space marines to investigate. Paladin-Captain Samuel Cohen’s mission is simple: locate survivors, uncover the signal’s source, and get out. But beneath the sterile domes, something ancient stirs—an adversary that challenges not only the mission but the very foundations of his faith.

A gripping new novella that explores the resilience of the human—and holy—spirit in the darkness of the void. For fans of Event Horizon and Richard Paul Russo’s Ship of Fools.

Format
Ebook, Paperback
Published
Sep 2025
Language
EN

Content rating

Author-supplied. Hover a meter for the rubric.

Language
1/4

rare, soft words

Violence
3/4

graphic injury/death

Romance / Sex
0/4

None

Biblical Themes
4/4

central to the story

Vibe & themes

What this book is like. Log in to confirm these or flag ones that don’t fit.

Tone

Dark
Gritty

Themes

Good vs Evil
Faith & Belief
Sacrifice

Setting

Space
Near Future

Pace

Steady

Point-of-View

close 3rd person
1 POV character

Log in to confirm these tags or flag ones that don’t fit.

Reader reviews

Share your thoughts

Sign in to rate this book and write a review.

Sign in to review
4.7
3 reviews
5
2
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
I

Iseult Murphy

Aug 8, 2026

Ebook

Exploring faith and horror in science fiction.

I loved the nuns on the moon, the Paladin soldiers, and the creepy science fiction horror atmosphere.

B

Bowen Greenwood

Jul 26, 2026

fast, high octane action and suspense

Read this if: You like fast reads, high-octane action, or suspense. You enjoy stories where faith is portrayed as an element of the real world, not as a strawman villain or as an infallible deus ex machina. Don’t read this if: I’ve got nothing. This is a good book. Read it. Preorder your copy of Orders of Magnitude here. (Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn from qualifying purchases.) The Details A nun’s supernatural vision urges humanity to abandon the moon. An unprecedented solar storm with dangerous radiation delivers the same message in a secular way. But long after the colonists have left their new world behind, a new signal comes from the abandoned settlement that’s supposed to be empty. In a world recovering from nuclear war in the Middle East, the Catholic church has grown into a more worldly power than it’s been since the middle ages. The Vatican sends an elite squad of space marines to investigate this new signal, with Samuel Cohen leading them. What they find is anything but holy. From untraceable signals through disappearances among their team to the vilest of secrets waiting at the end, Samuel will wish the moon truly was empty before it’s over. I love the way Yuval Kordov writes about religion. He writes an authentic, real depiction of believers doing exciting things. The usual stereotypes never enter into it, and I appreciate that. This is a short, fast read. I don’t know the word count, but it felt like novella length rather than novel length. Assuming there’s a third annual Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship, this should definitely be entered. If, on the other hand, it’s over 40,000 words, it definitely belongs in the next Self-Published Science Fiction Contest. It’s not just religion, I flat out love the way Kordov writes. He’s an artist of words. His vocabulary paints pictures. In Kordov’s writing, a man doesn’t just pray, a prayer “plays along his lips.” A man doesn’t just see the Earth from the moon, it’s gravity tugs at his soul. We writers are constantly being told “Show, don’t tell.” Most of us are doing it the best we can, but Kordov is genuinely good at it. If I were to offer a criticism, it would be this: sometimes the writing gets almost too artistic. Kordov spends his effort describing the soldiers' fear, describing the hero’s feelings about his past, but doesn’t spare as much thought for making clear exactly what’s happening. Sometimes the reader experiences the space marines’ terror without being sure exactly why they’re terrified. In particular, this saps just a tiny little bit of power from the ending. I don’t want you to take from the above that I dislike reading about Samuel’s emotional burden and his temptation. That’s the best thing about him. He’s my favorite kind of hero, blasting bad guys but haunted by his past. I enjoy this character for the same reason that I enjoy the best Batman stories: Batman’ triumph comes not just with catching the Joker, but with resisting the temptation to kill him. Samuel Cohen in this story isn’t Batman, but he is haunted by his past and struggling with temptation, and I truly enjoy that in a protagonist. Unless you’re just not into action and suspense, you should read Orders of Magnitude.

S

Sarah Pierzchala

Jun 30, 2026

Beautifully crafted existential horror--in space!!

Paladin-Captain Samuel Cohen is tasked with investigating a mysterious signal on the Moon. He and his soldiers return to the abandoned facilities...to find the colonies may not be deserted, after all. Are they dealing with a mass psychotic event or something more powerful and sinister? With an ominous premise and an appealing, well-realized protagonist, Kordov delivers stellar pacing and prose in a tight, atmospheric military sci-fi that can be devoured in one or two sittings.

No reviews for this format yet.

Discussion

Start a discussion

No discussions about this book yet. Start the first one.

Readers also enjoyed