Book Review: Requiem by John Palisano

John Palisano’s Requiem is a fast-paced, atmospheric blend of science fiction and cosmic horror that wastes no time plunging the reader into its chilling, otherworldly setting. Set aboard the Eden—a massive, moon-sized cemetery adrift in space—the novel explores grief, memory, and the thin veil between the living and the dead.

From the first page, Requiem hits the ground running, making it a great pick for readers who prefer action over exposition. There’s very little hand-holding here, and the story unfolds with an eerie momentum that mirrors the unraveling sanity of the characters aboard the Eden. One of the most striking elements is the ship itself: a floating mausoleum that not only houses the bodies of the dead, but eventually their restless souls as well.

At the heart of the story is Ava, a strong and emotionally complex protagonist wrestling with personal grief while confronting a rising, reality-warping entity. Her emotional arc becomes even more layered with the reappearance of Roland, her lost love, adding a haunting intimacy to the larger cosmic threat. The inclusion of a musician tasked with composing a “Requiem” for the dead brings a poetic, mythic quality to the horror—and her music awakens something vast, ancient, and terrifying.

Palisano’s concept is undeniably unique. A cemetery in space isn’t something you come across every day, and the strange, almost dreamlike horror of it all gives the novel a distinctly weird and unsettling tone.

While the brisk pacing may leave some readers wanting a bit more development in the world-building or character backstory, those looking for an intense, emotionally-charged ride through space-bound terror will likely find a lot to love here. Requiem is a haunting meditation on grief, memory, and what lingers after death—set against the cold backdrop of space, where silence isn’t the absence of sound but the presence of something darker.