What do you think?
Rate this book
The Doomed Earth #1
In Our Stars
Lieutenant Selene Genji has one last chance to save the Earth from destruction in this pulse-pounding science fiction adventure, from the author of the New York Times bestselling Lost Fleet series.
Earth, 2180
Genetically engineered with partly alien DNA, Lieutenant Selene Genji is different from ordinary humans. And they hate her for it. Still, she’s spent her life trying to overcome society’s prejudice by serving in the Unified Fleet while Earth’s international order collapses into war.
Genji is stationed on a ship in orbit when humanity’s factional extremism on the planet reaches a boiling point, and she witnesses the utter annihilation of Earth. When the massive forces unleashed by Earth’s death warp space and time to hurl her forty years into the past, Genji is given a chance to try to change the future and save Earth—starting with the alien first contact only she knows will soon occur.
Earth, 2140
Lieutenant Kayl Owen’s ship is on a routine patrol when a piece of spacecraft wreckage appears out of nowhere. To his shock, there is a survivor on Selene Genji. Once her strange heritage is discovered, though, it becomes clear that Genji is a problem Earth Guard command wants to dispose of—quietly. After learning the horrifying truth, Owen helps her escape and joins her mission.
Together, they have a chance to change the fate of an Earth doomed to die in 2180. But altering history could put Genji’s very existence in danger, and Owen wonders if a world without her is one worth saving. . . .
Earth, 2180
Genetically engineered with partly alien DNA, Lieutenant Selene Genji is different from ordinary humans. And they hate her for it. Still, she’s spent her life trying to overcome society’s prejudice by serving in the Unified Fleet while Earth’s international order collapses into war.
Genji is stationed on a ship in orbit when humanity’s factional extremism on the planet reaches a boiling point, and she witnesses the utter annihilation of Earth. When the massive forces unleashed by Earth’s death warp space and time to hurl her forty years into the past, Genji is given a chance to try to change the future and save Earth—starting with the alien first contact only she knows will soon occur.
Earth, 2140
Lieutenant Kayl Owen’s ship is on a routine patrol when a piece of spacecraft wreckage appears out of nowhere. To his shock, there is a survivor on Selene Genji. Once her strange heritage is discovered, though, it becomes clear that Genji is a problem Earth Guard command wants to dispose of—quietly. After learning the horrifying truth, Owen helps her escape and joins her mission.
Together, they have a chance to change the fate of an Earth doomed to die in 2180. But altering history could put Genji’s very existence in danger, and Owen wonders if a world without her is one worth saving. . . .
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2024
101 people are currently reading
5547 people want to read
About the author
Jack Campbell
115 books3,030 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
June 7, 2024
3.0 Stars
Video Review https://youtu.be/csQk2BcJee4
This is a new release from the same author who wrote The Lost Fleet series. I enjoyed the first book for the most part, but I choose to continue on with the series. So if you absolutely love the author’s previous series, you may enjoy this series more than me.
This was a easy space opera with likeable, if not simple, characters. The plot moves quickly, making this for a fun fast read. Personally I wanted more meat from this story because the stakes felt low. I prefer stories with more weight since those serious elements tend to hook me in and keep me engrossed.
This is the start of a series and I would potentially continue as it offers a light escapist experience.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Video Review https://youtu.be/csQk2BcJee4
This is a new release from the same author who wrote The Lost Fleet series. I enjoyed the first book for the most part, but I choose to continue on with the series. So if you absolutely love the author’s previous series, you may enjoy this series more than me.
This was a easy space opera with likeable, if not simple, characters. The plot moves quickly, making this for a fun fast read. Personally I wanted more meat from this story because the stakes felt low. I prefer stories with more weight since those serious elements tend to hook me in and keep me engrossed.
This is the start of a series and I would potentially continue as it offers a light escapist experience.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
June 8, 2024
Complicated review / I love what he was trying to do here
1st off, I love Jack Campbell or John G. Hemry. I like how he writes and what he's saying. I'm a huge fan of his Pillars of Reality series. I went out and got the physical books, they are right here on a bookshelf next to me. I have read them many times.
In Our Stars (The Doomed Earth, #1) is very much The Pillars of Reality Series 2.0 just (deep breath) not as good.
where The Pillars of Reality Series was an allegory, In Our Stars strips down the ambiguity and just comes out and says it. But that's not the problem here.
In this book it's corruption in vital institutions, inequality in the justice system, and the eagerness for some people to embrace jingoism, bigotry, and flimsy conspiracy theories that threaten a kind of civil world war 3. It's stupidity and xenophobia vs. all the people trying to hold it together.
This one just lacks the charm of his previous books. and that pains me to say because I'm 100% behind what he's trying to say in this book.
The kick in the pants is: I've enjoyed reading books where I've hated the selfish / cynical world view. Books that preached the strong deserve to take from the weak and that might makes right. Disgusting, and yet as an adventure story I found the plot and pacing to be outstanding.
This is the opposite problem. Here Jack Campbell is accurately warning of societal collapse due to some short sighted problems that CAN BE fixed. He's talking about holding leaders accountable and the nobility of shouldering your share of the burden. He says things I've been thinking myself, but this book just did not move me as a story.
I'm absolutely going to read the next one, and I really hope it clicks with other people and they get more out of it than I did. I'd love this book to become a run away best seller.
I just can't say I thought the writing was as good as the intentions that inspired the book.
Still a fan.
1st off, I love Jack Campbell or John G. Hemry. I like how he writes and what he's saying. I'm a huge fan of his Pillars of Reality series. I went out and got the physical books, they are right here on a bookshelf next to me. I have read them many times.
In Our Stars (The Doomed Earth, #1) is very much The Pillars of Reality Series 2.0 just (deep breath) not as good.
where The Pillars of Reality Series was an allegory, In Our Stars strips down the ambiguity and just comes out and says it. But that's not the problem here.
In this book it's corruption in vital institutions, inequality in the justice system, and the eagerness for some people to embrace jingoism, bigotry, and flimsy conspiracy theories that threaten a kind of civil world war 3. It's stupidity and xenophobia vs. all the people trying to hold it together.
This one just lacks the charm of his previous books. and that pains me to say because I'm 100% behind what he's trying to say in this book.
The kick in the pants is: I've enjoyed reading books where I've hated the selfish / cynical world view. Books that preached the strong deserve to take from the weak and that might makes right. Disgusting, and yet as an adventure story I found the plot and pacing to be outstanding.
This is the opposite problem. Here Jack Campbell is accurately warning of societal collapse due to some short sighted problems that CAN BE fixed. He's talking about holding leaders accountable and the nobility of shouldering your share of the burden. He says things I've been thinking myself, but this book just did not move me as a story.
I'm absolutely going to read the next one, and I really hope it clicks with other people and they get more out of it than I did. I'd love this book to become a run away best seller.
I just can't say I thought the writing was as good as the intentions that inspired the book.
Still a fan.
July 7, 2024
3.5 stars
This is a book that I have very mixed feelings about. I enjoyed reading it, and I liked the characters. It was easy to enjoy and I appreciated that at this moment in my life.
But...
It felt also felt very basic. The writing was workmanlike and the story was uncomplicated. There wasn't a lot of depth to anything, whether it be story or characters. If you understand the term "beach read" to describe enjoyable and uncomplicated storytelling, then this book can probably be best described as an SF beach read.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, and if the sequel were available right now I would probably have picked it up right away. However, if it takes a year to come out, I might forget that I read this by then. I had the same thing happen to me with the Aurora by David Koepp. I enjoyed it when I read it but then forgot about it. When I came across it sometime later I looked at the description and thought, "oh that looks interesting" but then saw I had already read and reviewed it.
That probably won't happen with In Our Stars, and, possibly because it is so uncomplicated, it might be easier to remind myself what happened once the sequel comes out.
This is a book that I have very mixed feelings about. I enjoyed reading it, and I liked the characters. It was easy to enjoy and I appreciated that at this moment in my life.
But...
It felt also felt very basic. The writing was workmanlike and the story was uncomplicated. There wasn't a lot of depth to anything, whether it be story or characters. If you understand the term "beach read" to describe enjoyable and uncomplicated storytelling, then this book can probably be best described as an SF beach read.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, and if the sequel were available right now I would probably have picked it up right away. However, if it takes a year to come out, I might forget that I read this by then. I had the same thing happen to me with the Aurora by David Koepp. I enjoyed it when I read it but then forgot about it. When I came across it sometime later I looked at the description and thought, "oh that looks interesting" but then saw I had already read and reviewed it.
That probably won't happen with In Our Stars, and, possibly because it is so uncomplicated, it might be easier to remind myself what happened once the sequel comes out.
September 12, 2024
Fun and a few addictive sections but with a hefty helping of YA mixed in leaving this book lacking sophistication.
We follow Lt Selene Geniji after she witnesses the destruction of Warth is somehow blown into the past with a chance to change the destruction of the planet. Beyond the difficulty of trying to disrupt Earth’s history, she must also contend with prejudice of her 1/2 Alien DNA— aliens who we humans are just about to meet….
However this book left something to be desired in the silly implausible YA feeling romance and the over emphasis in each character explaining all their emotions and motivations even in the most dire of situations. This was felt all the more knowing the sophistication and realism i got from his previous work (the lost fleet).
We follow Lt Selene Geniji after she witnesses the destruction of Warth is somehow blown into the past with a chance to change the destruction of the planet. Beyond the difficulty of trying to disrupt Earth’s history, she must also contend with prejudice of her 1/2 Alien DNA— aliens who we humans are just about to meet….
However this book left something to be desired in the silly implausible YA feeling romance and the over emphasis in each character explaining all their emotions and motivations even in the most dire of situations. This was felt all the more knowing the sophistication and realism i got from his previous work (the lost fleet).
May 23, 2024
This book has a great premise: an alloy FMC (part human, part alien) witnesses the annihilation of Earth from an orbiting spaceship. A space and time warp sends her back forty years, and she realizes she has a chance to change history and save humanity, although doing so might erase her entire existence.
I really enjoyed this action-packed story; the lead characters were likable and admirable. The speculation about future tech and invasion of privacy was so unsettling, as was the human reaction to first contact with aliens. The repetition of the FMC's disbelief in anyone's acceptance or love of her got a little old, but she was still a compelling character.
This is the first book in a duology, I'll definitely be reading the second one!
I really enjoyed this action-packed story; the lead characters were likable and admirable. The speculation about future tech and invasion of privacy was so unsettling, as was the human reaction to first contact with aliens. The repetition of the FMC's disbelief in anyone's acceptance or love of her got a little old, but she was still a compelling character.
This is the first book in a duology, I'll definitely be reading the second one!
May 28, 2024
In Our Stars by Jack Campbell is the first book in "The Doomed Earth" series. As far as I know, I have read all of Jack Campbell's "Lost Fleet" books and spin-off books. I have also read all of his books under his real name John G Hemry. That being said I found this book somewhat disappointing. The premise was interesting and it started out well enough but it soon devolved into my least favorite troupe in fiction. That is when two people who are obviously meant for each other each believe that they are unworthy of the other. The book was supposed to be about saving the earth from destruction, and it was, but it spent more time on the relationship of Selene and Kayl Owen than on anything else. The action scenes were the only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 2 stars. I may give the next book in the series a try but I am as of yet undecided.
July 29, 2024
1 star removed for the stilted dialogue and nonsensical plot points. The rest single-handedly for Selene Genji being one of the most insufferable POV characters I have ever had the misfortune of reading about.
July 4, 2025
This book was such a pleasant surprise—I didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying it. The suspense and action were well-paced, and I loved the worldbuilding. The mix of future Earth lore and the different colonies on Mars and the Moon added great texture to the setting. There were also some clever jokes and cultural references specific to the future world, which made it feel both immersive and smart.
Selene Genji is an intriguing character. Her perspective as someone from the future—with alien DNA and a traumatic past—offered a lot of complexity. That said, some of her internal reflections on the differences between past and future Earth became repetitive after a while.
Kayl Owen, the male lead, was charming and easy to root for. He’s a true underdog, and I found myself really invested in his choices throughout the book.
The action is strong, and the pacing keeps the story moving. Every time I picked the book up, I wanted to keep going—and that’s always a good sign.
The weakest part, though, was the romance. It felt flat and underdeveloped. There wasn’t enough buildup or emotional payoff—it just sort of happened. There were even a few moments that felt inserted for the sake of feeling “on trend” rather than serving the story. A romance could have worked in this book, but this one didn’t land.
Still, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected and was happy to find out the series continues. I’ll definitely be picking up the next one.
Thank you ACE for an eARC and finished copy of this book to review.
Selene Genji is an intriguing character. Her perspective as someone from the future—with alien DNA and a traumatic past—offered a lot of complexity. That said, some of her internal reflections on the differences between past and future Earth became repetitive after a while.
Kayl Owen, the male lead, was charming and easy to root for. He’s a true underdog, and I found myself really invested in his choices throughout the book.
The action is strong, and the pacing keeps the story moving. Every time I picked the book up, I wanted to keep going—and that’s always a good sign.
The weakest part, though, was the romance. It felt flat and underdeveloped. There wasn’t enough buildup or emotional payoff—it just sort of happened. There were even a few moments that felt inserted for the sake of feeling “on trend” rather than serving the story. A romance could have worked in this book, but this one didn’t land.
Still, I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected and was happy to find out the series continues. I’ll definitely be picking up the next one.
Thank you ACE for an eARC and finished copy of this book to review.
2024
October 21, 2025Valentine's Day TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Ace
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Ace
May 31, 2024
A terrorist plot destroys the earth, but what if a woman has the chance to change history and save the earth? Jack Campbell’s books caught my eye some time ago when reading a book pal’s reviews, but In Our Stars was my first opportunity to take up his suspenseful, intriguing and action-packed first in series Space Opera.
Selene is half-human half-alien, genetically engineered and holds a military position with a front row seat from space as the terrorists and multiple factions at war succeed in annihilating the planet. The result is that Selene is catapulted 40 years into the past when there is a chance to change what went catastrophically wrong from the point of first contact with the aliens and the way several earth governmental entities are handled.
She can’t do it alone and the only one who believes in her is a man who serves in the military, working to dispel is family’s tarnished reputation, but now has bought into her mission to save earth’s future.
From the earliest pages, In Our Stars captured my rapt attention as Kayl and Selene are on the run for their lives and then have to go straight to the heart of trouble with their plans. I loved the setup of Selene time-traveling, but not so far into the past that the focus became the time travel. Rather, this is merely the vehicle that gets her there and allows her to have clarity of her mission back in the past.
But, like any good story, Selene’s save the earth mission isn’t so simple. There is political intrigue because of the great powers within the eroding Earth Guard that Kayl only had suspicions about from his spot as a patrol ship lieutenant and there are big movers and shakers who are corrupt with their own agendas. The alien race’s arrival is pivotal to much that is going on and Selene and Kayl have to find a way to keep the peace though some are working hard for their own reasons to create a hostile environment.
And, then there are the personal elements with both of them fighting their own demons. Kayl joined the Earth Guard to bring honor back to his family name after his dad was wrongfully blamed for something and disgraced, but instead finds that most of the Earth Guard is not about ability, but who you know and the status quo. Selene has fought prejudice and fear and lack of belonging all her life for her alien DNA. She struggles to believe Kayl and a few others like him can be so accepting and loyal.
I enjoyed the high risk set up and flow to this story that included fast and furious action and moments of suspense build up or thoughtful reflection. There is excellent character and relationship development. And, while this was obviously a first in series that had to establish the world and series arc, it was a fabulous story with closure in its own right.
In summary, I will be finishing Selene and Kayl’s story and hitting up Jack Campbell’s backlist for some more superb sci-fi and space opera.
I rec'd an eARC from Ace-Roc via Netgalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at That's What I'm Talking About May 23, 2024.
Selene is half-human half-alien, genetically engineered and holds a military position with a front row seat from space as the terrorists and multiple factions at war succeed in annihilating the planet. The result is that Selene is catapulted 40 years into the past when there is a chance to change what went catastrophically wrong from the point of first contact with the aliens and the way several earth governmental entities are handled.
She can’t do it alone and the only one who believes in her is a man who serves in the military, working to dispel is family’s tarnished reputation, but now has bought into her mission to save earth’s future.
From the earliest pages, In Our Stars captured my rapt attention as Kayl and Selene are on the run for their lives and then have to go straight to the heart of trouble with their plans. I loved the setup of Selene time-traveling, but not so far into the past that the focus became the time travel. Rather, this is merely the vehicle that gets her there and allows her to have clarity of her mission back in the past.
But, like any good story, Selene’s save the earth mission isn’t so simple. There is political intrigue because of the great powers within the eroding Earth Guard that Kayl only had suspicions about from his spot as a patrol ship lieutenant and there are big movers and shakers who are corrupt with their own agendas. The alien race’s arrival is pivotal to much that is going on and Selene and Kayl have to find a way to keep the peace though some are working hard for their own reasons to create a hostile environment.
And, then there are the personal elements with both of them fighting their own demons. Kayl joined the Earth Guard to bring honor back to his family name after his dad was wrongfully blamed for something and disgraced, but instead finds that most of the Earth Guard is not about ability, but who you know and the status quo. Selene has fought prejudice and fear and lack of belonging all her life for her alien DNA. She struggles to believe Kayl and a few others like him can be so accepting and loyal.
I enjoyed the high risk set up and flow to this story that included fast and furious action and moments of suspense build up or thoughtful reflection. There is excellent character and relationship development. And, while this was obviously a first in series that had to establish the world and series arc, it was a fabulous story with closure in its own right.
In summary, I will be finishing Selene and Kayl’s story and hitting up Jack Campbell’s backlist for some more superb sci-fi and space opera.
I rec'd an eARC from Ace-Roc via Netgalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at That's What I'm Talking About May 23, 2024.
March 28, 2025
Just terrible. The “teen” love drama every couple of pages is making it a barfing material.
And the handling of the time travel paradox - just stupid.
And the handling of the time travel paradox - just stupid.
July 14, 2024
An enjoyable sci-fi tale, but one that feels a bit by-the-numbers. It has the framework of a great novel, but it’s fleshed out in a way that is more fast-tracked romance and lesson-learny.
May 30, 2024
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I'm a big fan of this author's military / political space opera with the Lost Fleet . In Our Stars has some of that feel but is more in the Science Fiction Romance genre which felt weird. The romance was not typical to a romance novel. Other aspects were more similar with politics, aliens, and inexplicable time travel.
Selene is an alloy from about 40 years in the future. Her ship appears and Kayl Owen is part of the team who goes to find any survivors. Both of them are used to others looking down on them or disliking them. They put their personal issues aside to try to save Earth from an attack between now - 2140- and 2180. The catalyst for the attack is prejudice and misunderstanding about aliens or various classes of human, along with the typical greed of politics.
Selene is determined to save Earth by influencing attitudes and events. Kayl joins her in the mission. They knew it would be dangerous but the Earth Guard fleet tries to kill them from the start. As they begin trying to have effects on big events, they become attached and attracted, even though Selene is unwilling to hope. She knows that changing things may mean she might not exist in the future.
I enjoyed the fast paced action and strategy. The relationship seemed a little hokey, a bit immature somehow. That could be that Selene and Kayl both have limited experience with serious relationships. I appreciated the world building of the different places and factions. Aliens are always exciting to me and I love their part here. I am ready for the next book in The Doomed Earth series because the end was a bit of a cliffhanger.
Narration:
Most of the story is from Kayl or Selene's point of view. Both narrators emotional tones felt appropriate. Fannon's voice was comfortable for the various characters. Every time Emmes started narrating a section from Selene's point of view, the voice felt a bit sharp and higher pitched. Perhaps that was intended, to be different as an alloy, but it did jar me a bit out of the story. It was fine once she got going though. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I'm a big fan of this author's military / political space opera with the Lost Fleet . In Our Stars has some of that feel but is more in the Science Fiction Romance genre which felt weird. The romance was not typical to a romance novel. Other aspects were more similar with politics, aliens, and inexplicable time travel.
Selene is an alloy from about 40 years in the future. Her ship appears and Kayl Owen is part of the team who goes to find any survivors. Both of them are used to others looking down on them or disliking them. They put their personal issues aside to try to save Earth from an attack between now - 2140- and 2180. The catalyst for the attack is prejudice and misunderstanding about aliens or various classes of human, along with the typical greed of politics.
Selene is determined to save Earth by influencing attitudes and events. Kayl joins her in the mission. They knew it would be dangerous but the Earth Guard fleet tries to kill them from the start. As they begin trying to have effects on big events, they become attached and attracted, even though Selene is unwilling to hope. She knows that changing things may mean she might not exist in the future.
I enjoyed the fast paced action and strategy. The relationship seemed a little hokey, a bit immature somehow. That could be that Selene and Kayl both have limited experience with serious relationships. I appreciated the world building of the different places and factions. Aliens are always exciting to me and I love their part here. I am ready for the next book in The Doomed Earth series because the end was a bit of a cliffhanger.
Narration:
Most of the story is from Kayl or Selene's point of view. Both narrators emotional tones felt appropriate. Fannon's voice was comfortable for the various characters. Every time Emmes started narrating a section from Selene's point of view, the voice felt a bit sharp and higher pitched. Perhaps that was intended, to be different as an alloy, but it did jar me a bit out of the story. It was fine once she got going though. I listened at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
May 31, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!
I wanted a good scifi book, and this did not disappoint! It really grips you from the very start, and I love the time travel twist and how this is played out through both the plot and the characters themselves. I love that it throws in so much to learn about both the current world and the future world but also makes things so difficult for the characters to truly wrestle with. It makes everything even more meaningful and impactful from the very beginning.
I do think that some of the romance fell a bit flat for me. It felt almost like insta-love despite the characters having such a rocky start. I wanted more from them learning each other as people and learning to stick together through it all, but it felt like they just....fell in love.
I really loved the depth of this book as far as talking about biases and racism and just how powerful these things can be in both individual lives and in the world at large.
If you need a scifi fix, look no further! I can't wait to see where this series goes!
I wanted a good scifi book, and this did not disappoint! It really grips you from the very start, and I love the time travel twist and how this is played out through both the plot and the characters themselves. I love that it throws in so much to learn about both the current world and the future world but also makes things so difficult for the characters to truly wrestle with. It makes everything even more meaningful and impactful from the very beginning.
I do think that some of the romance fell a bit flat for me. It felt almost like insta-love despite the characters having such a rocky start. I wanted more from them learning each other as people and learning to stick together through it all, but it felt like they just....fell in love.
I really loved the depth of this book as far as talking about biases and racism and just how powerful these things can be in both individual lives and in the world at large.
If you need a scifi fix, look no further! I can't wait to see where this series goes!
May 19, 2024
A time travel story with a bit of a twist.
I wish I could give half points because I would say that this was about a 3.5.
The story wasn’t lacking at all.
For me it was the amount of repetition. The way the FMC kept saying “I’m an alloy” got to be annoying. We understood after the first 5-8 times that she doesn’t understand how people can see her as anything else but this sentiment travels to the end of the book as well.
The people they come in contact with are very trusting. It’s an ideal society where we have bad people but the people that the main characters come in contact with are all good. There is ONE time where they encounter an adversary head one. Everything else is more like evasion.
Since this is a book 1, there isn’t much of a conclusion to the story but I am intrigued enough to pick up a book 2.
I did also enjoy the Auntie character a lot.
I wish I could give half points because I would say that this was about a 3.5.
The story wasn’t lacking at all.
For me it was the amount of repetition. The way the FMC kept saying “I’m an alloy” got to be annoying. We understood after the first 5-8 times that she doesn’t understand how people can see her as anything else but this sentiment travels to the end of the book as well.
The people they come in contact with are very trusting. It’s an ideal society where we have bad people but the people that the main characters come in contact with are all good. There is ONE time where they encounter an adversary head one. Everything else is more like evasion.
Since this is a book 1, there isn’t much of a conclusion to the story but I am intrigued enough to pick up a book 2.
I did also enjoy the Auntie character a lot.
September 1, 2024
Great page tuner. Being an avid reader of Campbell's "The Lost Fleet" series, I was very excited about this novel. I was not disappointed. Genji and Owen are interesting characters and I enjoyed following them on the run to safe Earth. Campbell's writing is engaging and immersive. I enjoyed how the action sequences and world-building complement one other. The main characters' journey through the political and social terrain is fascinating. I have Book 2 marked on my "to-read" list for the upcoming year. I really want to know if they can stop a disaster from happening and how that will affect their surroundings.
August 30, 2024
A breezy read considering the dark starting point of the book. It is chock full of social justice commentary and allegory but I thought it was done incredibly well and I'm usually pretty snarky about that kind of thing. I'm not sure it's going to blow away anybody with it's originality but that's not always needed. Overall I was blasting through it but I wasn't have a whole bunch of fun, but then the final third or so captured me a little bit more. I'm glad I picked this up from the library on a whim and I will check out the second one when it comes out.
September 15, 2025
This one reads like a YA sci fi romance. On the fence if I will read the second book.
Very angsty. Bella and Edward in space….but I loved Twilight.
Very angsty. Bella and Edward in space….but I loved Twilight.
May 22, 2024
ARC from NetGalley.
I was really sucked in by this time traveling space opera. Warning it does have a cliffhanger ending and I will definitely be reading book 2. This follows a half human/alien called an Alloy who witnesses the Earth explode and is then sent 40 years into the past where she tries to stop the events that lead to the Earth’s destruction. The main relationship may be a little too convenient and simple but the characters themselves are interesting and compelling.
I was really sucked in by this time traveling space opera. Warning it does have a cliffhanger ending and I will definitely be reading book 2. This follows a half human/alien called an Alloy who witnesses the Earth explode and is then sent 40 years into the past where she tries to stop the events that lead to the Earth’s destruction. The main relationship may be a little too convenient and simple but the characters themselves are interesting and compelling.
December 18, 2024
A fun, fast-paced sci-fi adventure. Lots of action and spaceship chase scenes. I wished the story and characters were more developed, it read pretty surface level to me. And the alien species was so boring! I live for aliens and this did not do it for me. I need more!! But a fun read nonetheless.
May 17, 2024
From the opening pages, In Our Stars read an awful damn lot like a Star Trek episode. Actually, several of them. Because this is a time travel story, of just the kind that Star Trek in ALL of its various iterations, has played with – A LOT.
It’s the year 2180, and Lieutenant Selene Genji of Earth’s United Fleet is just close enough to the event horizon to watch in horror as Earth is destroyed. Not by aliens, not by the Borg, not by accident.
But deliberately, by its own people. Not even in an attempt to throw off an alien invasion as in the first Avengers movie. In Lieutenant Genji’s 2180, Earth bombs itself out of existence in a fit of xenophobia directed at people just like her.
People who are ‘alloys’, who have a portion of alien DNA. Because after ‘First Contact’ with the Tramontine in 2140, genetic manipulation made that possible – and briefly – desirable.
But humans are gonna human, and some humans are just looking for an excuse to declare that other people aren’t people, and charismatic tyrants and despots are always available and all-too-willing to latch onto any stupid excuse to grab power.
To make a long story short, there was a large, influential group of people who believed that destroying Earth to purge it of alien influences would cause a new, pure Earth to emerge from the inevitable dust cloud.
The wrongness of that belief and her wish to change history to make sure this doesn’t happen again are Selene Genji’s last conscious thoughts before she’s rescued by Lieutenant Kayl Owen of Earth Guard, the only survivor aboard her derelict ship, in 2140, just months before First Contact.
Selene Genji has that barely conscious wish within her sights. She is in the right place – or at least at the right time – to prevent the destruction of Earth she witnessed 40 years in the future.
Whether she’s in the right place is an entirely different question, as Kayl Owen inherited his father’s disgrace to his service, and no one has any compunctions about making them both disappear in order to keep the secret of her existence from everyone who might care.
Which is way more people and forces than she expected, as the mysterious powers that took over Earth so quickly in her own time are considerably more active in her new here and now than Selene – or history – told her to expect.
It’s going to be an even longer road, NOT getting from there to here, than even a woman from the future could possibly have imagined.
Escape Rating B: I couldn’t get the resemblance to Trek out of my head, and that affected my reading of this book a lot because it felt just a bit too familiar. To the point where even though I didn’t know what was coming, I sorta/kinda knew what was coming. Also, to the point where I couldn’t resist falling down a Trek time travel rabbit hole. Or should I say, a time travel black hole, because that device was used frequently and often, even if that’s not quite what happened here.
The thing is, Star Trek played with time travel frequently and often. There’s at least one time travel episode in every Trek series to date, taking them in Trek’s chronological order, from the entire first season of Enterprise with its Temporal Cold War arc, through “What is Past is Prologue” (Discovery), “A Quality of Mercy” (Strange New Worlds), “Tomorrow is Yesterday” (The Original Series), “Yesteryear” (The Animated Series), “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (Next Gen), “Past Tense” (DS9), “Future’s End” (Voyager) and last but certainly not least, “The Star Gazer” from Star Trek: Picard’s second season. As well as one of Trek’s most famous and storied episodes, “The City on the Edge of Forever” from TOS, and two of its best and most popular movies, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, otherwise known as ‘the one with the whales’ and Star Trek: First Contact – the one with Steppenwolf’s marvelously apropos “Magic Carpet Ride”.
(The above list is ONLY a sampling. There are multiple time travel episodes and/or arcs in every Trek series. If you’re really curious check out the Memory Alpha wiki.)
The difference between most but not all of the Trek examples and In Our Stars is that in Trek it’s usually someone else who has mucked with the time stream and it’s the job of whatever series is running at the time to make things right. Although there have been exceptions.
The plot in In Our Stars is to prevent the worst from happening by mucking with the 2140 time stream as soon and as much as possible. The story is that neither of those things, fast or soon, are going to be as easy as Selene – and her soon-to-be life-partner Kayl Owen – either expect or even hope.
Which is clearly what is going to push the plot of The Doomed Earth series, of which In Our Stars is the first book, through the years from 2140 to 2180 and hopefully past that original disastrous day. Something that we’ll get to see in the months and years ahead, both theirs and ours.
I picked this up because Jack Campbell is an author who has been recommended to me multiple times, but by the time that happened his best known series, now called The Lost Fleet, with its follow up Lost Fleet Universe series, was already well past a dozen books in. I wasn’t in the mood to start from the beginning and don’t like picking things up in the middle if at all possible.
In Our Stars solved that problem, as it’s the opening book in a new series, so no catch up and no need to jump in the middle with both feet and hope for an informative landing. One of these days the ‘round tuit’ for reading Lost Fleet will emerge, as they do. But today is not that day.
In the meantime In Our Stars turned out to be a great place to get into a new-to-me author. The familiarity of the setup was a comfort that also made the plotting of the political craziness – because that’s definitely a feature – the touch of romance and the constant drive of our heroes on the run while building support – just that much easier to get into.
So if you’re looking for a new space opera type adventure with more than a hint of the familiar in all the best places, take a ride to 2180, or 2140, or both, In Our Stars.
Originally published at Reading Reality
It’s the year 2180, and Lieutenant Selene Genji of Earth’s United Fleet is just close enough to the event horizon to watch in horror as Earth is destroyed. Not by aliens, not by the Borg, not by accident.
But deliberately, by its own people. Not even in an attempt to throw off an alien invasion as in the first Avengers movie. In Lieutenant Genji’s 2180, Earth bombs itself out of existence in a fit of xenophobia directed at people just like her.
People who are ‘alloys’, who have a portion of alien DNA. Because after ‘First Contact’ with the Tramontine in 2140, genetic manipulation made that possible – and briefly – desirable.
But humans are gonna human, and some humans are just looking for an excuse to declare that other people aren’t people, and charismatic tyrants and despots are always available and all-too-willing to latch onto any stupid excuse to grab power.
To make a long story short, there was a large, influential group of people who believed that destroying Earth to purge it of alien influences would cause a new, pure Earth to emerge from the inevitable dust cloud.
The wrongness of that belief and her wish to change history to make sure this doesn’t happen again are Selene Genji’s last conscious thoughts before she’s rescued by Lieutenant Kayl Owen of Earth Guard, the only survivor aboard her derelict ship, in 2140, just months before First Contact.
Selene Genji has that barely conscious wish within her sights. She is in the right place – or at least at the right time – to prevent the destruction of Earth she witnessed 40 years in the future.
Whether she’s in the right place is an entirely different question, as Kayl Owen inherited his father’s disgrace to his service, and no one has any compunctions about making them both disappear in order to keep the secret of her existence from everyone who might care.
Which is way more people and forces than she expected, as the mysterious powers that took over Earth so quickly in her own time are considerably more active in her new here and now than Selene – or history – told her to expect.
It’s going to be an even longer road, NOT getting from there to here, than even a woman from the future could possibly have imagined.
Escape Rating B: I couldn’t get the resemblance to Trek out of my head, and that affected my reading of this book a lot because it felt just a bit too familiar. To the point where even though I didn’t know what was coming, I sorta/kinda knew what was coming. Also, to the point where I couldn’t resist falling down a Trek time travel rabbit hole. Or should I say, a time travel black hole, because that device was used frequently and often, even if that’s not quite what happened here.
The thing is, Star Trek played with time travel frequently and often. There’s at least one time travel episode in every Trek series to date, taking them in Trek’s chronological order, from the entire first season of Enterprise with its Temporal Cold War arc, through “What is Past is Prologue” (Discovery), “A Quality of Mercy” (Strange New Worlds), “Tomorrow is Yesterday” (The Original Series), “Yesteryear” (The Animated Series), “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (Next Gen), “Past Tense” (DS9), “Future’s End” (Voyager) and last but certainly not least, “The Star Gazer” from Star Trek: Picard’s second season. As well as one of Trek’s most famous and storied episodes, “The City on the Edge of Forever” from TOS, and two of its best and most popular movies, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, otherwise known as ‘the one with the whales’ and Star Trek: First Contact – the one with Steppenwolf’s marvelously apropos “Magic Carpet Ride”.
(The above list is ONLY a sampling. There are multiple time travel episodes and/or arcs in every Trek series. If you’re really curious check out the Memory Alpha wiki.)
The difference between most but not all of the Trek examples and In Our Stars is that in Trek it’s usually someone else who has mucked with the time stream and it’s the job of whatever series is running at the time to make things right. Although there have been exceptions.
The plot in In Our Stars is to prevent the worst from happening by mucking with the 2140 time stream as soon and as much as possible. The story is that neither of those things, fast or soon, are going to be as easy as Selene – and her soon-to-be life-partner Kayl Owen – either expect or even hope.
Which is clearly what is going to push the plot of The Doomed Earth series, of which In Our Stars is the first book, through the years from 2140 to 2180 and hopefully past that original disastrous day. Something that we’ll get to see in the months and years ahead, both theirs and ours.
I picked this up because Jack Campbell is an author who has been recommended to me multiple times, but by the time that happened his best known series, now called The Lost Fleet, with its follow up Lost Fleet Universe series, was already well past a dozen books in. I wasn’t in the mood to start from the beginning and don’t like picking things up in the middle if at all possible.
In Our Stars solved that problem, as it’s the opening book in a new series, so no catch up and no need to jump in the middle with both feet and hope for an informative landing. One of these days the ‘round tuit’ for reading Lost Fleet will emerge, as they do. But today is not that day.
In the meantime In Our Stars turned out to be a great place to get into a new-to-me author. The familiarity of the setup was a comfort that also made the plotting of the political craziness – because that’s definitely a feature – the touch of romance and the constant drive of our heroes on the run while building support – just that much easier to get into.
So if you’re looking for a new space opera type adventure with more than a hint of the familiar in all the best places, take a ride to 2180, or 2140, or both, In Our Stars.
Originally published at Reading Reality
May 21, 2024
I received an ARC audiobook. I am grateful to the author and NetGalley. While I initially liked that the book was “fast paced” it become increasingly clear that it was too fast and things were being left out. The relationship between the two MCs seemed to be heading into romantic territory out of nowhere. We are told that they had communicated on the ship when she was initially rescued, but because none of those interactions are written the reader is left wondering what was said and how anything more than platonic is possible. We also hear CONSTANTLY that the FMC is alien. While at first I think it was okay. It became almost insulting to the reader. I ended up calling it quits at thirty percent. The narrator was great. Clear speech and easy to understand but the story was not my favorite. If you love Sci fi I don’t think you’d enjoy this and if you love romance I think it’s to instalove. It doesn’t fit. I wish the author well and wouldn’t be opposed to trying another book from them but this was a miss.
January 19, 2024
I really didn't have time to be bored, the main characters were constantly on the run from one scenario to the next trying to save the earth in the future. Some of the arguments/conversations made me roll my eyes a couple time just because some of the things said between the main characters were a bit repetitive. To be fair some of those conversations in life can be repetitive in real life. This really didn't affect my enjoyment of the story I was invested in the outcome of their journey. The way Jack Campbell left the ending I will definitely be reading the next book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to get into science fiction it is fast paced and easy to get into.
May 31, 2024
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
I have greatly enjoyed the Lost Fleet books but admittedly I am finding Campbell's other works formulaic and overly simplistic. With this book, we have one long chase scene without any real resolve and growth. To make matters worse, the emphasis throughout is on a romance that is cringe at best right up until the abrupt and pointless cliffhanger ending.Story: Selene watches the Earth die in a fireball - only to suddenly find herself thrown back in time 40 years previous. With the help of pilot Kayl who she meets when rescued, the two will try to find a way to save humanity while also falling in love. Unfortunately, the authorities have randomly decided that they have to be eliminated.
The problem I am finding with Campbell's books is that the two main characters are always a) an earnest aw shucks do gooder male clueless about women, and b) a strong, intelligent woman who is cat fights with all other women and can't control her emotions. So while I appreciate a capable female character, I get tired of of the tired rote in Campbell's books that all women are an emotional black hole who hate all other women and see them as rivals. These characterizations and the characters' actions feel rooted in 1950s atomic family values that can be very disaffecting in a novel of the future.
Which leads to the cringe that is a romance. It's constantly brought up, with endless "Oh, I love her, but I don't dare tell her" and "He can't possibly love someone with alien DNA!" I love a good sci fi romance (just look at the Terminator movie to see it done right) but wow you won't find it here. It was hard not to roll my eyes or snort derisively throughout. It was about as swoony and romantic as a doorknob.
The book is essentially one long chase scene where the characters do one of three things; question if they are in love, show they are the good guys by doing the right thing, or muse philosophical about thinly veiled modern day issues in 2024. During this journey they either deus ex machina survive/escape in the form of a) fortuitous chance encounter or b) time travel future tech/knowledge. It feels very disingenuous and more than a bit too lucky. Cue incompetent officials and systems, evil stupid bad guys, and our main characters winning everyone over with their shining halos. Of course, if someone has to be killed, it will be clearly demonstrated that they were eeeevil and deserved it.
There were some strange logic issues: such as everyone immediately recognizing the main character as part alien by her appearance and yet her love interest couldn't tell and had to be told by her (because he lurves her for her and not her looks, natch). Also weird was how the male protagonist, Kayl, kept changing how he referred to himself (sometimes by his first name and sometimes by his last). There were several issues like this that were headscratching at times.
Finally, everything felt very over simplistic. This perhaps makes it 'accessible' sci fi but I can't help but feel that this lack of nuance and depth makes the book feel more like a middle grade read than an adult oriented story. Sci fi/fantasy doesn't have to be overly dumbed down to be enjoyable: just look at Harry Potter or Star Wars.
Of note, I listened to the audio version and admittedly wasn't fond of the narrators. They were fine with what they had but neither voice really fit the characters in my mind. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
August 8, 2024
I really like a lot of Jack Campbell's books. The Lost Fleet series may not have the best character writing but the massive space battles are worth the price of admission alone but also backed that up with a fascinating scenario, intriguingly exotic aliens, and decent world-building. The Lost Stars series made the mistake of focusing more on characters and less on big action and the series suffered for it, and well... In Our Stars goes even further in that direction. The short version of the story: future mostly-human partly-alien woman is accidentally blasted back in time by the shockwave of the weapon with which anti-alien extremists destroyed Earth. Now 40 years in the past, she wants to change the narrative: streamline first contact with the aliens, prevent some of the missteps, motivate reforms in Earth's creaking (and soon-to-fail) bureaucratic systems, and hopefully save the Earth. Fortunately, the first person she meets is an idealistic young Earth Guard officer who eagerly joins in on her quest, despite her obsession with her mission, the two fall in love and endure various complications as, for some reason, Earth Guard's brass seem to be determined to silence her (I have this guess that she wasn't the only time traveler and someone from the other side came through and convinced people that the aliens and their stooges were responsible for Earth's destruction). So we've got a jaded inferiority-complex-ridden heroic self-sacrificing heroine in love and an idealistic can-do self-sacrificing hero in love, and I've just told you everything about their personalities. While there's certainly the bones of a decent story here, it doesn't progress far, and the fact that every interaction between the two leads feels like it's a repeat of one of maybe three conversations, rinse and repeat, well... I got pretty tired of the book about halfway through. There's also some "Oh, no, I'm going to be erased once I make too many changes so I mustn't fall in love" melodramatic nonsense (Back to the Future rules are great for narrative drama, but they make no sense in terms of logical continuity; personally, I think any time travel necessitates the creation of an alternate universe, either that or your actions in the past must already be part of the continuity and you can't ever change anything (like To Say Nothing of the Dog, though technically you can change things in that universe... but only accidentally), otherwise even if you didn't erase your own existence, your actions would erase the motivation which guided you to try and make changes and therefore, the n+1 version of yourself would never have wanted to time travel to make changes or if the time travel was accidental and happened regardless, the n+1 version wouldn't have had the same priorities as yourself and as a result, the changes which created the n+1 version of yourself would never have happened and the altered timeline would destabilize and revert to its original form... probably (it could also lead to a yo-yo situation where you kept swapping timelines depending on which version of yourself went back, which is kind of horrific because it pretty much means time would get stuck in a loop until someone accidentally killed you before you could change things)) but eventually Campbell has the aliens point out that that's impossible and we move on. Conceptually, I like the story and I want to like the characters, but it's too melodramatic, the character writing frustrated me, the plot moves in circles a lot, and it's distinctly lacking in the massive space battle department which is what Campbell does so well. All in all, this barely got 3 stars from me and I'm going to be very hesitant to pick up the next volume.
May 20, 2024
In the year 2180, Lieutenant Selene Genji of the Unified Fleet sees Earth destroyed, despite the Unified Fleet’s attempt to stop it. The resultant shockwaves generated by the superweapon used causes Genji to be sent back to 2140, and is found by Kayl Owen, one of the Earth Guard (the predecessor to the Unified Fleet.) You see, 2140 hasn’t even had the arrival of the aliens-who-will-become-allies, the Tramontine, yet – it’s due to happen in a few weeks’ time – and therefore Genji - a human with some alien DNA - has not been born yet.
With her knowledge of what has happened to her, can Genji change future events? It’s not easy, as both Kayl and Genji have to go on the run. Someone doesn’t want them to succeed, and in fact is determined to kill both of them before others find out what will/could happen.
Can Genji change the future, and stop the destruction of Earth, even if by doing so she may be erased herself?
Sometimes it's nice to have an experienced author start a new series. After all, it’s a jumping-on point for readers often wanting to try an author’s books, but not knowing where to start, or feeling intimidated that they may have to read 12 books before the latest one. Hopefully the new book also shows the author's skills to their advantage.
This is the case with In Our Stars by Jack Campbell. And as you might expect from a New York Times -bestselling author of over 40 novels and counting, it's good, solid science fiction, with a good plot, fast pace, engaging characters and social commentary.
It’s a bit of a cliché but for those readers who like Heinlein, or more recently Peter F Hamilton, Elizabeth Moon or C. J. Cherryh, like them Jack manages to take classic ideas and mix them up for a great story. The book looks at issues in today’s society (although I could argue that they have been recurrent themes for decades). The issue of segregation, of being different and being outsiders, not to mention the xenophobia of being foreign/alien and the consequences of such bigoted and biased viewpoints are highlighted throughout the plot. There’s the idea of what makes a human or an alien.
The good news is that this one sucks you in from the start – in my case, so fast I read the first 100 pages without realising I was going to! Generally, the good guys are good and the bad guys are telegraphed a mile away, but the prose is clear, the dialogue straight out of a mil-sf David Weber or a Lois McMaster Bujold-type novel, and the setting exciting.
Interestingly, despite being set on Earth, Mars and the Moon, this future is not bright and sparkly. Instead we see societies in decline, tired systems struggling to cope, an illicit underworld on different planets where necessity causes a demand. This is not the bright future of Star Trek’s Federation, but more like a Star Wars universe of things broken, of making do and recycling, whilst a wealthy elite play the system and blithely ignore the rules – the opposite of, say, a Heinlein novel.
You could argue that some of the plot points are a little convenient, but the narrative was so winnable that I was able to forgive them. The only major downside for me was that there is no ending here - the book abruptly just stops, no doubt to be continued in Book 2.
Nevertheless, what I read I devoured in a couple of days. Sometimes it’s nice to read a book that just focusses on telling a good tale. This is one of them, told by someone who knows how to write an engaging story. I look forward to reading the next book set in Campbell’s future.
With her knowledge of what has happened to her, can Genji change future events? It’s not easy, as both Kayl and Genji have to go on the run. Someone doesn’t want them to succeed, and in fact is determined to kill both of them before others find out what will/could happen.
Can Genji change the future, and stop the destruction of Earth, even if by doing so she may be erased herself?
Sometimes it's nice to have an experienced author start a new series. After all, it’s a jumping-on point for readers often wanting to try an author’s books, but not knowing where to start, or feeling intimidated that they may have to read 12 books before the latest one. Hopefully the new book also shows the author's skills to their advantage.
This is the case with In Our Stars by Jack Campbell. And as you might expect from a New York Times -bestselling author of over 40 novels and counting, it's good, solid science fiction, with a good plot, fast pace, engaging characters and social commentary.
It’s a bit of a cliché but for those readers who like Heinlein, or more recently Peter F Hamilton, Elizabeth Moon or C. J. Cherryh, like them Jack manages to take classic ideas and mix them up for a great story. The book looks at issues in today’s society (although I could argue that they have been recurrent themes for decades). The issue of segregation, of being different and being outsiders, not to mention the xenophobia of being foreign/alien and the consequences of such bigoted and biased viewpoints are highlighted throughout the plot. There’s the idea of what makes a human or an alien.
The good news is that this one sucks you in from the start – in my case, so fast I read the first 100 pages without realising I was going to! Generally, the good guys are good and the bad guys are telegraphed a mile away, but the prose is clear, the dialogue straight out of a mil-sf David Weber or a Lois McMaster Bujold-type novel, and the setting exciting.
Interestingly, despite being set on Earth, Mars and the Moon, this future is not bright and sparkly. Instead we see societies in decline, tired systems struggling to cope, an illicit underworld on different planets where necessity causes a demand. This is not the bright future of Star Trek’s Federation, but more like a Star Wars universe of things broken, of making do and recycling, whilst a wealthy elite play the system and blithely ignore the rules – the opposite of, say, a Heinlein novel.
You could argue that some of the plot points are a little convenient, but the narrative was so winnable that I was able to forgive them. The only major downside for me was that there is no ending here - the book abruptly just stops, no doubt to be continued in Book 2.
Nevertheless, what I read I devoured in a couple of days. Sometimes it’s nice to read a book that just focusses on telling a good tale. This is one of them, told by someone who knows how to write an engaging story. I look forward to reading the next book set in Campbell’s future.
February 27, 2025
In anticipation of the next novel being released this week, I went back and re-listened to this book for the second time in less than a year. It holds up very well. It may be only a 4 star book, but I was still so captivated that I'm ok keeping my 5 star rating the same as when i originally read it.
I am a monster fan of Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series, so I'd give any space opera of his a try. Some of the offshoots of the Lost Fleet series, like The Lost Stars series are not up to par with the Lost Fleet series. While anything with Black Jack Geary is tremendous (e.g., the Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier series).
Prior to this novel, I would have said that Jack Campbell was only meant to write space operas, because I believed that the Lost Stars series is just ok because it takes place on a planet. However, this book takes place almost entirely on a planet, and it is still excellent. The two protagonists are great, and the little side players are all done really well.
The plot is that a hybrid human comes back in time to stop the destruction of the earth 40 years later. By accidentally finding herself 40 years in the past, our hybrid must stop the humans from contributing to the destruction of the planet, all the while dealing with xenophobic/racist behavior all around her. Our main female protagonist carries a lot of baggage because in her time, a hybrid human suffers much prejudice. In her new time, 40 years earlier, she is still prejudiced against, but she's also the first and only alien the earth has ever seen. Fortunately, she teams up with Owen, a lieutenant who has suffered his own prejudices due to the role his father played in a naval disaster. They make up a good team, and plot is tight, chaotic, and rapid. Although it ends on a cliffhanger, which I typically detest because i think every novel should have a denouement and conclusion, I was sufficiently sucked in to not dock my rating by a star as I typically do.
I am a monster fan of Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series, so I'd give any space opera of his a try. Some of the offshoots of the Lost Fleet series, like The Lost Stars series are not up to par with the Lost Fleet series. While anything with Black Jack Geary is tremendous (e.g., the Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier series).
Prior to this novel, I would have said that Jack Campbell was only meant to write space operas, because I believed that the Lost Stars series is just ok because it takes place on a planet. However, this book takes place almost entirely on a planet, and it is still excellent. The two protagonists are great, and the little side players are all done really well.
The plot is that a hybrid human comes back in time to stop the destruction of the earth 40 years later. By accidentally finding herself 40 years in the past, our hybrid must stop the humans from contributing to the destruction of the planet, all the while dealing with xenophobic/racist behavior all around her. Our main female protagonist carries a lot of baggage because in her time, a hybrid human suffers much prejudice. In her new time, 40 years earlier, she is still prejudiced against, but she's also the first and only alien the earth has ever seen. Fortunately, she teams up with Owen, a lieutenant who has suffered his own prejudices due to the role his father played in a naval disaster. They make up a good team, and plot is tight, chaotic, and rapid. Although it ends on a cliffhanger, which I typically detest because i think every novel should have a denouement and conclusion, I was sufficiently sucked in to not dock my rating by a star as I typically do.
May 21, 2024
“Do you want to help me save the Earth?” Thank you for the free book @BerkleyPub
“In Our Stars” (The Doomed Earth #1) by Jack Campbell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: SciFi Adventure. Location: Earth and Mars. Time: 2140 and 2180.
THE SERIES: Earth is doomed-unless these military-trained heroes can save it. Together, they have a chance to change the fate of an Earth doomed to die in 2180.
THIS BOOK:
2180: Lieutenant Selene Genji is a Human-Tramontine alloy with partly alien DNA. She’s spent her life trying to overcome society’s prejudice by serving in the Unified Fleet while Earth’s international order collapses into war. Genji is on a ship orbiting Earth when she witnesses the fanatical Spear of Humanity faction totally destroy Earth. Their massive weapon warps space and time, hurling her 40 years into the past.
2140: Earth Guard Lieutenant Kayl Owen is on a routine patrol when a piece of spacecraft wreckage appears out of nowhere. To his shock, there is a survivor on board: Selene Genji. It becomes clear those in charge want to permanently dispose of Genji—quietly. After learning the truth, Owen helps her escape and joins her mission, because Genji is the only one who knows an alien 1st contact will soon occur-and what will happen to Earth in 40 years.
Author Campbell has written a full-tilt scifi adventure romp with a little romance thrown in. It’s all about caring for others and doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. He highlights what can happen when social and military structures collapse and the loudest voices prevail. Just FYI, there’s the occasional comment about women that lets you know a man wrote the book, but overall that’s not a big issue. It’s quite easy to read, it’s full of adventure, future tech, time travel, likable characters, high stakes, and it’s 4 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼♀️ #berkleypartner #berkley #berkleybookstagram #berkleyinfluencers
“In Our Stars” (The Doomed Earth #1) by Jack Campbell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: SciFi Adventure. Location: Earth and Mars. Time: 2140 and 2180.
THE SERIES: Earth is doomed-unless these military-trained heroes can save it. Together, they have a chance to change the fate of an Earth doomed to die in 2180.
THIS BOOK:
2180: Lieutenant Selene Genji is a Human-Tramontine alloy with partly alien DNA. She’s spent her life trying to overcome society’s prejudice by serving in the Unified Fleet while Earth’s international order collapses into war. Genji is on a ship orbiting Earth when she witnesses the fanatical Spear of Humanity faction totally destroy Earth. Their massive weapon warps space and time, hurling her 40 years into the past.
2140: Earth Guard Lieutenant Kayl Owen is on a routine patrol when a piece of spacecraft wreckage appears out of nowhere. To his shock, there is a survivor on board: Selene Genji. It becomes clear those in charge want to permanently dispose of Genji—quietly. After learning the truth, Owen helps her escape and joins her mission, because Genji is the only one who knows an alien 1st contact will soon occur-and what will happen to Earth in 40 years.
Author Campbell has written a full-tilt scifi adventure romp with a little romance thrown in. It’s all about caring for others and doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. He highlights what can happen when social and military structures collapse and the loudest voices prevail. Just FYI, there’s the occasional comment about women that lets you know a man wrote the book, but overall that’s not a big issue. It’s quite easy to read, it’s full of adventure, future tech, time travel, likable characters, high stakes, and it’s 4 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼♀️ #berkleypartner #berkley #berkleybookstagram #berkleyinfluencers
July 9, 2024
A big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
It looks like my sci-fy phase is slowly melting away.
In Our Stars by Jack Campbell is science fiction novel set in a world where the Earth is being destroyed. Earth, 2180 Genetically engineered with partly alien DNA, Lieutenant Selene Genji is different from ordinary humans. And they hate her for it. Still, she’s spent her life trying to overcome society’s prejudice by serving in the Unified Fleet while Earth’s international order collapses into war. Genji is stationed on a ship in orbit when humanity’s factional extremism on the planet reaches a boiling point, and she witnesses the utter annihilation of Earth. When the massive forces unleashed by Earth’s death warp space and time to hurl her forty years into the past, Genji is given a chance to try to change the future and save Earth—starting with the alien first contact only she knows will soon occur. Earth, 2140 Lieutenant Kayl Owen’s ship is on a routine patrol when a piece of spacecraft wreckage appears out of nowhere. To his shock, there is a survivor on board: Selene Genji. Once her strange heritage is discovered, though, it becomes clear that Genji is a problem Earth Guard command wants to dispose of—quietly. After learning the horrifying truth, Owen helps her escape and joins her mission. Together, they have a chance to change the fate of an Earth doomed to die in 2180. But altering history could put Genji’s very existence in danger, and Owen wonders if a world without her is one worth saving. . . .
This is a relatively easy space opera to get into. I just found problems with it holding my attention, as the plot became too predictable at times. I blame it mostly on my binge of sci-fy novels before this. Overall, it's a decent read.
It looks like my sci-fy phase is slowly melting away.
In Our Stars by Jack Campbell is science fiction novel set in a world where the Earth is being destroyed. Earth, 2180 Genetically engineered with partly alien DNA, Lieutenant Selene Genji is different from ordinary humans. And they hate her for it. Still, she’s spent her life trying to overcome society’s prejudice by serving in the Unified Fleet while Earth’s international order collapses into war. Genji is stationed on a ship in orbit when humanity’s factional extremism on the planet reaches a boiling point, and she witnesses the utter annihilation of Earth. When the massive forces unleashed by Earth’s death warp space and time to hurl her forty years into the past, Genji is given a chance to try to change the future and save Earth—starting with the alien first contact only she knows will soon occur. Earth, 2140 Lieutenant Kayl Owen’s ship is on a routine patrol when a piece of spacecraft wreckage appears out of nowhere. To his shock, there is a survivor on board: Selene Genji. Once her strange heritage is discovered, though, it becomes clear that Genji is a problem Earth Guard command wants to dispose of—quietly. After learning the horrifying truth, Owen helps her escape and joins her mission. Together, they have a chance to change the fate of an Earth doomed to die in 2180. But altering history could put Genji’s very existence in danger, and Owen wonders if a world without her is one worth saving. . . .
This is a relatively easy space opera to get into. I just found problems with it holding my attention, as the plot became too predictable at times. I blame it mostly on my binge of sci-fy novels before this. Overall, it's a decent read.
April 18, 2025
This should be higher, because I actually really really enjoyed it. I should probably round up. The writing is solid storytelling and the main characters are seriously likable. The premise is pretty good, and a lot of the themes (bigotry, fascism, relationships, what makes one human, time travel paradox) were spot on. The dialog was realistic and enjoyable.
But here are the things:
- I had no idea I was starting a series. I wish I would have. Now I have to wait for the next one.
- Long stretches where not a lot happens. The book could have been more crisp (not that I wasn't rapidly turning pages anyway)
- Getting repeatedly hit over the head with a frying pan on the above mentioned tropes. OK, she's part alien and therefore subject to racism. Got it...now move on. OK, if she changes the future she might cease to be. Got it...now move on. OK, people starting relationships often question their own insecurities more than their partner's motivations. Got it (although I didn't mind that as much, it was well done and kinda cute). You get it. The themes filled up those spaces where not much was happening, and it was too much.
There were a couple moments where suspending disbelief got hard. I'm okay with all the scifi, but when the main character led a small uprising it just didn't feel real. I had a hard time believing so many people would come to their defense. As one example.
- The book ends harder and faster than a mic drop.
So...I somewhat eagerly will wait for the next one in hopes of raising the overall score. If you're a fan of this author I would say go ahead and dive in. Otherwise maybe wait for updates on how many books the series will be.
But here are the things:
- I had no idea I was starting a series. I wish I would have. Now I have to wait for the next one.
- Long stretches where not a lot happens. The book could have been more crisp (not that I wasn't rapidly turning pages anyway)
- Getting repeatedly hit over the head with a frying pan on the above mentioned tropes. OK, she's part alien and therefore subject to racism. Got it...now move on. OK, if she changes the future she might cease to be. Got it...now move on. OK, people starting relationships often question their own insecurities more than their partner's motivations. Got it (although I didn't mind that as much, it was well done and kinda cute). You get it. The themes filled up those spaces where not much was happening, and it was too much.
There were a couple moments where suspending disbelief got hard. I'm okay with all the scifi, but when the main character led a small uprising it just didn't feel real. I had a hard time believing so many people would come to their defense. As one example.
- The book ends harder and faster than a mic drop.
So...I somewhat eagerly will wait for the next one in hopes of raising the overall score. If you're a fan of this author I would say go ahead and dive in. Otherwise maybe wait for updates on how many books the series will be.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews