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Jitterbug
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Expected 3 Mar 26In this twisty and action-packed adventure from the BSFA award-winning author of Descendant Machine and Future's Edge, a crew of bounty hunters find themselves ensnared in a conspiracy on the very fringes of the devastated solar system. Perfect for fans of James S. A. Corey and Adrian Tchaikovsky.
"On Earth, they depicted justice as blindfolded and impartial, but out here on the frontier, she was red in tooth and claw."
Jupiter and Saturn are gone, and a mysterious force has built a huge habitable sphere from their ashes. When criminals try to lose themselves on this new frontier, bounty hunters like Copernicus Brown and the crew of his sentient ship Jitterbug get paid to hunt them down. But when Brown rescues Amber Roth, sole survivor of a pirate attack, the Jitterbug and her crew find themselves the target of powerful political factions who want control of the data chip hidden in Roth's stomach.
And all the while, something vast and ancient creeps towards them from the depths of space…
"On Earth, they depicted justice as blindfolded and impartial, but out here on the frontier, she was red in tooth and claw."
Jupiter and Saturn are gone, and a mysterious force has built a huge habitable sphere from their ashes. When criminals try to lose themselves on this new frontier, bounty hunters like Copernicus Brown and the crew of his sentient ship Jitterbug get paid to hunt them down. But when Brown rescues Amber Roth, sole survivor of a pirate attack, the Jitterbug and her crew find themselves the target of powerful political factions who want control of the data chip hidden in Roth's stomach.
And all the while, something vast and ancient creeps towards them from the depths of space…
- GenresScience FictionSpace
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 3, 2026
4 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 22, 2025
Bounty hunters, space pirates, conspiracies, an unknowable force … what a great standalone sci fi!
I loved the way this was set up, it felt very accessible and easy to get into. The idea of this new frontier and how it came about was really cool. It’s humanity taking baby steps into space exploration, the need for space allowing people to colonising the new edges. Cue space travel in the inner planets and a new frontier filled with pirates and government bounty hunters.
The crew were quirky and fun, Copernicus is just doing his best for his crew and his ship and he’s a good person at heart - which is why he ends up embroiled in a conspiracy, hunted and tasked with the impossible. Plus Jitterbug was a fantastic character - a sentient spaceship with a parrot avatar?! Say less. She even got her own pov chapters so she really can to life on the page and was an essential part of the team.
The other characters were complimentary and there were some high emotion moments when things got heated. (If you’ve read the Expanse, then one of them was very Avasarala coded!)
The story was a fast paced, action filled story that had me speeding through it. I loved how it all unfolded and the ending! I wasn’t expecting how intense and cool it was going to be but I loved it. It linked everything together really well and left the story feeling hopeful and exciting.
It did have a very tiny romance subplot which I’m hesitant to even call it that. It just sort of happened and that was it? Very abrupt and honestly I kind of just ignored it and it made no difference to my reading experience but it’s worth noting.
This book was an enjoyable fast paced read with some interesting sci fi plot. It’s not a grand epic that transcends the stars, it’s short, it’s fun, it’s almost cosy in the way it left me feeling but with some good battles thrown in. It’s you’re looking for a quick sci fi hit that you can get into straight away then this is a good choice!
I loved the way this was set up, it felt very accessible and easy to get into. The idea of this new frontier and how it came about was really cool. It’s humanity taking baby steps into space exploration, the need for space allowing people to colonising the new edges. Cue space travel in the inner planets and a new frontier filled with pirates and government bounty hunters.
The crew were quirky and fun, Copernicus is just doing his best for his crew and his ship and he’s a good person at heart - which is why he ends up embroiled in a conspiracy, hunted and tasked with the impossible. Plus Jitterbug was a fantastic character - a sentient spaceship with a parrot avatar?! Say less. She even got her own pov chapters so she really can to life on the page and was an essential part of the team.
The other characters were complimentary and there were some high emotion moments when things got heated. (If you’ve read the Expanse, then one of them was very Avasarala coded!)
The story was a fast paced, action filled story that had me speeding through it. I loved how it all unfolded and the ending! I wasn’t expecting how intense and cool it was going to be but I loved it. It linked everything together really well and left the story feeling hopeful and exciting.
It did have a very tiny romance subplot which I’m hesitant to even call it that. It just sort of happened and that was it? Very abrupt and honestly I kind of just ignored it and it made no difference to my reading experience but it’s worth noting.
This book was an enjoyable fast paced read with some interesting sci fi plot. It’s not a grand epic that transcends the stars, it’s short, it’s fun, it’s almost cosy in the way it left me feeling but with some good battles thrown in. It’s you’re looking for a quick sci fi hit that you can get into straight away then this is a good choice!
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November 7, 2025A big thank you to the publisher for an ARC of the book!
JITTERBUG is a thrilling journey filled with witty banter, unlikely allies and friendships, secrets and sacrifices, and found family, exploring the cyclical nature of both history and the future, and the way our fates are often shaped not just by choice but also by luck and coincidence.
JITTERBUG is a thrilling journey filled with witty banter, unlikely allies and friendships, secrets and sacrifices, and found family, exploring the cyclical nature of both history and the future, and the way our fates are often shaped not just by choice but also by luck and coincidence.
January 2, 2026
A fast-paced, sci-fi adventure with a compelling ‘what-if’ premise. I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
This was an entertaining and enjoyable read. I really like sci-fi where it explores a what-if premise in this style. This novel is pacy, it’s not particularly long. It doesn’t go into heaps of incidental detail. It posits a premise and then looks at how the characters react to it. In this book, the gas giants have been disassembled and been made into segments in the asteroid belt that could perfectly encircle the sun if they were to come together. We follow the crew of the ship Jitterbug (and the ship’s consciousness itself). They find themselves entangled in an escalating situation whilst on a bounty hunting mission. They’re having to react quickly as they become enmeshed in dangerous plans and different parties vying for control of something influential.
I liked the small cast of characters here. We follow the crew of the Jitterbug, Jitterbug themselves and additional political figures. This kept the story feeling really tight as we see the impact of what’s happening on these people trying to react in the moment. Additional context is provided from little news alerts at the end of each chapter. This was really effective and worked to bring up new thoughts and information without too much incidental detail.
My only issue with this book was the romance. I understood why it was necessary for the story but it happened way too fast and involved a character who I had very little trust for. I needed more depth on this character’s rehabilitation to stop this feeling odd. Other than that, this was a fantastic, entertaining and tense read.
This was an entertaining and enjoyable read. I really like sci-fi where it explores a what-if premise in this style. This novel is pacy, it’s not particularly long. It doesn’t go into heaps of incidental detail. It posits a premise and then looks at how the characters react to it. In this book, the gas giants have been disassembled and been made into segments in the asteroid belt that could perfectly encircle the sun if they were to come together. We follow the crew of the ship Jitterbug (and the ship’s consciousness itself). They find themselves entangled in an escalating situation whilst on a bounty hunting mission. They’re having to react quickly as they become enmeshed in dangerous plans and different parties vying for control of something influential.
I liked the small cast of characters here. We follow the crew of the Jitterbug, Jitterbug themselves and additional political figures. This kept the story feeling really tight as we see the impact of what’s happening on these people trying to react in the moment. Additional context is provided from little news alerts at the end of each chapter. This was really effective and worked to bring up new thoughts and information without too much incidental detail.
My only issue with this book was the romance. I understood why it was necessary for the story but it happened way too fast and involved a character who I had very little trust for. I needed more depth on this character’s rehabilitation to stop this feeling odd. Other than that, this was a fantastic, entertaining and tense read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A ship of bounty hunters is ensnared in a solar-system-wide conspiracy, while even bigger problems loom on the horizon. (the problems = also a metaphor for my enjoyment.)
The blurb was easily enough to persuade me to pick this up, but unfortunately it didn't land for me. The tone is generally light, but there's a detailed description of a dead body that any grimdark author would be proud of (and that I wish an editor had red-penned). The world-building is rather shallow -- huge changes to our solar system & tech levels have had relatively little impact on human culture. The characterisation is enough to bounce the plot along but not enough to feel that there's weight to anyone's actions or relationships. In particular, [spoiler]
Recommended to fans of of the author still, but otherwise, if you tend to like what I like: from the blurb's author comps, hang on for book 4 of Children of Time in March, or book 2 of Captive's War in April.
This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.
The blurb was easily enough to persuade me to pick this up, but unfortunately it didn't land for me. The tone is generally light, but there's a detailed description of a dead body that any grimdark author would be proud of (and that I wish an editor had red-penned). The world-building is rather shallow -- huge changes to our solar system & tech levels have had relatively little impact on human culture. The characterisation is enough to bounce the plot along but not enough to feel that there's weight to anyone's actions or relationships. In particular, [spoiler]
Recommended to fans of of the author still, but otherwise, if you tend to like what I like: from the blurb's author comps, hang on for book 4 of Children of Time in March, or book 2 of Captive's War in April.
This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you liked the show Firefly I think you’d really like this, very similar in vibes and tone. This is a great entry level sci fi if you’re intimidated by big space operas; not because it’s simple or anything but it’s very digestible.
This is actually fairly short for a typical sci fi but it really utilizes all those pages. Multi POV (one of course is the spaceship lol), well explained science that doesn’t feel boring or stale and the plot kept moving very well. I liked the cast of characters and I think the world building was solid. Very witty and heartfelt with a solid plot. Would definitely recommend.
This has a satisfying conclusion but of course this crew could probably see some new adventures at some point, should the author allow.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exhange for an honest review.
This is actually fairly short for a typical sci fi but it really utilizes all those pages. Multi POV (one of course is the spaceship lol), well explained science that doesn’t feel boring or stale and the plot kept moving very well. I liked the cast of characters and I think the world building was solid. Very witty and heartfelt with a solid plot. Would definitely recommend.
This has a satisfying conclusion but of course this crew could probably see some new adventures at some point, should the author allow.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exhange for an honest review.
December 11, 2025
fun and fantastic scifi book with some awesome plotting and impeccable vibes. would recommend this one. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews