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Stars & Time #1
Forest of the Stars
Forest of the Stars is one part steamy sci-fi romance, one part exploration of gender and masculinity in a trans coming of age story that will take you out of this world.
Echo is the only trans crew member on a pirate spaceship and he's not in a good place. When the crew goes after a prize, the tables get turned around on them and they're now at the mercy of the very people they wanted to rob.
As Echo unravels the ship's secrets, he finds an unlikely friend in the ship's meddlesome sentient computer. He's never felt this accepted by strangers. Too bad that it will all be over the moment his crew manages to leave.
Crade is the unwilling captain of an unusual spaceship. It was his best friend's (the ship's computer) idea to befriend the young pirate and try to recruit him to their own crew. Crade, however, might be developing different kinds of feelings altogether. Can he offer to tear Echo away from his world the same way Crade himself was once torn away from his?
Echo is the only trans crew member on a pirate spaceship and he's not in a good place. When the crew goes after a prize, the tables get turned around on them and they're now at the mercy of the very people they wanted to rob.
As Echo unravels the ship's secrets, he finds an unlikely friend in the ship's meddlesome sentient computer. He's never felt this accepted by strangers. Too bad that it will all be over the moment his crew manages to leave.
Crade is the unwilling captain of an unusual spaceship. It was his best friend's (the ship's computer) idea to befriend the young pirate and try to recruit him to their own crew. Crade, however, might be developing different kinds of feelings altogether. Can he offer to tear Echo away from his world the same way Crade himself was once torn away from his?
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 3, 2026
4 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Adria
2 books12 followersJ.T. Adria is the author of the romantic fantasy series Aether Archives, beginning with The One Who Slept, and the sci-fi romance duology Stars & Time, beginning with Forest of the Stars. They can be found running through a forest in the summer and curling up with a blanket and their oversized coffee mug in every other season, like the sentient indoor cat nobody can prove they are.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 6, 2026
***ARC Review***
This is my honest and voluntary review.
This was a fun read that I didn’t know I would need (see what I did there). I really enjoyed Echo and Crade’s journey. Both MCs have had things happen to them in the past that have affected them deeply. There’s a lot to like about this book, but my favorite is the sincerity at the heart of everything Echo, Crade, Dras, and Matt do. Crade, Matt, and Dras are perpetually kind to Echo and it’s everything. While some members of Echo’s original crew, the Roaring Lion, subscribe to toxic masculinity, it was a breath of fresh air seeing different types of masculinity represented in this story. I appreciate the trans rep in this story through the character Echo, and the care with which Adria wrote him. I found myself just wanting to hug Echo and never let him go.
Dras, as the ship’s computer and/or sentient being, is a delight and I was absolutely feeling some HAL 9000 vibes, but only in the best way possible. Crade is a stand up captain and guy. He’s very intentional in making Echo feel seen and safe and he’s a green flag all the way! Matt is another character that Echo can lean on for assurance and advice. I’m glad that Echo has a good support system willing to both claim and keep him on the Vastra Skogen.
Echo and Crade are drawn to one another from the start, so I was happy to see them stop holding back and go after what they both wanted. The care and respect that these two men have for one another is top tier! There’s a fair amount of heat in this book and it’s supported by an even bigger amount of heart. Adria draws the reader in with the very first chapter and keeps things interesting as the story progresses. I am delighted to recommend this sci-fi romance.
Echo and Crade finding happiness and love is the sweetest thing. It will seriously make you smile! I’m so curious after the events of the epilogue; I can’t wait to see what happens next!
This is my honest and voluntary review.
This was a fun read that I didn’t know I would need (see what I did there). I really enjoyed Echo and Crade’s journey. Both MCs have had things happen to them in the past that have affected them deeply. There’s a lot to like about this book, but my favorite is the sincerity at the heart of everything Echo, Crade, Dras, and Matt do. Crade, Matt, and Dras are perpetually kind to Echo and it’s everything. While some members of Echo’s original crew, the Roaring Lion, subscribe to toxic masculinity, it was a breath of fresh air seeing different types of masculinity represented in this story. I appreciate the trans rep in this story through the character Echo, and the care with which Adria wrote him. I found myself just wanting to hug Echo and never let him go.
Dras, as the ship’s computer and/or sentient being, is a delight and I was absolutely feeling some HAL 9000 vibes, but only in the best way possible. Crade is a stand up captain and guy. He’s very intentional in making Echo feel seen and safe and he’s a green flag all the way! Matt is another character that Echo can lean on for assurance and advice. I’m glad that Echo has a good support system willing to both claim and keep him on the Vastra Skogen.
Echo and Crade are drawn to one another from the start, so I was happy to see them stop holding back and go after what they both wanted. The care and respect that these two men have for one another is top tier! There’s a fair amount of heat in this book and it’s supported by an even bigger amount of heart. Adria draws the reader in with the very first chapter and keeps things interesting as the story progresses. I am delighted to recommend this sci-fi romance.
Echo and Crade finding happiness and love is the sweetest thing. It will seriously make you smile! I’m so curious after the events of the epilogue; I can’t wait to see what happens next!
March 3, 2026
When I first heard about this book on instagram, I was immediately intrigued and signed up for an eARC right away, and I’m so happy I was given the opportunity!
The story follows a young (twenty-one) space pirate called Echo who was in charge of navigation for his frankly incredibly unpleasant pirate crew. He helps the land them catch of a lifetime when they manage to board Captain Crade’s spaceship.
It’s there that Echo gets to know not only the gentle and caring Captain, but also what it means to finally find his place in the stars that he can call home.
I enjoyed the different pov’s this book had to offer, one of my favourites being Dras’s, the ships sentient intelligence, who doesn’t reveal themselves to many as more than just a computer, but to their chosen few, they are a friend, and a rather special one at that. For Echo, they are the first to make him feel welcome, and for Crane, they are his family.
With hidden rooms and secrets on board, there is much to be discovered, and when danger strikes, Echo will learn just what it means to have someone have his back and trust him to have theirs too.
This is my first time reading a book by JT Adria, and I very much enjoyed the experience! Their writing and characters were brilliant, and I found myself so wrapped up in the story that I just wanted to keep reading!
I loved the trans joy and also the raw honesty of Echo’s experience with his gender and dysphoria he felt around some parts of his body. This book didn’t shy away from spice, and instead gave the reader an example of a trans person in a healthy, loving and consenting sexual relationship.
Crade was a wonderful character, captain, and boyfriend, and I loved his pov and seeing him slowly losing the battle against his feelings for Echo, especially his affinity with the navigators hands!
There is so much to this story and I hope you love it as much as I did!
The story follows a young (twenty-one) space pirate called Echo who was in charge of navigation for his frankly incredibly unpleasant pirate crew. He helps the land them catch of a lifetime when they manage to board Captain Crade’s spaceship.
It’s there that Echo gets to know not only the gentle and caring Captain, but also what it means to finally find his place in the stars that he can call home.
I enjoyed the different pov’s this book had to offer, one of my favourites being Dras’s, the ships sentient intelligence, who doesn’t reveal themselves to many as more than just a computer, but to their chosen few, they are a friend, and a rather special one at that. For Echo, they are the first to make him feel welcome, and for Crane, they are his family.
With hidden rooms and secrets on board, there is much to be discovered, and when danger strikes, Echo will learn just what it means to have someone have his back and trust him to have theirs too.
This is my first time reading a book by JT Adria, and I very much enjoyed the experience! Their writing and characters were brilliant, and I found myself so wrapped up in the story that I just wanted to keep reading!
I loved the trans joy and also the raw honesty of Echo’s experience with his gender and dysphoria he felt around some parts of his body. This book didn’t shy away from spice, and instead gave the reader an example of a trans person in a healthy, loving and consenting sexual relationship.
Crade was a wonderful character, captain, and boyfriend, and I loved his pov and seeing him slowly losing the battle against his feelings for Echo, especially his affinity with the navigators hands!
There is so much to this story and I hope you love it as much as I did!
March 3, 2026
Forest of the Stars is an inspiring trans sci fi romance that blends space piracy, ancient physics, found family, and a tender meditation on masculinity and belonging. It is a story about hyperdrives and spacetime, but also about what it means to inhabit your own body without apology.
Echo is a pirate on the Lion. He gets by, but he does not feel at home there. The crew runs on a brittle, posturing masculinity that leaves no room for softness or difference. Rox disguises control as concern. Burns and Vulture misgender him. Everything is a performance. Echo knows who he is, but he is exhausted from having to prove it all the time. He has learned to endure it, but at a cost. The Lion is a ship of survival, not sanctuary.
When the Lion tries to take over the Vastra Skogen, things go sideways in the best possible way. The ship is ancient and wildly advanced, with no real weapons and technology that feels closer to magic than mechanics. Its crew moves through the world with a steadiness that throws Echo off balance. And then there is Dras, the ship’s sentient consciousness, funny, perceptive, both cupid and trickster, and quietly wise.
Dras came into being after a hyperdrive accident tapped into an infinite, reality bending energy source. When they say, “That’s when I woke up and realised I was both machine and organic material. A ship and a person. Can’t I be both?” it becomes the novel’s central metaphor. Dras’s existence mirrors Echo’s understanding of himself. Both resist a world that insists on singular definitions.
One of the things I appreciated most is that the novel refuses to turn trans masculinity into a checklist. Through Matt, the ship’s doctor, we get one of the clearest statements in the story: “It’s not the shots, the clothes, or the surgeries that make me a man. I am a man because I am.” Simple. Radical. Echo’s struggle is not about uncertainty. It is about trying to exist in a world that keeps narrowing the definition of manhood.
The romance between Echo and Captain Crade builds slowly and feels grounded. Crade is thoughtful and observant, and he sees Echo as a whole person. Their intimacy is not framed as validation. It is recognition. When Crade tells him he likes that he is still himself no matter what parts he has, it lands because it feels easy and true. The spicy scenes are sensitive, confident, and never exploitative. Echo realises he does not need courage to ask for what he wants. He needs safety. On the Vastra Skogen, safety begins to feel possible.
The contrast between the Lion and the Vastra Skogen sharpens the emotional arc. On one ship, Echo survives by performing. On the other, he starts experimenting with honesty. He gets angry. He takes up space. He begins to imagine a future that is not just endurance.
Forest of the Stars is tender, funny, occasionally chaotic, deeply affirming and a lot of fun. It is about love, yes, but also about refusing small definitions. In a universe obsessed with borders between ships, planets, and genders, Adria asks something quietly radical: What if you belong everywhere you are brave enough to stand?
Many thanks to the author for the ARC, much appreciated.
#pudseyrecommends
Echo is a pirate on the Lion. He gets by, but he does not feel at home there. The crew runs on a brittle, posturing masculinity that leaves no room for softness or difference. Rox disguises control as concern. Burns and Vulture misgender him. Everything is a performance. Echo knows who he is, but he is exhausted from having to prove it all the time. He has learned to endure it, but at a cost. The Lion is a ship of survival, not sanctuary.
When the Lion tries to take over the Vastra Skogen, things go sideways in the best possible way. The ship is ancient and wildly advanced, with no real weapons and technology that feels closer to magic than mechanics. Its crew moves through the world with a steadiness that throws Echo off balance. And then there is Dras, the ship’s sentient consciousness, funny, perceptive, both cupid and trickster, and quietly wise.
Dras came into being after a hyperdrive accident tapped into an infinite, reality bending energy source. When they say, “That’s when I woke up and realised I was both machine and organic material. A ship and a person. Can’t I be both?” it becomes the novel’s central metaphor. Dras’s existence mirrors Echo’s understanding of himself. Both resist a world that insists on singular definitions.
One of the things I appreciated most is that the novel refuses to turn trans masculinity into a checklist. Through Matt, the ship’s doctor, we get one of the clearest statements in the story: “It’s not the shots, the clothes, or the surgeries that make me a man. I am a man because I am.” Simple. Radical. Echo’s struggle is not about uncertainty. It is about trying to exist in a world that keeps narrowing the definition of manhood.
The romance between Echo and Captain Crade builds slowly and feels grounded. Crade is thoughtful and observant, and he sees Echo as a whole person. Their intimacy is not framed as validation. It is recognition. When Crade tells him he likes that he is still himself no matter what parts he has, it lands because it feels easy and true. The spicy scenes are sensitive, confident, and never exploitative. Echo realises he does not need courage to ask for what he wants. He needs safety. On the Vastra Skogen, safety begins to feel possible.
The contrast between the Lion and the Vastra Skogen sharpens the emotional arc. On one ship, Echo survives by performing. On the other, he starts experimenting with honesty. He gets angry. He takes up space. He begins to imagine a future that is not just endurance.
Forest of the Stars is tender, funny, occasionally chaotic, deeply affirming and a lot of fun. It is about love, yes, but also about refusing small definitions. In a universe obsessed with borders between ships, planets, and genders, Adria asks something quietly radical: What if you belong everywhere you are brave enough to stand?
Many thanks to the author for the ARC, much appreciated.
#pudseyrecommends
Review of advance copy received from Autorin bzw. Autor
I just finished Forest of the Stars🪐
When I read the synopsis I knew this book could potenionally be right up my alley because there are space pirates, there is ice cream and on top of that there is a sentient spaceship!?!?!! Come ooooon 😍 I just love stories set in space, it's like I can't get enough.
And let me tell you, I read this book in two sittings because I simply couldn't put it down.
I loved learning about the world and I once again loved the spaceship setting. Once I was 3% in the story I already hated Vulture so much 😂
I especially loved everything about the sentient spaceship named Dras, they surely were a highlight and I could almost imagine what they would sound like.
And of course we have Echo, who has a beautiful and well deserved character development throughout the story and I was literally cheering and clapping from the sidelines like a bubbly cheerleader whenever he discovered another fragment of his personality click into place. I love learning about characters who finally have the freedom to truly be themselves when surrounded by the right people.
Echos blossoming relationship with Crade, who is the Captain of the sentient spaceship, was lovely to read and I loved how Crade treated Echo the more he learned about him. The book title is fitting perfectly and I loved that aspect of the story so much and wish I could see it with my own eyes.
There are definitely some characters I'm really intrigued about and hope to read more of them in the future, especially Matt and the Captain of the pirate spaceship 😱
If you are looking for a science fiction story with lots of love, action, self-discovery and a trans main character this story is totally worth checking out 😍
When I read the synopsis I knew this book could potenionally be right up my alley because there are space pirates, there is ice cream and on top of that there is a sentient spaceship!?!?!! Come ooooon 😍 I just love stories set in space, it's like I can't get enough.
And let me tell you, I read this book in two sittings because I simply couldn't put it down.
I loved learning about the world and I once again loved the spaceship setting. Once I was 3% in the story I already hated Vulture so much 😂
I especially loved everything about the sentient spaceship named Dras, they surely were a highlight and I could almost imagine what they would sound like.
And of course we have Echo, who has a beautiful and well deserved character development throughout the story and I was literally cheering and clapping from the sidelines like a bubbly cheerleader whenever he discovered another fragment of his personality click into place. I love learning about characters who finally have the freedom to truly be themselves when surrounded by the right people.
Echos blossoming relationship with Crade, who is the Captain of the sentient spaceship, was lovely to read and I loved how Crade treated Echo the more he learned about him. The book title is fitting perfectly and I loved that aspect of the story so much and wish I could see it with my own eyes.
There are definitely some characters I'm really intrigued about and hope to read more of them in the future, especially Matt and the Captain of the pirate spaceship 😱
If you are looking for a science fiction story with lots of love, action, self-discovery and a trans main character this story is totally worth checking out 😍
Review of advance copy received from Author
JT Adria has done it once again. Forest of the Stars was everything I hoped for and then some. The atmosphere pulled me in immediately, and I never wanted to leave the Vastra Skogen.
I’ve always been a sucker for sentient ships/computers, so Dras was destined to own my heart from the start. But the depth?? The emotional layers?? I was not prepared. Dras feels so real, and added so much heart to the story.
The romance was *chef's kiss*. Watching Echo discover himself—both aboard the Vastra Skogen and alongside Crade—was genuinely beautiful. My favorite part of their relationship is the way these two communicate with each other. It’s thoughtful, honest, and so intentional. The way Echo feels safe with Crade just makes my whole heart melt.
And that ending! I am absolutely waiting (impatiently) for the next book because I can't wait to find out where (or when) these characters are going next. 💫
I’ve always been a sucker for sentient ships/computers, so Dras was destined to own my heart from the start. But the depth?? The emotional layers?? I was not prepared. Dras feels so real, and added so much heart to the story.
The romance was *chef's kiss*. Watching Echo discover himself—both aboard the Vastra Skogen and alongside Crade—was genuinely beautiful. My favorite part of their relationship is the way these two communicate with each other. It’s thoughtful, honest, and so intentional. The way Echo feels safe with Crade just makes my whole heart melt.
And that ending! I am absolutely waiting (impatiently) for the next book because I can't wait to find out where (or when) these characters are going next. 💫
March 4, 2026
I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was an absolute delight from the very first page. I'm struggling to convey how clever and interesting this book is without spoiling the plot, but I'll just say that unraveling the ship's secrets along with Echo was a thrilling adventure. J.T. Adria continues to impress me with their creativity and impressive storytelling. I loved The One Who Slept (check it out if you haven't!), and really fell in love with Forest of the Stars as well. Echo and Crade were so sweet together, and Echo is just . . . oh my God, he was such a wonderful character. I just know that most readers will fall in love with both Echo and Crade - separately and together. Definitely check this out if you're looking for a clever and engaging sci-fi romance with a bunch of trans joy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review
⭐5
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book this fast. I feel like I’ve been in a bit of a slump but this book pulled me right out of it. I loved it so much.
As I learned with a previous book, for some reason I really love a sentient thing that shouldn’t be sentient. This book was no exception with Dras, the sentient spaceship. They have the perfect balance of sass and sincerity and care and I really enjoyed them.
As a person on their own journey, I really enjoyed Echo’s representation of a trans character. I loved him as a character and reading his journey to become a better version of himself.
Overall I really loved it! I cannot wait for the rest of the duology.
⭐5
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book this fast. I feel like I’ve been in a bit of a slump but this book pulled me right out of it. I loved it so much.
As I learned with a previous book, for some reason I really love a sentient thing that shouldn’t be sentient. This book was no exception with Dras, the sentient spaceship. They have the perfect balance of sass and sincerity and care and I really enjoyed them.
As a person on their own journey, I really enjoyed Echo’s representation of a trans character. I loved him as a character and reading his journey to become a better version of himself.
Overall I really loved it! I cannot wait for the rest of the duology.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a great sci-fi romance and o really enjoyed it. There is a lot of world building packed into this little book and it’s really well executed. I was completely drawn into the science behind the plot lines, the world of space pirates and the world where Crade came from felt really familiar (😉)
I am not going to able to say much without spoilers with this one so just know the trans representaion is stellar, the romance is low angst and sweet, the characters are really well built and love them or hate them you understand them.
I loved Dras - sassy cheeky caring Dras.
If you love sci-fi romance I would highly recommend this one.
I am not going to able to say much without spoilers with this one so just know the trans representaion is stellar, the romance is low angst and sweet, the characters are really well built and love them or hate them you understand them.
I loved Dras - sassy cheeky caring Dras.
If you love sci-fi romance I would highly recommend this one.
Did not finish
March 20, 2026I don't think this author knows what character backstory or worldbuilding means. Why do we not know a single thing about the main character from his life before the book, other than that he was part of a space pirate crew? Why aren't we told anything about the world this takes place in outside of the spaceship it's set on? The main character also reads like a naive teenager, not someone who's about to turn 22, in his own words. I'll give credit where it's due, though, I suppose. This book was significantly better line and copy edited than the vast majority of self-published books I've read (or not finished...).
March 3, 2026
This was such an interesting book! I don’t think I have ever read anything like it. Echo has a small piece of my heart. He deserves all the good things. Both Echo and Crade had things they were dealing with that made my heart hurt for them.
I loved the progression of their relationship and the way they interacted with each other. Dras was so unique and I loved them!! The whole book is unique and such a good storyline. I loved the universe J.T. created!
I loved the progression of their relationship and the way they interacted with each other. Dras was so unique and I loved them!! The whole book is unique and such a good storyline. I loved the universe J.T. created!
March 6, 2026
When I saw this one recommended by one of my fav sci-fi authors (Adrienne Lothy) I knew I had to give it a try, and I’m very glad I did!
Forest of the Stars is a sci-fi MM romance set thousands of years into the future. I loved the author’s unique take on the ship’s sentience (Dras), and the blend of technology with nature. Excellent trans rep as well - I loved Echo!
Will definitely be looking forward to the next one!
Forest of the Stars is a sci-fi MM romance set thousands of years into the future. I loved the author’s unique take on the ship’s sentience (Dras), and the blend of technology with nature. Excellent trans rep as well - I loved Echo!
Will definitely be looking forward to the next one!
March 11, 2026
Space pirates! Trans Rep! A sentient computer controlling the ship (and also playing match maker)! 🤩 This book was so fun and imaginative. if you enjoy an enemies to friends/to lovers themed slow burn, queer romance with heaps of Sci-Fi tech and some Fantasy elements, def pick up this charming book now!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 1, 2026
This book was a grand adventure. It’s so much fun to read. The characters are well developed. The world building is great. This sci-fi book provides all the things to keep you engaged and entertained.
April 5, 2026
So cuuute!!!! 🩷🩷🩷
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews