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Fortunate Son
Love will save them. But their love will destroy the kingdom.
Armas dreams of life beyond the family farm but doesn’t aspire to be the king. Kyla longs to fight for her kingdom but is sidelined by her father and must forge her own path. Jon is in line for the throne but has fallen for the one person he can’t have.
Fortunate Son is a retelling of the David story, part of the Stardust And Ashes series of biblical retellings set in the Euphrates Spiral Galaxy.
“Fortunate Son made me want to read the Bible again!"
-LaShawn Wanak, short fiction author & editor of GigaNotoSaurus Magazine
"A familiar (Biblical, even) story given fresh life and meaning with a SFnal twist."
-Laura Anne Gilman, author of the Huntsmen series
“How do you improve the most Shakespearian part of the Bible? Mech suits and starfighters!”
-Spencer Ellsworth, author of A Red Peace
Armas dreams of life beyond the family farm but doesn’t aspire to be the king. Kyla longs to fight for her kingdom but is sidelined by her father and must forge her own path. Jon is in line for the throne but has fallen for the one person he can’t have.
Fortunate Son is a retelling of the David story, part of the Stardust And Ashes series of biblical retellings set in the Euphrates Spiral Galaxy.
“Fortunate Son made me want to read the Bible again!"
-LaShawn Wanak, short fiction author & editor of GigaNotoSaurus Magazine
"A familiar (Biblical, even) story given fresh life and meaning with a SFnal twist."
-Laura Anne Gilman, author of the Huntsmen series
“How do you improve the most Shakespearian part of the Bible? Mech suits and starfighters!”
-Spencer Ellsworth, author of A Red Peace
406 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2025
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8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 19, 2025
Melinda Mitchell's follow-up to Next of Kin, her creative retelling of the Biblical book of Ruth, is a jam-packed sci-fi retelling of the saga of dueling kings Saul and David from 1 and 2 Samuel. Here, the Biblical narrative of warring nations is telescoped out into rival planets and star systems, but the core of the story--the increasing madness of King Saul and the transfer of the mandate of God from Saul to David (here renamed Armas)--is rendered imaginatively and faithfully. The relationship between Jonathan (Jon) and David (Armas), famously hinted at elliptically in the Biblical text, becomes a full-on love triangle between Armas, Jon, and Jon's sister (and Saul's daughter) Kyla.
The book is a full 383 pages in the hardcover edition I read, and if anything it is too short given the sheer number of events that occur. The narrative almost has no room to breathe, given that decisive events are occurring in every chapter. It certainly does not drag, and if action is what you are looking for, you have it here in abundance.
My only real quibble with the book is with the vagueness with which it portrays the monotheistic religion of Saul, Armas, and their ruling house. It is a little jarring to see a society with enough technology to travel and colonize space confer political authority in a way functionally identical to that of ancient Israel--that is, charismatic leadership underwritten by divine prophetic election. It is unclear to me from reading the book why the society at large has a tacit agreement to understand political legitimacy in this way, especially since we don't really have a lot here about its ritual and its role in the life of its people. If anything, the monotheism of Saul's house resembles some of the worst versions of political theology in our times, in which monotheism is a nearly empty placeholder sanctioning whatever racist or nationalist projects its advocates happen to have at the moment.
The contrast in the book between the religion of the One God in House Saul, compared with the suppressed cult of the hunter goddess Tana (of which Saul's own daughter is a secret devotee), is instructive, and not really to the benefit of the One God. The cult of Tana is rendered with great sympathy: its priests are devoted, caring, willing to care for the dying prophet Zam, and principled about what they will and will not do with the power of which they are custodians. The reader can well understand why someone who isn't a king would want to be a worshipper of Tana. It's hard to say the same about the cult of the One God, whose advocates come across generally as exclusivist bigots than devoted worshippers.
I sincerely expect that in the continuation of the story this religious tension takes center stage. It seems to be driving much of the story, but it feels underexplored so far. Fortunate Son ends right at the part of the Biblical text in which David is crowned king of a unified Israel. As readers of the Bible know, there is a lot more to the story once David becomes king. I look forward to reading the next installment!
I cannot finish this review without pointing out what I think is the most vivid reimagined element in Fortunate Son, and that is the Modes, the body-modifying space nomads. They don't map as directly onto the Biblical account as some of the story elements, and so with them Mitchell's imagination is set free, it feels like. The result is memorable and creepy in all of the right ways. I also hope the continuation of the story has the Modes in it.
I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to all sci-fi fans as well as fans of creative retellings of classic narratives.
The book is a full 383 pages in the hardcover edition I read, and if anything it is too short given the sheer number of events that occur. The narrative almost has no room to breathe, given that decisive events are occurring in every chapter. It certainly does not drag, and if action is what you are looking for, you have it here in abundance.
My only real quibble with the book is with the vagueness with which it portrays the monotheistic religion of Saul, Armas, and their ruling house. It is a little jarring to see a society with enough technology to travel and colonize space confer political authority in a way functionally identical to that of ancient Israel--that is, charismatic leadership underwritten by divine prophetic election. It is unclear to me from reading the book why the society at large has a tacit agreement to understand political legitimacy in this way, especially since we don't really have a lot here about its ritual and its role in the life of its people. If anything, the monotheism of Saul's house resembles some of the worst versions of political theology in our times, in which monotheism is a nearly empty placeholder sanctioning whatever racist or nationalist projects its advocates happen to have at the moment.
The contrast in the book between the religion of the One God in House Saul, compared with the suppressed cult of the hunter goddess Tana (of which Saul's own daughter is a secret devotee), is instructive, and not really to the benefit of the One God. The cult of Tana is rendered with great sympathy: its priests are devoted, caring, willing to care for the dying prophet Zam, and principled about what they will and will not do with the power of which they are custodians. The reader can well understand why someone who isn't a king would want to be a worshipper of Tana. It's hard to say the same about the cult of the One God, whose advocates come across generally as exclusivist bigots than devoted worshippers.
I sincerely expect that in the continuation of the story this religious tension takes center stage. It seems to be driving much of the story, but it feels underexplored so far. Fortunate Son ends right at the part of the Biblical text in which David is crowned king of a unified Israel. As readers of the Bible know, there is a lot more to the story once David becomes king. I look forward to reading the next installment!
I cannot finish this review without pointing out what I think is the most vivid reimagined element in Fortunate Son, and that is the Modes, the body-modifying space nomads. They don't map as directly onto the Biblical account as some of the story elements, and so with them Mitchell's imagination is set free, it feels like. The result is memorable and creepy in all of the right ways. I also hope the continuation of the story has the Modes in it.
I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to all sci-fi fans as well as fans of creative retellings of classic narratives.
November 6, 2025
If you’re looking for a juicy, action-packed space opera based on the Biblical story of King Saul, his son and heir Jonathan, and his protégé David, look no further! Those who know the source materials will enjoy finding clever parallels and Easter eggs. Those who don’t will still get sucked into this tragic drama rich with court intrigue, mech battles, narrow escapes, galaxy-spanning adventure, and forbidden love.
While there’s a ton of plot in this book, I was especially drawn to the characters, all of whom come to full, complicated life. Even the cruel king is sympathetic, though he causes most of the trouble. I was particularly pleased with how Mitchell handled Princess Kyla, who is granted more agency and heroism than her biblical counterpart. I’m already looking forward to the next book in this series.
I had the great pleasure of copyediting this book.
While there’s a ton of plot in this book, I was especially drawn to the characters, all of whom come to full, complicated life. Even the cruel king is sympathetic, though he causes most of the trouble. I was particularly pleased with how Mitchell handled Princess Kyla, who is granted more agency and heroism than her biblical counterpart. I’m already looking forward to the next book in this series.
I had the great pleasure of copyediting this book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews