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Jitterbug
In 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....
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First published March 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
March 6, 2026
3.0 Stars
This was a light hearted space adventure filled with witty banter and familiar found family trope.
I have read several books by this science fiction author before and found it to be one of his most light hearted books. I would compare this novel to be similar to the works of Becky Chambers and John Scalzi.
Overall this was a fun romp but ultimately not particularly memorable or unique. It was an easy read but not necessarily had lasting power.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a light hearted space adventure filled with witty banter and familiar found family trope.
I have read several books by this science fiction author before and found it to be one of his most light hearted books. I would compare this novel to be similar to the works of Becky Chambers and John Scalzi.
Overall this was a fun romp but ultimately not particularly memorable or unique. It was an easy read but not necessarily had lasting power.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
March 6, 2026
Jitterbug is basically feel-good, cozy science fiction, and not at all what I was expecting from Powell. It bears a few passing similarities to Firefly and The Expanse, but generally feels uninspired and lacks the qualities that made those works so iconic: the wit and energy of the former, and the grit and suspense of the latter. By the time the story eventually starts to pick up momentum, it comes up a day late and a dollar short.
March 10, 2026
I've long been a fan of Gareth Powell ever since following him on Twitter back in the days when it was still Twitter and seeing how gracious he was towards new writers like myself. Then I started reading his work and he's fast become an autobuy author, as his work speaks for itself.
He has some common themes in his work, but he's consistently solid and entertaining while not sticking to surface level tropes. He does space opera from the golden age of sci fi when publishers still thought sci fi was worth publishing. Fun space opera with some science, a quirky cast of characters, and some slightly deeper themes.
Common themes in his work include found family, a cranky ship's mind and AI finding a use beyond what its creators foresaw but not the typical evil robot trope, love against the odds, and logic and science prevailing against colonialism and empire. These themes keep me coming back for more.
This book was cozier than his other works but I still enjoyed it.
Comparisons to Firefly are also often overdone but Jitterbug in particular had a real Firefly feel to it. A bounty hunter and his ragtag crew flies a rust bucket with lots of seafaring metaphors. I loved all the quirky characters in this, though I was glad the ship's mind changed her avatar because the parrot was charming but also annoying.
On a mission to investigate some intel from a bounty, the crew rescues a woman who turns out to be an infamous pirate queen who goes by the name Amber Roth. But they run into deeper trouble with the data crystal she's carrying that she hopes will be her ticket out of piracy. Saving the human race sort of trouble. The ragtag crew rises to the occasion.
I loved the side romance between the ship's captain, Copernicus Brown, and Amber. Bounty hunter and pirate queen? Yes please. I also liked how the romance didn't take over the whole plot. And Copernicus Brown is a great character name.
I found the time travel wormhole stuff somewhat confusing and a little deus ex machina, but intriguing.
The ending was an open one and I almost felt sorry this was a stand alone. I would totally read more in this universe if it turned into a series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
He has some common themes in his work, but he's consistently solid and entertaining while not sticking to surface level tropes. He does space opera from the golden age of sci fi when publishers still thought sci fi was worth publishing. Fun space opera with some science, a quirky cast of characters, and some slightly deeper themes.
Common themes in his work include found family, a cranky ship's mind and AI finding a use beyond what its creators foresaw but not the typical evil robot trope, love against the odds, and logic and science prevailing against colonialism and empire. These themes keep me coming back for more.
This book was cozier than his other works but I still enjoyed it.
Comparisons to Firefly are also often overdone but Jitterbug in particular had a real Firefly feel to it. A bounty hunter and his ragtag crew flies a rust bucket with lots of seafaring metaphors. I loved all the quirky characters in this, though I was glad the ship's mind changed her avatar because the parrot was charming but also annoying.
On a mission to investigate some intel from a bounty, the crew rescues a woman who turns out to be an infamous pirate queen who goes by the name Amber Roth. But they run into deeper trouble with the data crystal she's carrying that she hopes will be her ticket out of piracy. Saving the human race sort of trouble. The ragtag crew rises to the occasion.
I loved the side romance between the ship's captain, Copernicus Brown, and Amber. Bounty hunter and pirate queen? Yes please. I also liked how the romance didn't take over the whole plot. And Copernicus Brown is a great character name.
I found the time travel wormhole stuff somewhat confusing and a little deus ex machina, but intriguing.
The ending was an open one and I almost felt sorry this was a stand alone. I would totally read more in this universe if it turned into a series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review to follow
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!
March 27, 2026
Jitterbug by Garth L. Powell — ★★★★☆
This was a very enjoyable read—fast, focused, and consistently gripping.
Garth L. Powell drops you straight into a frontier where justice isn’t blind, it’s feral. Jitterbug blends space‑western grit with high‑velocity intrigue, following Copernicus Brown and the crew of his sentient ship as they chase fugitives across a solar system that’s been shattered and rebuilt into something strange and dangerous.
The hook lands early: Jupiter and Saturn are gone, replaced by a massive artificial sphere that’s become a haven for criminals and opportunists. When Brown rescues Amber Roth—sole survivor of a pirate attack—the story tightens into a conspiracy thriller. Everyone wants the data chip hidden inside her, and the Jitterbug crew suddenly finds themselves hunted by political factions with long reach and no patience.
What kept me locked in was the balance of character chemistry, escalating stakes, and that creeping cosmic presence lurking at the edges of the narrative. Powell knows how to keep tension simmering without losing the fun of a good bounty‑hunter romp. The action hits hard, the worldbuilding feels lived‑in, and the Jitterbug herself is a standout—equal parts ship, character, and partner in crime.
If anything holds it back from a full five stars, it’s that some threads feel more teased than explored, especially as the “something vast and ancient” draws closer. But even then, the momentum never falters.
A sharp, twisty, frontier‑in‑space adventure with heart, humor, and a looming cosmic shadow. Solid 4/5.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
This was a very enjoyable read—fast, focused, and consistently gripping.
Garth L. Powell drops you straight into a frontier where justice isn’t blind, it’s feral. Jitterbug blends space‑western grit with high‑velocity intrigue, following Copernicus Brown and the crew of his sentient ship as they chase fugitives across a solar system that’s been shattered and rebuilt into something strange and dangerous.
The hook lands early: Jupiter and Saturn are gone, replaced by a massive artificial sphere that’s become a haven for criminals and opportunists. When Brown rescues Amber Roth—sole survivor of a pirate attack—the story tightens into a conspiracy thriller. Everyone wants the data chip hidden inside her, and the Jitterbug crew suddenly finds themselves hunted by political factions with long reach and no patience.
What kept me locked in was the balance of character chemistry, escalating stakes, and that creeping cosmic presence lurking at the edges of the narrative. Powell knows how to keep tension simmering without losing the fun of a good bounty‑hunter romp. The action hits hard, the worldbuilding feels lived‑in, and the Jitterbug herself is a standout—equal parts ship, character, and partner in crime.
If anything holds it back from a full five stars, it’s that some threads feel more teased than explored, especially as the “something vast and ancient” draws closer. But even then, the momentum never falters.
A sharp, twisty, frontier‑in‑space adventure with heart, humor, and a looming cosmic shadow. Solid 4/5.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
March 11, 2026
(2.25 Stars)
First off... I read the description and it states that the book is "perfect for fans of James S. A. Corey and Adrian Tchaikovsky". I believe... if you are going to make that claim, you best be on your "A" game. The only thing this book has in common with The Expanse is that they feature "Space". And this book has none of the intricate plot complexities that Tchaikovsky is known for. However, I will try and forget that the comparison was made and review this book as if I came into it without expectation.
The premise sounded fun, and I love a good sci-fi book. Unfortunately this book just missed the mark with me. This book is tagged as "Adult Fiction", I can only assume it is because of the one awkward attempt at a sex scene, but the entire book is about the level of "Young Adult" (at best). Don't get me wrong, I am not above reading YA, and I am not saying that as a knock on YA fiction. What I mean is that every character has the emotional maturity of someone much younger than their age. There isn't character growth as much as there is abrupt and unexplainable character change. The world building was illogical and even though it was "explained", it didn't really make sense. And the plot is tied up in the world building.
First off... I read the description and it states that the book is "perfect for fans of James S. A. Corey and Adrian Tchaikovsky". I believe... if you are going to make that claim, you best be on your "A" game. The only thing this book has in common with The Expanse is that they feature "Space". And this book has none of the intricate plot complexities that Tchaikovsky is known for. However, I will try and forget that the comparison was made and review this book as if I came into it without expectation.
The premise sounded fun, and I love a good sci-fi book. Unfortunately this book just missed the mark with me. This book is tagged as "Adult Fiction", I can only assume it is because of the one awkward attempt at a sex scene, but the entire book is about the level of "Young Adult" (at best). Don't get me wrong, I am not above reading YA, and I am not saying that as a knock on YA fiction. What I mean is that every character has the emotional maturity of someone much younger than their age. There isn't character growth as much as there is abrupt and unexplainable character change. The world building was illogical and even though it was "explained", it didn't really make sense. And the plot is tied up in the world building.
March 8, 2026
I don’t think the fusion of rogue ship crew with heart and a big epic space opera take quite is pulled of here - the storylines feel rushed as do the character development: if you don’t think too closely about how it all is supposed to work you can have fun but I needed more
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
January 4, 2026
As ever this is a fast-paced and entertaining read from Gareth L Powell. You’re not going to get dense and allusive literary works from him (yet), but straightforward action SF that somehow unlocks the part of me that was once thirteen and reading every SF book in the local library, soaking up this exciting new world. He has an eye for space battles and giant alien objects that is frankly delightful, and to be able to rekindle that sense of wonder in a grizzled mid-50s grump is no small achievement. A caveat though - some elements of his novels risk becoming stale at this point. I wouldn’t mind if he gave the ragtag crews and sentient spaceships a rest for a couple of books. In isolation though this is a lot of fun, and yes I did spot the mandatory Aliens quote.
March 6, 2026
The nitty-gritty: High stakes, big action, political intrigue and humor join forces in Gareth L. Powell’s latest, a fun, fast paced sci-fi adventure with heart.
“Never forget, Copernicus, that just like the rest of us, you are the product of coincidence and luck.”
Gareth L. Powell is one of the most creative writers I’ve had the pleasure to read, and his latest space opera Jitterbug takes that creativity to the next level. And while this didn’t quite hit the highs of some of his previous books, it was so much fun. If you’re a Powell fan you’ll recognize some of his trademark elements, like the found family trope, sentient space ships and plenty of humor. Fans of Firefly will have a blast!
Copernicus Brown is the captain of the Jitterbug, a ship that he inherited from his father Malcolm. Ever since the shocking events surrounding Jupiter and Saturn sixty years ago, when an alien entity disassembled the planets and created a new “planet” out of them called the Swirl, new opportunities for income have arisen. Copernicus is a bounty hunter, going after criminals who often hide out in remote areas of the Swirl, and along with his crew—pilot Kiki, engineer Ulf, and his cousin McKenzie—they scrape by, hoping for the next big job.
One day they are heading to Mars when they answer a distress call. They arrive to find a destroyed freighter and a pirate ship, and lurking in the debris of the freighter is a woman who calls herself Amber Roth. Copernicus brings her aboard only to find out she’s concealing a data crystal with military grade encrypted information. When the data is finally accessed, it’s grim news: something big is headed through space towards the Swirl, and a ticking countdown clock suggests whatever it is will arrive soon.
With the help of his crew, a political advisor named Danielle Lanzo, and the Jitterbug itself (as well as Roth’s ship the Slinky Lynx), Copernicus must figure out a plan to save the world, all while facing the demons in his past.
Let’s talk about the Swirl first, since it’s such a fascinating idea. It’s almost like a manufactured planet, composed of eight segments that surround the sun like sections of an orange peel (at least that’s how the author describes it). There are two sides to each segment, separated by a mile of dense material: the bright inside edge, and the darker, outside edge which is exposed to the stars. It’s so vast that most of it is unoccupied. Powell uses just enough scientific jargon to make it all seem plausible, while allowing readers to easily grasp the concept. It also plays a big part in the final battle, and if you’re wondering who created it, well, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
My other favorite element was the sentient ships, a trope I adore. Jitterbug has a physical avatar in the form of a parrot, which makes it easy for the ship to “accompany” Copernicus anywhere. After the crew intercepts the Slinky Lynx, that ship’s sentience becomes part of the story in a very cool way. Jitterbug and Slinky Lynx even meet in virtual space as their avatars to make plans when things start to go sideways, giving the ships a new way of expressing themselves.
The chapters alternate among several characters’ first person points of view, including Copernicus, Jitterbug, Amber Roth and Danielle Lanzo (who provides an interesting political perspective). We also get lots of backstory for each character—how they ended up here, past secrets and traumas, etc.---although I would have liked more “show” and less “tell” during these sections. I also liked the online message board “ads” at the end of each chapter: “BOUNTY: C134K New Luna Credits for capture of ‘Light-fingered’ Lou De La Fosse. Wanted for embezzlement. Believed to be on Swirl Segments #2 or #3.” They immerse the reader even further into this world, and I thought they were a nice touch.
What didn’t work as well for me was the length of the book. I do love the punchiness of a shorter page count, but sometimes it hurts the story. In this case, there is a surprise twist that happens in the last fifty pages that felt a bit rushed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cool, mind-bending twist, but it’s very complex, and the explanations didn’t completely work and left me confused. I think with more time to build the suspense and allow the reader to catch up with the crazy action, it would have been more successful. There’s also a romance between Copernicus and Roth that seems to come out of nowhere, and although it’s a crucial later in the story, it would have been nice to see more development.
But aside from that, Jitterbug is another winner from an author who consistently puts out quality stories. Readers looking for a shorter sci-fi romp will love this.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
“Never forget, Copernicus, that just like the rest of us, you are the product of coincidence and luck.”
Gareth L. Powell is one of the most creative writers I’ve had the pleasure to read, and his latest space opera Jitterbug takes that creativity to the next level. And while this didn’t quite hit the highs of some of his previous books, it was so much fun. If you’re a Powell fan you’ll recognize some of his trademark elements, like the found family trope, sentient space ships and plenty of humor. Fans of Firefly will have a blast!
Copernicus Brown is the captain of the Jitterbug, a ship that he inherited from his father Malcolm. Ever since the shocking events surrounding Jupiter and Saturn sixty years ago, when an alien entity disassembled the planets and created a new “planet” out of them called the Swirl, new opportunities for income have arisen. Copernicus is a bounty hunter, going after criminals who often hide out in remote areas of the Swirl, and along with his crew—pilot Kiki, engineer Ulf, and his cousin McKenzie—they scrape by, hoping for the next big job.
One day they are heading to Mars when they answer a distress call. They arrive to find a destroyed freighter and a pirate ship, and lurking in the debris of the freighter is a woman who calls herself Amber Roth. Copernicus brings her aboard only to find out she’s concealing a data crystal with military grade encrypted information. When the data is finally accessed, it’s grim news: something big is headed through space towards the Swirl, and a ticking countdown clock suggests whatever it is will arrive soon.
With the help of his crew, a political advisor named Danielle Lanzo, and the Jitterbug itself (as well as Roth’s ship the Slinky Lynx), Copernicus must figure out a plan to save the world, all while facing the demons in his past.
Let’s talk about the Swirl first, since it’s such a fascinating idea. It’s almost like a manufactured planet, composed of eight segments that surround the sun like sections of an orange peel (at least that’s how the author describes it). There are two sides to each segment, separated by a mile of dense material: the bright inside edge, and the darker, outside edge which is exposed to the stars. It’s so vast that most of it is unoccupied. Powell uses just enough scientific jargon to make it all seem plausible, while allowing readers to easily grasp the concept. It also plays a big part in the final battle, and if you’re wondering who created it, well, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
My other favorite element was the sentient ships, a trope I adore. Jitterbug has a physical avatar in the form of a parrot, which makes it easy for the ship to “accompany” Copernicus anywhere. After the crew intercepts the Slinky Lynx, that ship’s sentience becomes part of the story in a very cool way. Jitterbug and Slinky Lynx even meet in virtual space as their avatars to make plans when things start to go sideways, giving the ships a new way of expressing themselves.
The chapters alternate among several characters’ first person points of view, including Copernicus, Jitterbug, Amber Roth and Danielle Lanzo (who provides an interesting political perspective). We also get lots of backstory for each character—how they ended up here, past secrets and traumas, etc.---although I would have liked more “show” and less “tell” during these sections. I also liked the online message board “ads” at the end of each chapter: “BOUNTY: C134K New Luna Credits for capture of ‘Light-fingered’ Lou De La Fosse. Wanted for embezzlement. Believed to be on Swirl Segments #2 or #3.” They immerse the reader even further into this world, and I thought they were a nice touch.
What didn’t work as well for me was the length of the book. I do love the punchiness of a shorter page count, but sometimes it hurts the story. In this case, there is a surprise twist that happens in the last fifty pages that felt a bit rushed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cool, mind-bending twist, but it’s very complex, and the explanations didn’t completely work and left me confused. I think with more time to build the suspense and allow the reader to catch up with the crazy action, it would have been more successful. There’s also a romance between Copernicus and Roth that seems to come out of nowhere, and although it’s a crucial later in the story, it would have been nice to see more development.
But aside from that, Jitterbug is another winner from an author who consistently puts out quality stories. Readers looking for a shorter sci-fi romp will love this.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
April 10, 2026
*3.5⭐️
never read anything by this author before, but I am curious to check out what he comes up with next!
I enjoyed the characters' sense of humour and sarcasm throughout the book. they felt realistic! each and every one of them was really distinct and didn't feel one dimensional.
I loved the writing style as well. the short chapters were much appreciated, and the different povs gave the maximum insight into what was going on.
the plot itself was quite interesting and felt like it was high stakes, but at the same time, nothing particularly dangerous happened when it came to humanity's survival. by the end, the time travel trope was introduced too, and that's one of my least favourite tropes to read about, so I was kinda bored and confused by that point.
however, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it if you don't have a problem with the things I mentioned above. it was entertaining!
never read anything by this author before, but I am curious to check out what he comes up with next!
I enjoyed the characters' sense of humour and sarcasm throughout the book. they felt realistic! each and every one of them was really distinct and didn't feel one dimensional.
I loved the writing style as well. the short chapters were much appreciated, and the different povs gave the maximum insight into what was going on.
the plot itself was quite interesting and felt like it was high stakes, but at the same time, nothing particularly dangerous happened when it came to humanity's survival. by the end, the time travel trope was introduced too, and that's one of my least favourite tropes to read about, so I was kinda bored and confused by that point.
however, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it if you don't have a problem with the things I mentioned above. it was entertaining!
April 15, 2026
3.5 stars is an accurate score of this book.
it's wholesome space book. even though book is in two parts. I'm gonna break it down to act 1,2,3.
act 1, solid foundation to world settings and getting you up to speed. the ship AI personality and interactions I loved. the swirl and the solar system as a whole was very interesting.
act 2. when the event that pulls them all together I enjoyed, a relationship seemed to pull together really quickly, may of been because of the fast intensity of the situation or that there had been small time jumps.
act 3,rushed and confusing at times and things happening seemingly just cause. certain developments of some characters making no sense, new bodies and timey wimey stuff felt out of left field.
this book left me wanting more and maybe a slower burn maybe just another book. introducing the villains better. however I liked the message and meaning behind them. overall 3.5 * for a cosy space book about a found family, won't blow you away but good pallet cleanser book
it's wholesome space book. even though book is in two parts. I'm gonna break it down to act 1,2,3.
act 1, solid foundation to world settings and getting you up to speed. the ship AI personality and interactions I loved. the swirl and the solar system as a whole was very interesting.
act 2. when the event that pulls them all together I enjoyed, a relationship seemed to pull together really quickly, may of been because of the fast intensity of the situation or that there had been small time jumps.
act 3,rushed and confusing at times and things happening seemingly just cause. certain developments of some characters making no sense, new bodies and timey wimey stuff felt out of left field.
this book left me wanting more and maybe a slower burn maybe just another book. introducing the villains better. however I liked the message and meaning behind them. overall 3.5 * for a cosy space book about a found family, won't blow you away but good pallet cleanser book
March 23, 2026
2.5, meh
March 19, 2026
the plot was interesting and kept me engaged but didn’t warm to the relationship or writing style. quick and easy read though
got in the illuminate starbright subscription box
got in the illuminate starbright subscription box
March 31, 2026
Very nice and cozy sci-fi, I really enjoyed it! It gave me very Becky Chambers vibes
January 3, 2026
I like a book where the main character has to say “Recalibrate our course, we need to intercept those incoming missiles or they’ll hit the aliens!” (*not an exact quote, but you get the idea). So, I liked this book.
Two space pirates, a space politician, and a space crew gang up together for a heist-first contact-ish adventure. This is familiar enough, but I was taken in by the landscape—several planets disintegrate, and then a ginormous hollow sphere encloses the remaining solar system, split into segments that have gaps between them and are inhabitable on the interior planes. Neat!
As I’m reflecting, I frankly wasn’t super invested in the plot or (weak) character development, but the visual descriptions were excellent and allowed me to sit back and enjoy the book version a great action movie.
Thanks NetGalley and Titan Books for the advance!
Two space pirates, a space politician, and a space crew gang up together for a heist-first contact-ish adventure. This is familiar enough, but I was taken in by the landscape—several planets disintegrate, and then a ginormous hollow sphere encloses the remaining solar system, split into segments that have gaps between them and are inhabitable on the interior planes. Neat!
As I’m reflecting, I frankly wasn’t super invested in the plot or (weak) character development, but the visual descriptions were excellent and allowed me to sit back and enjoy the book version a great action movie.
Thanks NetGalley and Titan Books for the advance!
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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.
March 18, 2026
Honestly? I’m not sure I’ll have a fully formed opinion on this book for a while. It’s one of those reads where nothing went horribly wrong, but nothing went particularly great either. It reads as a cosy sci-fi: light, digestible, easy to pick up and put down. Palette cleanser material.
Jitterbug follows Copernicus, a spaceship captain navigating the Swirl (a vast, chaotic version of our solar system) alongside his crew and his sentient ship, Jitterbug. After bouncing between bounty jobs (Copernicus biggest source of income to keep the ship and the crew alive), one day, he encounters a random destroyed ship that will completely change all their life’s. “You’re the product of a coincidence and luck.”
The Swirl genuinely intrigued me. It took a while to wrap my head around it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about the logistics of it; how big is it exactly? How do people actually live in there? What does daily life look like? It opened so many questions that kept me turning pages, excited to learn more. It’s the kind of worldbuilding that makes you curious, even if (and I’ll get back to this) the book doesn’t always follow through on those questions.
Let me start with Jitterbug herself, because I had genuinely high hopes. A sentient ship is a great concept. But in practice, Jitterbug functions almost entirely as a narrative convenience. She’s there to info-dump exposition, deliver solutions the crew couldn’t logically reach on their own, and move the plot along whenever Powell needs her to. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t stop noticing it. She didn’t feel like a character to me. She felt like a tool.
The same flatness extends to the crew. I was told repeatedly that these people have history, that Ulf has known Copernicus since he was a child, that Jitterbug used to by Copernicus dad’s ship, that they’ve been through things together. But I never felt it. Their relationships read as functional rather than lived-in, and there’s no real explanation for the emotional distance between them. If Copernicus is someone who keeps his crew at arms length, I wanted to understand why. Without that, the their dynamics just feel underdeveloped.
This connects to what I’d call the book’s YA problem. It’s tagged as Adult Fiction, but emotionally it reads younger. Characters make life-altering decisions with a “yeah, sounds fun, let’s go” energy that doesn’t sit right. There’s no real weight to the choices, no sense that anyone is processing the consequences, for themselves or anyone else.
And then there’s the pacing. Nothing absolutely major happens until around the 60% mark. Before that, it was unclear to me what the story was trying to be or where it was headed. I can handle a slow build, but the concepts Powell introduces in the final stretch (which are actually interesting and carry real implications) needed to be rooted much earlier for them to land properly. Instead, they arrive late and underdeveloped, which is a shame, because done in another way, the book would’ve been so much more interesting.
Powell writes in a way that felt accessible to me; there’s enough scientific jargon to feel grounded, but never so much that it becomes overly confusing. If you’re new to sci-fi, this would be a comfortable entry point. That said, there are moments where clarity disappears in ways that frustrated me. The communication between Copernicus and Jitterbug is a good example: early on, it’s never established how they’re speaking to each other. Mind-to-mind? A hidden earpiece? You’re left filling in blanks that should have been answered (at least in my opinion). The Swirl has similar gaps. It’s atmospheric enough to pull you in, but the mechanics are never fully explained.
Jitterbug isn’t a bad book. If you’re in the mood for something low-stakes and easy to move through, it delivers that. Sometimes a palette cleanser is exactly what you need, just know that’s what you’re signing up for.
Jitterbug follows Copernicus, a spaceship captain navigating the Swirl (a vast, chaotic version of our solar system) alongside his crew and his sentient ship, Jitterbug. After bouncing between bounty jobs (Copernicus biggest source of income to keep the ship and the crew alive), one day, he encounters a random destroyed ship that will completely change all their life’s. “You’re the product of a coincidence and luck.”
The Swirl genuinely intrigued me. It took a while to wrap my head around it, but once I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about the logistics of it; how big is it exactly? How do people actually live in there? What does daily life look like? It opened so many questions that kept me turning pages, excited to learn more. It’s the kind of worldbuilding that makes you curious, even if (and I’ll get back to this) the book doesn’t always follow through on those questions.
Let me start with Jitterbug herself, because I had genuinely high hopes. A sentient ship is a great concept. But in practice, Jitterbug functions almost entirely as a narrative convenience. She’s there to info-dump exposition, deliver solutions the crew couldn’t logically reach on their own, and move the plot along whenever Powell needs her to. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t stop noticing it. She didn’t feel like a character to me. She felt like a tool.
The same flatness extends to the crew. I was told repeatedly that these people have history, that Ulf has known Copernicus since he was a child, that Jitterbug used to by Copernicus dad’s ship, that they’ve been through things together. But I never felt it. Their relationships read as functional rather than lived-in, and there’s no real explanation for the emotional distance between them. If Copernicus is someone who keeps his crew at arms length, I wanted to understand why. Without that, the their dynamics just feel underdeveloped.
This connects to what I’d call the book’s YA problem. It’s tagged as Adult Fiction, but emotionally it reads younger. Characters make life-altering decisions with a “yeah, sounds fun, let’s go” energy that doesn’t sit right. There’s no real weight to the choices, no sense that anyone is processing the consequences, for themselves or anyone else.
And then there’s the pacing. Nothing absolutely major happens until around the 60% mark. Before that, it was unclear to me what the story was trying to be or where it was headed. I can handle a slow build, but the concepts Powell introduces in the final stretch (which are actually interesting and carry real implications) needed to be rooted much earlier for them to land properly. Instead, they arrive late and underdeveloped, which is a shame, because done in another way, the book would’ve been so much more interesting.
Powell writes in a way that felt accessible to me; there’s enough scientific jargon to feel grounded, but never so much that it becomes overly confusing. If you’re new to sci-fi, this would be a comfortable entry point. That said, there are moments where clarity disappears in ways that frustrated me. The communication between Copernicus and Jitterbug is a good example: early on, it’s never established how they’re speaking to each other. Mind-to-mind? A hidden earpiece? You’re left filling in blanks that should have been answered (at least in my opinion). The Swirl has similar gaps. It’s atmospheric enough to pull you in, but the mechanics are never fully explained.
Jitterbug isn’t a bad book. If you’re in the mood for something low-stakes and easy to move through, it delivers that. Sometimes a palette cleanser is exactly what you need, just know that’s what you’re signing up for.
February 21, 2026
An entertaining romp through a novel take on the solar system that could be stronger on the characterization. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
There are many things to like in "Jitterbug". The setting is a fascinating take on what the appearance of mega structures in the solar system would do to humanity. The lack of stars in the night sky after the creations of the Shards was particularly awesome. I wouldn't call this particularly hard sci-fi, but I really enjoyed the gritty details of flying a spaceship in this world. The spaceships actually handle like spaceships, not planes. The mystery was quite compelling, and Powell does a decent job of linking the mysteries together. For most of the book, nothing feels particularly out of left field.
Unfortunately, the characters were where this really started to crack for me. I did not care about the romance in this book whatsoever. It came from nowhere, and it was between two characters who lacked any kind of romantic chemistry. I understand for plot reasons why it had to happen, but it could have been handled so much better. This was unfortunately enough to drop a star, because I'm tired of men and women in media having to get together because of sheer proximity. If you want me to be even vaguely invested, you have to give me more than this. I also would have liked more interiority from the other crew members of the "Jitterbug". They all seem to have about one personality trait each, and I would have liked them to be a little more fleshed out.
The ending also feels VERY convenient. There are thematic reasons for that, but it just feels a little too neat as it is. It is at least a somewhat hopeful ending, but I think Powell could have made the book a little longer, just to let the characters grapple with the revelations that they have received. Everyone makes a choice with remarkably little angst.
Overall, a very fun, but flawed, read.
There are many things to like in "Jitterbug". The setting is a fascinating take on what the appearance of mega structures in the solar system would do to humanity. The lack of stars in the night sky after the creations of the Shards was particularly awesome. I wouldn't call this particularly hard sci-fi, but I really enjoyed the gritty details of flying a spaceship in this world. The spaceships actually handle like spaceships, not planes. The mystery was quite compelling, and Powell does a decent job of linking the mysteries together. For most of the book, nothing feels particularly out of left field.
Unfortunately, the characters were where this really started to crack for me. I did not care about the romance in this book whatsoever. It came from nowhere, and it was between two characters who lacked any kind of romantic chemistry. I understand for plot reasons why it had to happen, but it could have been handled so much better. This was unfortunately enough to drop a star, because I'm tired of men and women in media having to get together because of sheer proximity. If you want me to be even vaguely invested, you have to give me more than this. I also would have liked more interiority from the other crew members of the "Jitterbug". They all seem to have about one personality trait each, and I would have liked them to be a little more fleshed out.
The ending also feels VERY convenient. There are thematic reasons for that, but it just feels a little too neat as it is. It is at least a somewhat hopeful ending, but I think Powell could have made the book a little longer, just to let the characters grapple with the revelations that they have received. Everyone makes a choice with remarkably little angst.
Overall, a very fun, but flawed, read.
March 13, 2026
I really enjoy Powell's books. This one is no exception.
Jitterbug is a fun frolic through what's left of the solar system. Big concepts are used as a backdrop to a found family storyline, and Powell's consistent use of sentient spaceships is no surprise. The narrative has a somewhat familiar 'Whedon-esque' feel to it, which is no bad thing, but it did make me want to go re-watch 'that' series.
Overall, an enjoyable ride.
Jitterbug is a fun frolic through what's left of the solar system. Big concepts are used as a backdrop to a found family storyline, and Powell's consistent use of sentient spaceships is no surprise. The narrative has a somewhat familiar 'Whedon-esque' feel to it, which is no bad thing, but it did make me want to go re-watch 'that' series.
Overall, an enjoyable ride.
April 15, 2026
An absolutely brilliant accessible work of Sci-Fi from a fantastic author, with tropes such as found family and a setting that is awesome and wow does Gareth turn up the sci-fi at the end!
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.
March 12, 2026
I have several of Gareth L. Powell's books. He has written series in the past, but his last couple of books have been standalones, which is a good thing in my mind. (Just looking at Brandon Sanderson's fifty-pound bricks exhausts me.) That continues to be the case with this book, a one-and-done space opera with a few timey-wimey twists at the end.
This story also falls in the category of....I don't know if you could really call it Big Dumb Objects, because the objects that make up what Powell calls the Swirl are actually pretty interesting. They're the remnants of the outer planets (Pluto, the Oort Cloud, Neptune, Saturn and Jupiter) which were taken apart by--something--a hundred years ago and re-formed into several segments facing and orbiting the Sun. These segments are so unimaginably huge (hundreds of millions of miles long and wide) that they hold their own atmospheres and are inhabitable. In fact, humanity has begun doing just that: leaving Earth and Luna and settling on these segments, building towns and planting crops and making lives for themselves. (Since Mars is also unraveling and humans don't have the slightest idea how this is done or how to stop it, the unspoken horrific expectation is that eventually Earth will be taken apart as well and the Swirl will be the only place humans can live.) The Swirl has become the Wild West of the outer solar system, a place where people can disappear into a segment that can hold a million Earths and never be found again.
Our main POV character is Copernicus Brown, the captain of the titular sentient starship Jitterbug and a bounty hunter who tracks down the outlaws who attempt to disappear into the Swirl. Following a successful bounty, Copernicus and his crew are on their way back to Luna when they run across a ship under attack by pirates. They divert to render assistance, only to discover when they get there that both the ship who called for help and the pirate ship have been taken apart by an unseen third vessel that cut them both open like tin cans and disappeared. The Jitterbug comes under attack by one of the last survivors of the pirates and one of her crew members is killed. Upon scanning the mangled ships another survivor is found hiding in a water tank. Copernicus goes to set this person free, and finds a woman calling herself Amber Roth who is claiming to be a captive of the pirates and who attempted to escape. But Amber Roth has secrets of her own, as evidenced when the Jitterbug scans her and sees an encrypted data crystal in her stomach, which she apparently swallowed when the pirates attacked.
This one fateful decision sets the plot in motion, as Copernicus and the Jitterbug's crew soon realize they have stumbled upon a system-wide conspiracy involving the higher-ups at the Solar Assembly, the organization tasked with managing the Swirl and space travel. This chip holds evidence that something is coming, that a huge object a thousand miles wide is on its way insystem. The Jitterbug and her crew are tracked down by the Deputy Speaker of the Solar Assembly, Danielle Lanzo, and tasked with meeting this object, which the Solar Assembly thinks may be an alien ship, for first contact. But there are other players who wish to get there first, and the plot becomes a race between the Jitterbug and these other players, some of whom are willing to kill to protect their place in line.
The final third of the book details Copernicus Brown and his ship meeting the alien object, and the reveal involves the timey-wimey shenanigans I spoke of earlier. There are also other aliens inbound to Earth, a locust-like species that strips planets of every resource, murders the inhabitants, and leaves the solar system with nothing but burned ruins behind. Copernicus and the Jitterbug (or a couple different alternate versions of them) are trying to rescue the human race.
As usual with this author, the sentient starship Jitterbug is a major player in her own right. Powell likes several alternating first-person viewpoints in his stories, and in this one there are clear differences between the characters and their voices (especially Danielle Lanzo's). Some of the ideas in this book could have actually used more room to explore, but this story, also typical of Powell, is a lean and mean 300 pages.
I think my favorite work of Powell's is still his Embers of War trilogy, but this one is right up there. If you're a fan of space opera, you won't go wrong with this.
This story also falls in the category of....I don't know if you could really call it Big Dumb Objects, because the objects that make up what Powell calls the Swirl are actually pretty interesting. They're the remnants of the outer planets (Pluto, the Oort Cloud, Neptune, Saturn and Jupiter) which were taken apart by--something--a hundred years ago and re-formed into several segments facing and orbiting the Sun. These segments are so unimaginably huge (hundreds of millions of miles long and wide) that they hold their own atmospheres and are inhabitable. In fact, humanity has begun doing just that: leaving Earth and Luna and settling on these segments, building towns and planting crops and making lives for themselves. (Since Mars is also unraveling and humans don't have the slightest idea how this is done or how to stop it, the unspoken horrific expectation is that eventually Earth will be taken apart as well and the Swirl will be the only place humans can live.) The Swirl has become the Wild West of the outer solar system, a place where people can disappear into a segment that can hold a million Earths and never be found again.
Our main POV character is Copernicus Brown, the captain of the titular sentient starship Jitterbug and a bounty hunter who tracks down the outlaws who attempt to disappear into the Swirl. Following a successful bounty, Copernicus and his crew are on their way back to Luna when they run across a ship under attack by pirates. They divert to render assistance, only to discover when they get there that both the ship who called for help and the pirate ship have been taken apart by an unseen third vessel that cut them both open like tin cans and disappeared. The Jitterbug comes under attack by one of the last survivors of the pirates and one of her crew members is killed. Upon scanning the mangled ships another survivor is found hiding in a water tank. Copernicus goes to set this person free, and finds a woman calling herself Amber Roth who is claiming to be a captive of the pirates and who attempted to escape. But Amber Roth has secrets of her own, as evidenced when the Jitterbug scans her and sees an encrypted data crystal in her stomach, which she apparently swallowed when the pirates attacked.
This one fateful decision sets the plot in motion, as Copernicus and the Jitterbug's crew soon realize they have stumbled upon a system-wide conspiracy involving the higher-ups at the Solar Assembly, the organization tasked with managing the Swirl and space travel. This chip holds evidence that something is coming, that a huge object a thousand miles wide is on its way insystem. The Jitterbug and her crew are tracked down by the Deputy Speaker of the Solar Assembly, Danielle Lanzo, and tasked with meeting this object, which the Solar Assembly thinks may be an alien ship, for first contact. But there are other players who wish to get there first, and the plot becomes a race between the Jitterbug and these other players, some of whom are willing to kill to protect their place in line.
The final third of the book details Copernicus Brown and his ship meeting the alien object, and the reveal involves the timey-wimey shenanigans I spoke of earlier. There are also other aliens inbound to Earth, a locust-like species that strips planets of every resource, murders the inhabitants, and leaves the solar system with nothing but burned ruins behind. Copernicus and the Jitterbug (or a couple different alternate versions of them) are trying to rescue the human race.
As usual with this author, the sentient starship Jitterbug is a major player in her own right. Powell likes several alternating first-person viewpoints in his stories, and in this one there are clear differences between the characters and their voices (especially Danielle Lanzo's). Some of the ideas in this book could have actually used more room to explore, but this story, also typical of Powell, is a lean and mean 300 pages.
I think my favorite work of Powell's is still his Embers of War trilogy, but this one is right up there. If you're a fan of space opera, you won't go wrong with this.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
“On Earth, they depicted justice as blindfolded and impartial, but out here on the frontier, she was red in tooth and claw.”
It’s not every book that begins with the unanticipated dismantling of a planet. But that is what happens here, when people in South London watch through a telescope the disassembling of the planet Saturn.
Neptune and Uranus have already gone. Jupiter then follows.
The cause of this is an alien race who, for reasons initially unknown, they use the planetary material to form eight shards of a segmented hollow sphere measuring 340 million kilometres from tip to tip, and 85 million across at their widest points. These are in stationary orbit between the Earth and Mars, separating the Inner Solar System from what is left of the Outer System. All of this is explained in the first ten pages!
The story then leaps forward about a century. Humans, being the resourceful creatures that they are, have settled upon the inner surfaces of this sphere, now known as The Swirl. It is now that we meet Copernicus Brown, bounty hunter and owner of the spaceship Jitterbug and its crew. With Copernicus is Kiki, the young bundle of energy that is the co-pilot, Ulf is the Viking-like engineer and McKenzie is the nineteen-year-old new crewmember training with Ulf, Copernicus’s younger cousin, taken on as a favour to her mother. There’s also the spaceship itself, run by an AI who has taken to communicating to Copernicus and his team in the form of a parrot (because… Space Pirates, obviously!)
Following a tipoff from one of their recently recaptured criminals, the crew travel to a location hoping to find something valuable. There they actually find Amber Roth, sole survivor of a pirate attack.
The consequences of this is that the Jitterbug finds itself of interest to a number of powerful political factions, including Danielle Lazlo, Deputy Speaker of the Solar Assembly who govern the worlds inside the Swirl, and the rest of the novel is about how this is resolved. The situation is complicated further by the point that the aliens may be returning…
As an SF story with a strong ensemble feel, it should not be a surprise for me to say that Jitterbug reminded me of the TV series Firefly or of Chris Wooding’s Retribution Falls, in that it’s an interesting combination of old-world and new, of technology (human and alien!) and history. There’s a nice sense of humour spread throughout the novel, but there’s also a few situations where characters that you grow to care for are put in peril.
The chapters are generally short and written from the point of view of a range of characters – Jitterbug’s latest owner Copernicus Brown, reluctant stowaway Amber Roth, politician Danielle Lazlo and the AI that is Jitterbug itself, who has a nice sense of snark about it.
Many of the chapters end with a number of posts from the equivalent of an Internet notice board, that cleverly give you glimpses of the wider world outside the Jitterbug. (These reminded me a little of what Robert A Heinlein did in some of his later novels, or perhaps John Brunner’s Stand on Zanzibar.)
It’s a little sweary, and there is some romance without being too explicit, but as you might expect from veteran writer Powell, the novel reads quickly and easily towards an appropriate ending. Whilst some elements felt a little rushed toward the end – in particular for me what could be a long-term romance seems to happen far too quickly to be creditable - it is pretty self-contained, with the plot resolved satisfactorily. Of course, should the book do well (I think it will!) there is the possibility of extending this into a series now that the characters and the situation have been created.
Jitterbug is pretty much what I hoped for in a Space Opera, and got: an exciting and solidly written character-driven science fiction story with an interesting setting that reads easily and well.
It’s not every book that begins with the unanticipated dismantling of a planet. But that is what happens here, when people in South London watch through a telescope the disassembling of the planet Saturn.
Neptune and Uranus have already gone. Jupiter then follows.
The cause of this is an alien race who, for reasons initially unknown, they use the planetary material to form eight shards of a segmented hollow sphere measuring 340 million kilometres from tip to tip, and 85 million across at their widest points. These are in stationary orbit between the Earth and Mars, separating the Inner Solar System from what is left of the Outer System. All of this is explained in the first ten pages!
The story then leaps forward about a century. Humans, being the resourceful creatures that they are, have settled upon the inner surfaces of this sphere, now known as The Swirl. It is now that we meet Copernicus Brown, bounty hunter and owner of the spaceship Jitterbug and its crew. With Copernicus is Kiki, the young bundle of energy that is the co-pilot, Ulf is the Viking-like engineer and McKenzie is the nineteen-year-old new crewmember training with Ulf, Copernicus’s younger cousin, taken on as a favour to her mother. There’s also the spaceship itself, run by an AI who has taken to communicating to Copernicus and his team in the form of a parrot (because… Space Pirates, obviously!)
Following a tipoff from one of their recently recaptured criminals, the crew travel to a location hoping to find something valuable. There they actually find Amber Roth, sole survivor of a pirate attack.
The consequences of this is that the Jitterbug finds itself of interest to a number of powerful political factions, including Danielle Lazlo, Deputy Speaker of the Solar Assembly who govern the worlds inside the Swirl, and the rest of the novel is about how this is resolved. The situation is complicated further by the point that the aliens may be returning…
As an SF story with a strong ensemble feel, it should not be a surprise for me to say that Jitterbug reminded me of the TV series Firefly or of Chris Wooding’s Retribution Falls, in that it’s an interesting combination of old-world and new, of technology (human and alien!) and history. There’s a nice sense of humour spread throughout the novel, but there’s also a few situations where characters that you grow to care for are put in peril.
The chapters are generally short and written from the point of view of a range of characters – Jitterbug’s latest owner Copernicus Brown, reluctant stowaway Amber Roth, politician Danielle Lazlo and the AI that is Jitterbug itself, who has a nice sense of snark about it.
Many of the chapters end with a number of posts from the equivalent of an Internet notice board, that cleverly give you glimpses of the wider world outside the Jitterbug. (These reminded me a little of what Robert A Heinlein did in some of his later novels, or perhaps John Brunner’s Stand on Zanzibar.)
It’s a little sweary, and there is some romance without being too explicit, but as you might expect from veteran writer Powell, the novel reads quickly and easily towards an appropriate ending. Whilst some elements felt a little rushed toward the end – in particular for me what could be a long-term romance seems to happen far too quickly to be creditable - it is pretty self-contained, with the plot resolved satisfactorily. Of course, should the book do well (I think it will!) there is the possibility of extending this into a series now that the characters and the situation have been created.
Jitterbug is pretty much what I hoped for in a Space Opera, and got: an exciting and solidly written character-driven science fiction story with an interesting setting that reads easily and well.
April 4, 2026
I came across the author’s latest book on my most recent pass at the local bookstore’s sci-fi section. I like how the author makes sentient ships part of the crew (See the Trouble Dog in _Embers of War_ for a wonderful example). _Jitterbug_ tries to repeat the fun of _Embers of War_, though only with technology a hundred years hence. It somewhat works and a lot of disbelief has to be embraced for parts of the story to flow. I feel the author, in his desire to keep amping up the crazy, started to grasp for any idea to move the plot to its conclusion.
We follow the Jitterbug and its crew, chasing bad people for the bounties. The Swirl is a non-closed Dyson sphere made from the remnants of the outer planets (Jupiter & beyond). Being enormous and being that humans have messed up the Earth, people are settling on the inner surface of the segments. It is an interesting setup.
Then the Jitterbug investigates a pirate ship and cargo hauler, where both are adrift. It is then the story starts to ramp up its incessant drive to continually push forward. The author’s usual style is to shift between the main characters to get their perspective for each major scene. It provides for some interesting insight, especially that of the ship itself.
Once Amber Roth is onboard, the whipsawing between extremes begins. Is Amber a good person or not? Is Copernicus feeling happy or sad? Things blow up, truths are relative. Then twist after twist after twist until the last page. Aliens figure into it, but we don’t really understand who they are, just that their actions are bad for civilizations. The last few chapters feel like a lot of hand waving to magically solve problems. I wanted more Jitterbug and I got something really weird instead.
The science parts cherry pick what to follow in terms of physics. In one scene, under 3G accelleration, people are walking around. The two main characters think it is a good opportunity to get between the sheets together. 3Gs is like having a big linebacker sitting on your chest. Distances seem short for being in space. Somehow the Jitterbug can land on the Swirl, but not on Earth. It isn’t explained how the atmosphere of the Swirl sticks around (I’m thinking Ringworld).
The book does touch on philosophy as the characters grasp the civilization altering events before them. A lot of it would be familiar to anyone around science articles and discussions. The author doesn’t add much that would be beyond today, even though it is ~2113. For some aspects, time stood still.
I was hoping for a fun story, along the lines of _Embers of War_. Here, Ulf is trying to be like Nod, though Nod had a lot better dialogue. The Jitterbug’s avatar as a parrot is inventive and the reasoning is sound. Like I said, I love books with sentient ships. I think this books starts well, then corkscrews through a story that gets keeps twisting further into the weird.
========
Ulf’s description of Kiki, the pilot: The manic pixie nightmare girl
We follow the Jitterbug and its crew, chasing bad people for the bounties. The Swirl is a non-closed Dyson sphere made from the remnants of the outer planets (Jupiter & beyond). Being enormous and being that humans have messed up the Earth, people are settling on the inner surface of the segments. It is an interesting setup.
Then the Jitterbug investigates a pirate ship and cargo hauler, where both are adrift. It is then the story starts to ramp up its incessant drive to continually push forward. The author’s usual style is to shift between the main characters to get their perspective for each major scene. It provides for some interesting insight, especially that of the ship itself.
Once Amber Roth is onboard, the whipsawing between extremes begins. Is Amber a good person or not? Is Copernicus feeling happy or sad? Things blow up, truths are relative. Then twist after twist after twist until the last page. Aliens figure into it, but we don’t really understand who they are, just that their actions are bad for civilizations. The last few chapters feel like a lot of hand waving to magically solve problems. I wanted more Jitterbug and I got something really weird instead.
The science parts cherry pick what to follow in terms of physics. In one scene, under 3G accelleration, people are walking around. The two main characters think it is a good opportunity to get between the sheets together. 3Gs is like having a big linebacker sitting on your chest. Distances seem short for being in space. Somehow the Jitterbug can land on the Swirl, but not on Earth. It isn’t explained how the atmosphere of the Swirl sticks around (I’m thinking Ringworld).
The book does touch on philosophy as the characters grasp the civilization altering events before them. A lot of it would be familiar to anyone around science articles and discussions. The author doesn’t add much that would be beyond today, even though it is ~2113. For some aspects, time stood still.
I was hoping for a fun story, along the lines of _Embers of War_. Here, Ulf is trying to be like Nod, though Nod had a lot better dialogue. The Jitterbug’s avatar as a parrot is inventive and the reasoning is sound. Like I said, I love books with sentient ships. I think this books starts well, then corkscrews through a story that gets keeps twisting further into the weird.
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Ulf’s description of Kiki, the pilot: The manic pixie nightmare girl
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Ever read a book that was at the same time trying to do too much and too little…but you sorta loved it, flaws and all? Yeah…that’s how I felt reading Jitterbug, the newest novel by scifi standout Gareth Powell.
I’ve been a big fan of Powell’s for a long long time. I haven’t necessarily loved everything, but even the items I didn’t love…I liked. I absolutely loved his trilogy of novels featuring the crew and ship of Trouble Dog. I found his attempt at scifi horror last year a mixed bag, but…still pretty good. I really had high hopes for this one, too.
Here we see a well built universe with an intriguing idea. Entities have torn apart much of the solar system to build what, for all intents and purposes, is a proto-Dyson Sphere. Dyson plates. And the solar system changed and humanity adapted. And here we have a bounty hunter and his colorful crew and a mystery woman with stolen information who is on the run from pirates or more.
The whole thing is fun. It has humor and the kind of “don’t think about it too hard” scifi I’ve always enjoyed and Powell excels at. I loved the world he’s created here. It feels almost Firefly-esque at times. Probably intentionally. Not really, but close enough.
But then the book takes a turn. And you think it’s more of a deeper political thriller. Or a romance?
And then it takes another turn.
And another.
Really, there was a trilogy of material here and that may be my biggest quibble with this. This is a fast read – I more or less read it over two days. But as such, so much happens in a short period of time that it felt rushed. It felt like Powell crammed three books…a whole trilogy…into one short novel. There’s too much info dumping at times, the romance is VERY rushed and you don’t have time to ruminate on anything before you’re off to the next thing. My frustration is that I can see the incredible bones here. I would have read multiple books with the crew of Jitterbug doing work around the solar system…but this is very much a stand alone story. I can see where you’d put in the breaks for book one and book two and wrap up with book three. But that’s not what happens here.
So by the end…you’ve enjoyed the ride…but I can’t help being sad that there wasn’t more. Either a longer novel, or a series. And hey…I have the review the book as is, not the book I’d wanted.
In the end, the characters are awesome…the world is fantastic…the writing is great. But the infodumps are annoying and felt rush. The romance subplot is super rushed and didn’t work for me at all (I read a lot of romance – this didn’t work). 3.75 stars. Rounded up to 4. But frustrated is how I walked away.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan books for a chance to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them. Jitterbug is available March 3rd. You can preorder it now.
I’ve been a big fan of Powell’s for a long long time. I haven’t necessarily loved everything, but even the items I didn’t love…I liked. I absolutely loved his trilogy of novels featuring the crew and ship of Trouble Dog. I found his attempt at scifi horror last year a mixed bag, but…still pretty good. I really had high hopes for this one, too.
Here we see a well built universe with an intriguing idea. Entities have torn apart much of the solar system to build what, for all intents and purposes, is a proto-Dyson Sphere. Dyson plates. And the solar system changed and humanity adapted. And here we have a bounty hunter and his colorful crew and a mystery woman with stolen information who is on the run from pirates or more.
The whole thing is fun. It has humor and the kind of “don’t think about it too hard” scifi I’ve always enjoyed and Powell excels at. I loved the world he’s created here. It feels almost Firefly-esque at times. Probably intentionally. Not really, but close enough.
But then the book takes a turn. And you think it’s more of a deeper political thriller. Or a romance?
And then it takes another turn.
And another.
Really, there was a trilogy of material here and that may be my biggest quibble with this. This is a fast read – I more or less read it over two days. But as such, so much happens in a short period of time that it felt rushed. It felt like Powell crammed three books…a whole trilogy…into one short novel. There’s too much info dumping at times, the romance is VERY rushed and you don’t have time to ruminate on anything before you’re off to the next thing. My frustration is that I can see the incredible bones here. I would have read multiple books with the crew of Jitterbug doing work around the solar system…but this is very much a stand alone story. I can see where you’d put in the breaks for book one and book two and wrap up with book three. But that’s not what happens here.
So by the end…you’ve enjoyed the ride…but I can’t help being sad that there wasn’t more. Either a longer novel, or a series. And hey…I have the review the book as is, not the book I’d wanted.
In the end, the characters are awesome…the world is fantastic…the writing is great. But the infodumps are annoying and felt rush. The romance subplot is super rushed and didn’t work for me at all (I read a lot of romance – this didn’t work). 3.75 stars. Rounded up to 4. But frustrated is how I walked away.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan books for a chance to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them. Jitterbug is available March 3rd. You can preorder it now.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Titan Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
Jitterbug follows Copernicus, a bounty hunter, and his crew. When they rescue Amber, the sole survivor of a pirate attack, they find themselves targeted by powerful political factions who want control of a data chip Amber has stolen.
Jitterbug hooked me from the first page. The prologue is horrifying in the best way as we watch the complete destruction of a planet, not even the first one, and the repercussions this means for Earth. Cut to the story many years into the future, where we now follow Copernicus and his crew aboard the Jitterbug. This was such a jump in tone and I loved it.
These are people that have lived with the new normal for so long that there's no immediate threat anymore. I found myself completely wrapped up with them, already forgetting how I felt in the prologue—I was along for the ride and enjoying every second. This was already shaping up to be a 5-star book for me, I was having so much fun. And just like that, the tone shifts again so effortlessly and Jitterbug cements itself as something so much more profound than I was expecting.
This is a story where every character matters, each person meticulously crafted and unique in their own way. There are multiple POVs throughout and they work so well, I was enraptured by each one. I especially loved that we had chapters from the Jitterbug, it was great to bounce between humans that we can relate to as a reader and the ship itself that is such a vital part of this story.
I also really enjoyed the message boards in between chapters—some made me laugh a lot, and they were a great reminder of the life that was still happening outside this tiny world I was wrapped up in.
This is not just a space opera, this is a story about humanity's sense of prevail against the backdrop of a devastated solar system.
Tropes and Themes:
Space Opera
Multiple POV
Sentient spaceship (that communicates via synthetic parrot!)
TWs:
Death of parents (referenced)
Jitterbug follows Copernicus, a bounty hunter, and his crew. When they rescue Amber, the sole survivor of a pirate attack, they find themselves targeted by powerful political factions who want control of a data chip Amber has stolen.
"I want to tell you a story. I want to tell you how it all began..."
Jitterbug hooked me from the first page. The prologue is horrifying in the best way as we watch the complete destruction of a planet, not even the first one, and the repercussions this means for Earth. Cut to the story many years into the future, where we now follow Copernicus and his crew aboard the Jitterbug. This was such a jump in tone and I loved it.
These are people that have lived with the new normal for so long that there's no immediate threat anymore. I found myself completely wrapped up with them, already forgetting how I felt in the prologue—I was along for the ride and enjoying every second. This was already shaping up to be a 5-star book for me, I was having so much fun. And just like that, the tone shifts again so effortlessly and Jitterbug cements itself as something so much more profound than I was expecting.
"We had a scant handful of years in this universe, and time was our most precious commodity. To rob anyone of even a second of life was a crime of cosmic proportions."
This is a story where every character matters, each person meticulously crafted and unique in their own way. There are multiple POVs throughout and they work so well, I was enraptured by each one. I especially loved that we had chapters from the Jitterbug, it was great to bounce between humans that we can relate to as a reader and the ship itself that is such a vital part of this story.
I also really enjoyed the message boards in between chapters—some made me laugh a lot, and they were a great reminder of the life that was still happening outside this tiny world I was wrapped up in.
"Some mysteries are too large to be solved in a single human lifetime. Compared to the Sun, the planets, and the stars, we are ridiculously fragile and short-lived."
This is not just a space opera, this is a story about humanity's sense of prevail against the backdrop of a devastated solar system.
Tropes and Themes:
Space Opera
Multiple POV
Sentient spaceship (that communicates via synthetic parrot!)
TWs:
Death of parents (referenced)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Gareth L. Powell's Jitterbug is a science fiction adventure novel that is as exciting as it is mysterious.
Years before the story begins, the gas giants of our solar system were destroyed. In their place a giant megastructure was built, surrounding all remaining planets with new and habitable space: The Swirl. Within this new world of space colonisation, piracy and bounty hunting, everyone is out for their own piece.
The protagonist of the story is Copernicus Brown, a space bounty hunter who travels the solar system with his crew aboard Jitterbug, their sentient ship. After another successful bounty, the crew encounters the remains of a pirate attack. They rescue its sole survivor - Amber Roth - and are then swept up into a dangerous adventure involving the solar government, pirates, and cosmic forces beyond the stars.
What I totally loved about Jitterbug was the breakneck pace at which the story reveals itself. Dangers are immediately placed upon the core crew, and right from the get-go Powell writes this daring adventure across the solar system as a thrilling race against time. It's the purest definition of a page turner, with a story that's always asking questions and pulling the rug out. Within a short amount of time we come to love the cast of characters, most surprisingly the ship itself! The novel switches perspectives with each new chapter, and I was pleasantly surprised to see multiple chapters from the Jitterbug's point-of-view. It's such a unique viewpoint which gives the story so much personality.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone with a love of science fiction, and even those who are new to the genre. The sci-fi elements are treated with the necessary seriousness required of the story, but the brisk pace and lovably blunt characters mean it's more than an exercise in world-building.
I found the story so captivating, as it brilliantly draws from that feeling of staring up into the sky and wondering what the future holds. The story is always leaning forward with you, wondering "what's out there?"
To say anything more would be giving away the mystery, so you'll have to read it to find out!
The book releases on the 3rd of March this year, definitely check it out when it drops!
Many thanks to Gareth L. Powell and the team at Titan Books for providing a digital review copy of this one in exchange for a sincere review!
Years before the story begins, the gas giants of our solar system were destroyed. In their place a giant megastructure was built, surrounding all remaining planets with new and habitable space: The Swirl. Within this new world of space colonisation, piracy and bounty hunting, everyone is out for their own piece.
The protagonist of the story is Copernicus Brown, a space bounty hunter who travels the solar system with his crew aboard Jitterbug, their sentient ship. After another successful bounty, the crew encounters the remains of a pirate attack. They rescue its sole survivor - Amber Roth - and are then swept up into a dangerous adventure involving the solar government, pirates, and cosmic forces beyond the stars.
What I totally loved about Jitterbug was the breakneck pace at which the story reveals itself. Dangers are immediately placed upon the core crew, and right from the get-go Powell writes this daring adventure across the solar system as a thrilling race against time. It's the purest definition of a page turner, with a story that's always asking questions and pulling the rug out. Within a short amount of time we come to love the cast of characters, most surprisingly the ship itself! The novel switches perspectives with each new chapter, and I was pleasantly surprised to see multiple chapters from the Jitterbug's point-of-view. It's such a unique viewpoint which gives the story so much personality.
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone with a love of science fiction, and even those who are new to the genre. The sci-fi elements are treated with the necessary seriousness required of the story, but the brisk pace and lovably blunt characters mean it's more than an exercise in world-building.
I found the story so captivating, as it brilliantly draws from that feeling of staring up into the sky and wondering what the future holds. The story is always leaning forward with you, wondering "what's out there?"
To say anything more would be giving away the mystery, so you'll have to read it to find out!
The book releases on the 3rd of March this year, definitely check it out when it drops!
Many thanks to Gareth L. Powell and the team at Titan Books for providing a digital review copy of this one in exchange for a sincere review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Jitterbug is set in near future of our solar system that’s been drastically altered. All the outer planets have vanished one by one by invisible forces, with Mars being currently devoured. It’s only a matter of time before the Earth is gone. In their place has appeared a ring of artificial planetoids shaped like wedges of orange that curve towards the sun with nothing on the backside towards the outer space. The humanity has inhabited the insides of these planetoids.
Criminals, too, like to hide in the vastness of these new habitats, and to capture them, a system of bounty hunters has emerged. Copernicus Brown and his three-person crew (two women and a man) are bounty hunters on Jitterbug, a former freight ship he has inherited from his father. A distress call brings them to a scene of a pirate attack, from which they save a woman, Amber Roth. Things go sideways from there.
Roth is carrying a message that people are willing to kill for. It brings the crew to the attention of a leading politician, and together, they go to the outside of the spheres to find the origin of the message—only to learn that the humanity is about to come under attack by alien forces. Are they the same who created the sphere in the first place or is something else going on? Whatever it is, Jitterbug and her crew has to deal with it and fast.
This was a competent sci-fi adventure, a small-scale space opera. Told by four first-person point of view characters, one of which is Jitterbug herself, it brings the humanity to the brink of extinction and offers an out of space and time solution to it. It wasn’t entirely engaging though. It was mostly narrated to the reader, and apart from the first chapters, the first-person narrators didn’t manage to bring the reader in the story with them. The intimacy of first-person wasn’t there, and the reader didn’t learn anything about the characters except what was necessary for the scene. The inevitable romance especially suffered from this, when neither narrator even hinted at romantic feelings before it was already a reality.
The ending twisted this readers brain, but I’m not going to question the time-bending solution. It brings the story to a full circle, the prologue finally getting an explanation in the epilogue. It’s a satisfying ending for this standalone story. No need for more.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Criminals, too, like to hide in the vastness of these new habitats, and to capture them, a system of bounty hunters has emerged. Copernicus Brown and his three-person crew (two women and a man) are bounty hunters on Jitterbug, a former freight ship he has inherited from his father. A distress call brings them to a scene of a pirate attack, from which they save a woman, Amber Roth. Things go sideways from there.
Roth is carrying a message that people are willing to kill for. It brings the crew to the attention of a leading politician, and together, they go to the outside of the spheres to find the origin of the message—only to learn that the humanity is about to come under attack by alien forces. Are they the same who created the sphere in the first place or is something else going on? Whatever it is, Jitterbug and her crew has to deal with it and fast.
This was a competent sci-fi adventure, a small-scale space opera. Told by four first-person point of view characters, one of which is Jitterbug herself, it brings the humanity to the brink of extinction and offers an out of space and time solution to it. It wasn’t entirely engaging though. It was mostly narrated to the reader, and apart from the first chapters, the first-person narrators didn’t manage to bring the reader in the story with them. The intimacy of first-person wasn’t there, and the reader didn’t learn anything about the characters except what was necessary for the scene. The inevitable romance especially suffered from this, when neither narrator even hinted at romantic feelings before it was already a reality.
The ending twisted this readers brain, but I’m not going to question the time-bending solution. It brings the story to a full circle, the prologue finally getting an explanation in the epilogue. It’s a satisfying ending for this standalone story. No need for more.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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