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Nova Vita Protocol #1
Fortuna
For Orbit, Bradley Englert nabbed world English rights to Fortuna , the first title in a space opera trilogy by Kristyn Merbeth.
The series is about “following a family of interplanetary smugglers” in which “a young woman must assume leadership of the family’s black-market business dealings after her mother, the matriarch, steps down, only to find that she has inherited far more than a ship and a crew.”
Fortuna is slated for fall 2019.
The series is about “following a family of interplanetary smugglers” in which “a young woman must assume leadership of the family’s black-market business dealings after her mother, the matriarch, steps down, only to find that she has inherited far more than a ship and a crew.”
Fortuna is slated for fall 2019.
560 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2019
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2521 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
November 12, 2019
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/11/11/...
Kristyn Merbeth, AKA K.S. Merbeth, the author behind the rollicking Wastelanders novels Bite and Raid, takes her brand of riotous adventure and thrills to even greater heights in Fortuna. In this action-packed space opera about a dysfunctional family of smugglers, we journey with Scorpia Kaiser and her mother and siblings aboard their titular ship across a galaxy filled with conflict and chaos.
As the eldest daughter and the pilot of Fortuna, Scorpia is looking forward to inheriting the business and the ship from her mother one day. But a recent transmission has thrown a wrench into those plans. Three years ago, her older brother Corvus turned his back on the family, enlisting in a war to fight for his home planet of Titan. His decision broke Scorpia’s heart, and because of that she has never forgiven him for his betrayal. But now, Corvus’ tour of duty is over, and their mother has ordered the Fortuna to rendezvous with him while on their way to another job, which unexpectedly takes a calamitous turn right in the middle of the awkward reunion.
But what Corvus’ younger siblings don’t know is the truth of why he returned to Titan to fight in an unwinnable war. They have all changed a lot in the last three years, and his once beloved little sister Scorpia is clearly unhappy about his return. But with an entire planet dying around them, the Kaisers must now put aside their differences and work together in order to survive. Realizing how their mother had been used as a pawn in a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of interstellar politics, Scorpia and Corvus settle on a truce in order to protect what’s left of their family and prevent the galaxy from tearing itself apart from the inside out.
Told in the first-person, alternating between Scorpia and Corvus’ points of view, Fortuna is a non-stop thrill ride through a vividly imagined universe, where the planet on which you were born can mean as much as your family name, while those without a world to call home can be left vulnerable and without protection. Where you claim origin can affect your culture, your history, and how others perceive and treat you, and even among members of the same family, your birthplace can matter. Under such divisive conditions, it is no surprise that there is so much tension among the planets, leading to the development of deadly biological weapons including plants that can strangle the life out of an entire world. For a series opener, the world-building was simply superb, setting the stage for more adventures to be had in this most imaginative setting.
But the characterization was what made Fortuna stand out, and having it be a story about family was a brilliant move on Merbeth’s part. Anyone with a close sibling will probably find something familiar, heartwarming, or relatable in the characters’ interactions, because we understand how even though our brother or sister can get on our nerves, it’s simply impossible to imagine life without them. Corvus and Scorpia are complete opposites—him being serious and cool-headed, and her being impulsive and quick-tempered—but the two of them were close before his departure, which made the animosity between them upon his return all the more tragic. However, because of this impressively layered approach to their history, the ensuing steps to their reconciliation and eventual partnership were fascinating to watch.
Their voices, so different from each other, also complemented each other surprisingly well. Both of them have their issues, with Scorpia dealing with a drinking problem that often lands her in trouble and causes her to make all kinds of bad decisions, while Corvus has seen and done some things in the war which has left their mark on his soul. But when it’s time to take responsibility, the two of them admirably step up and show they have what it takes. Their contrasting personalities and problem-solving styles also meant a plotline that was always interesting and dynamic, and although dual narratives often make me wary, in this case there was never any confusion which character we were following. Better yet, once Scorpia and Corvus’ threads converged, the story got even better.
At the end of the day though, the plot’s trajectory and outcomes are pretty standard—but if you’ve come to Fortuna from the author’s Wastlanders books, you probably already know there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. When it comes to delivering a boatload of sci-fi action and rip-roaring entertainment, Merbeth knows exactly what she’s doing, keeping the story’s momentum raging along like a pro. Even when you know what’s coming, you just can’t help but hold your breath and keep your fingers crossed, and that’s exactly the kind of intensity and electrifying experience I look for in my space opera. The only question now then, is when does the next book come out already?
Kristyn Merbeth, AKA K.S. Merbeth, the author behind the rollicking Wastelanders novels Bite and Raid, takes her brand of riotous adventure and thrills to even greater heights in Fortuna. In this action-packed space opera about a dysfunctional family of smugglers, we journey with Scorpia Kaiser and her mother and siblings aboard their titular ship across a galaxy filled with conflict and chaos.
As the eldest daughter and the pilot of Fortuna, Scorpia is looking forward to inheriting the business and the ship from her mother one day. But a recent transmission has thrown a wrench into those plans. Three years ago, her older brother Corvus turned his back on the family, enlisting in a war to fight for his home planet of Titan. His decision broke Scorpia’s heart, and because of that she has never forgiven him for his betrayal. But now, Corvus’ tour of duty is over, and their mother has ordered the Fortuna to rendezvous with him while on their way to another job, which unexpectedly takes a calamitous turn right in the middle of the awkward reunion.
But what Corvus’ younger siblings don’t know is the truth of why he returned to Titan to fight in an unwinnable war. They have all changed a lot in the last three years, and his once beloved little sister Scorpia is clearly unhappy about his return. But with an entire planet dying around them, the Kaisers must now put aside their differences and work together in order to survive. Realizing how their mother had been used as a pawn in a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of interstellar politics, Scorpia and Corvus settle on a truce in order to protect what’s left of their family and prevent the galaxy from tearing itself apart from the inside out.
Told in the first-person, alternating between Scorpia and Corvus’ points of view, Fortuna is a non-stop thrill ride through a vividly imagined universe, where the planet on which you were born can mean as much as your family name, while those without a world to call home can be left vulnerable and without protection. Where you claim origin can affect your culture, your history, and how others perceive and treat you, and even among members of the same family, your birthplace can matter. Under such divisive conditions, it is no surprise that there is so much tension among the planets, leading to the development of deadly biological weapons including plants that can strangle the life out of an entire world. For a series opener, the world-building was simply superb, setting the stage for more adventures to be had in this most imaginative setting.
But the characterization was what made Fortuna stand out, and having it be a story about family was a brilliant move on Merbeth’s part. Anyone with a close sibling will probably find something familiar, heartwarming, or relatable in the characters’ interactions, because we understand how even though our brother or sister can get on our nerves, it’s simply impossible to imagine life without them. Corvus and Scorpia are complete opposites—him being serious and cool-headed, and her being impulsive and quick-tempered—but the two of them were close before his departure, which made the animosity between them upon his return all the more tragic. However, because of this impressively layered approach to their history, the ensuing steps to their reconciliation and eventual partnership were fascinating to watch.
Their voices, so different from each other, also complemented each other surprisingly well. Both of them have their issues, with Scorpia dealing with a drinking problem that often lands her in trouble and causes her to make all kinds of bad decisions, while Corvus has seen and done some things in the war which has left their mark on his soul. But when it’s time to take responsibility, the two of them admirably step up and show they have what it takes. Their contrasting personalities and problem-solving styles also meant a plotline that was always interesting and dynamic, and although dual narratives often make me wary, in this case there was never any confusion which character we were following. Better yet, once Scorpia and Corvus’ threads converged, the story got even better.
At the end of the day though, the plot’s trajectory and outcomes are pretty standard—but if you’ve come to Fortuna from the author’s Wastlanders books, you probably already know there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. When it comes to delivering a boatload of sci-fi action and rip-roaring entertainment, Merbeth knows exactly what she’s doing, keeping the story’s momentum raging along like a pro. Even when you know what’s coming, you just can’t help but hold your breath and keep your fingers crossed, and that’s exactly the kind of intensity and electrifying experience I look for in my space opera. The only question now then, is when does the next book come out already?
January 17, 2020
Merbeth takes the family space crew trope and does a more than decent job with it. While this book isn't nearly as wackadoo as the author's excellent debut, Bite, it does share some of the same great qualities.
Merbeth's characters are real, and not just flawed, but downright seriously troubled. It is clear she has a good understanding of relationships and their complexity, and this provides a solid basis for an engaging story.
The two POV characters, Scorpia and her older brother Corvus, each have distinct and unique voices. I did prefer Corvus's sections at first, as Scorpia is such a train wreck that it was at times painful to be in her shoes. She started to grow on me more as the story progressed, especially as we get to see how Corvus sees and remembers her.
The first half of the book is a bit slow, but it picks up and sticks the finish. There is another book coming, which I plan to read, but this one does end in a good place without any cliffhanger.
Merbeth's characters are real, and not just flawed, but downright seriously troubled. It is clear she has a good understanding of relationships and their complexity, and this provides a solid basis for an engaging story.
The two POV characters, Scorpia and her older brother Corvus, each have distinct and unique voices. I did prefer Corvus's sections at first, as Scorpia is such a train wreck that it was at times painful to be in her shoes. She started to grow on me more as the story progressed, especially as we get to see how Corvus sees and remembers her.
The first half of the book is a bit slow, but it picks up and sticks the finish. There is another book coming, which I plan to read, but this one does end in a good place without any cliffhanger.
December 2, 2019
"The moment we hit atmosphere, my nerves dissipate into a rush of adrenaline that makes me feel like I'm floating. I'm barely aware of my hands moving over the control board or my eyes roving the screens; instead the incoming information merges with my own thoughts, which flow seamlessly into responses from the ship, as if Fortuna is an extension of my body, another limb."
Fortuna is yet another book that caught my eye on Twitter when I initially saw the cover. I filed it away in my chaotic brain to check out at some point. Awhile later, the updated cover reveal on the Orbit account completely changed my mind, making the urge to read this that much more crucial. The radical neon colors exploding across the image switched up the tone of the entire thing. It's incredible what a few changes can do in regards to interest. I mean, the original cover was decent! But this new one? Oof.
Kristyn Merbeth is an author that I've been aware of from The Wastelanders duology (writing as K.S. Merbeth), which I still need to read! Fortuna is expected to be a trilogy, so I was excited to get an opportunity to begin a new series from an author that I was hoping to read in the near future.
Fortuna is about a family of interplanetary smugglers. Recently, the Kaiser matriarch has decided to step down as leader, leaving Scorpia to inherit the ship and the dangerous black market business. Not only is Scorpia the pilot of Fortuna, but she is also an alcoholic in her 20's, living in the shadow of her older brother, Corvus. Corvus left home three years prior to join the brutal war on their home planet, Titan. His decision to enlist and leave their family devastated Scorpia and she hasn't been able to forgive him since.
Having completed his mandatory term of service, Corvus is able to come home. Despite Scorpia's resistance, their mother insists on travelling to Titan to pick him up while on their way to complete another mission.
However, things don't go quite as planned.
"Let's go take these bastards down."
The setting of course appealed to me - I'm utter trash for a ragtag crew on a spaceship! But also, dysfunctional families; space battles; PTSD; shady missions; horrific massacres. I mean.. how could I resist?!?
Unfortunately, after my initial curiosity, Fortuna didn't fully come together.
The bones are there, buried deep within. However, this was a bit too bloated, especially as it stutters towards the middle, the pacing slowing down noticeably. I also struggled with the characters, mainly Scorpia. She feels more like a teenager, rather than a woman in her mid-20's. The juvenile narration, lack of personal growth and just.. her overall arrogance irritated me. I was not a fan of her character. At all. ::sigh::
If I'm not digging the characters, than the plot has got to be ON FIRE. I can look past a predictable storyline if the characters have completely captured my heart. Fortuna has promise, but it's not enough. There are some tough topics explored here, yet it felt superficial. There wasn't any emotional depth. It was all surface-level, which completely took me out of it.
Fortuna is one of those books that has wide audience crossover, because I feel as though it tends to lean more towards YA than adult. Which is fine, but doesn't generally appeal to my tastes. I won't be continuing on with this series, as ultimately it just wasn't for me.
YMMV!
(Thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a finished copy in advance!)
Fortuna is yet another book that caught my eye on Twitter when I initially saw the cover. I filed it away in my chaotic brain to check out at some point. Awhile later, the updated cover reveal on the Orbit account completely changed my mind, making the urge to read this that much more crucial. The radical neon colors exploding across the image switched up the tone of the entire thing. It's incredible what a few changes can do in regards to interest. I mean, the original cover was decent! But this new one? Oof.
Kristyn Merbeth is an author that I've been aware of from The Wastelanders duology (writing as K.S. Merbeth), which I still need to read! Fortuna is expected to be a trilogy, so I was excited to get an opportunity to begin a new series from an author that I was hoping to read in the near future.
Fortuna is about a family of interplanetary smugglers. Recently, the Kaiser matriarch has decided to step down as leader, leaving Scorpia to inherit the ship and the dangerous black market business. Not only is Scorpia the pilot of Fortuna, but she is also an alcoholic in her 20's, living in the shadow of her older brother, Corvus. Corvus left home three years prior to join the brutal war on their home planet, Titan. His decision to enlist and leave their family devastated Scorpia and she hasn't been able to forgive him since.
Having completed his mandatory term of service, Corvus is able to come home. Despite Scorpia's resistance, their mother insists on travelling to Titan to pick him up while on their way to complete another mission.
However, things don't go quite as planned.
"Let's go take these bastards down."
The setting of course appealed to me - I'm utter trash for a ragtag crew on a spaceship! But also, dysfunctional families; space battles; PTSD; shady missions; horrific massacres. I mean.. how could I resist?!?
Unfortunately, after my initial curiosity, Fortuna didn't fully come together.
The bones are there, buried deep within. However, this was a bit too bloated, especially as it stutters towards the middle, the pacing slowing down noticeably. I also struggled with the characters, mainly Scorpia. She feels more like a teenager, rather than a woman in her mid-20's. The juvenile narration, lack of personal growth and just.. her overall arrogance irritated me. I was not a fan of her character. At all. ::sigh::
If I'm not digging the characters, than the plot has got to be ON FIRE. I can look past a predictable storyline if the characters have completely captured my heart. Fortuna has promise, but it's not enough. There are some tough topics explored here, yet it felt superficial. There wasn't any emotional depth. It was all surface-level, which completely took me out of it.
Fortuna is one of those books that has wide audience crossover, because I feel as though it tends to lean more towards YA than adult. Which is fine, but doesn't generally appeal to my tastes. I won't be continuing on with this series, as ultimately it just wasn't for me.
YMMV!
(Thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a finished copy in advance!)
August 26, 2019
Rating: 1.7/5
Review: I think this is a new writer and I am the first one to plant an ol’ review on here. So I am thinking kind(er) thoughts and expressing in a more…voluble way.
This would have been great…IF the story line either shjt or got off the pot. The long winded and winding road that leads to a culmination in barely audible farts, left me bereft of the want I feel for characters. Take for instance, Scorpia. Well, how many times do we have to experience her stupid choices and drunkard lifestyle? Once is enough for me and if I see that she is growing into something better or worse, then kudos to the author for building a character you can root for. Shey, constantly “BITING HER LIP” does not a vulnerable character make. She should have been blown out an airlock when found stowed away. Mainly for her actions but mostly for her characterization.
So without hammering on all the characters and the thinness therein, the idea that 4 habitable worlds exist in the same solar system might be statistically improbable. One is tidally locked, yet supports life and a breathable atmosphere. Hmmm, a lot of things have to go right for that to happen. Like only the twilight strip of land between the cooked side and the freezing side might support life. So planet Gaia, in this instance, is a fail. Not enough information is given about the other planets to make a call, yet I suppose this was on purpose in order to create a novel without a solid science foundation.
So there is much clenching of fists, biting of lips, clenching of teeth aaaaaaand, the rising of bile in ones throat to emphasize emotions that are adolescent in theme and wildly inappropriate. Still, I kept reading this train wreck because somewhere within lurks some talent that can rise with time and good editing advice.
Review: I think this is a new writer and I am the first one to plant an ol’ review on here. So I am thinking kind(er) thoughts and expressing in a more…voluble way.
This would have been great…IF the story line either shjt or got off the pot. The long winded and winding road that leads to a culmination in barely audible farts, left me bereft of the want I feel for characters. Take for instance, Scorpia. Well, how many times do we have to experience her stupid choices and drunkard lifestyle? Once is enough for me and if I see that she is growing into something better or worse, then kudos to the author for building a character you can root for. Shey, constantly “BITING HER LIP” does not a vulnerable character make. She should have been blown out an airlock when found stowed away. Mainly for her actions but mostly for her characterization.
So without hammering on all the characters and the thinness therein, the idea that 4 habitable worlds exist in the same solar system might be statistically improbable. One is tidally locked, yet supports life and a breathable atmosphere. Hmmm, a lot of things have to go right for that to happen. Like only the twilight strip of land between the cooked side and the freezing side might support life. So planet Gaia, in this instance, is a fail. Not enough information is given about the other planets to make a call, yet I suppose this was on purpose in order to create a novel without a solid science foundation.
So there is much clenching of fists, biting of lips, clenching of teeth aaaaaaand, the rising of bile in ones throat to emphasize emotions that are adolescent in theme and wildly inappropriate. Still, I kept reading this train wreck because somewhere within lurks some talent that can rise with time and good editing advice.
anti-library
February 16, 2019THIS IS ABOUT A WHOLE-ASS FAMILY OF SPACE SMUGGLERS, YESSSS
January 12, 2020
The Fortuna is a small crewed freighter in the Nova Vita system, a rarity in a time of increasing tension and isolationism in interplanetary politics. The Kaiser family survives through careful planning (each child of the family has a different planetary citizenship) and various legal and illegal jobs. Scorpia Kaiser is the ship's pilot who has lived her life in the shadow of her brother Corvus. Corvus has been off fighting a pointless and brutal war for three years, but he's about to return, and that leaves Scorpia in a horrible position, making her even more reckless than she normally is. When Scorpia's mother get them all involved in interplanetary politics and alien technology, the family is challenged just when its weakest.
The small spaceship with either a found family or, as in this case, a real family, has become a popular trope in recent years. This one takes an interesting approach to that by showing that family as very troubled. The Kaiser matriarch Auriga is abusive and manipulative. Scorpia is a drunk, a criminal and a reckless disaster walking. Corvus is a traumatized veteran, and the other Kaiser siblings have their own issues. All of which makes their striving to step up to prevent an interplanetary war very satisfying.
I'm actually close to giving it 5 stars, but the first half drags, particularly during Scorpia's chapters. Still well worth a read at least for the different take on what's becoming a well worn trope.
The small spaceship with either a found family or, as in this case, a real family, has become a popular trope in recent years. This one takes an interesting approach to that by showing that family as very troubled. The Kaiser matriarch Auriga is abusive and manipulative. Scorpia is a drunk, a criminal and a reckless disaster walking. Corvus is a traumatized veteran, and the other Kaiser siblings have their own issues. All of which makes their striving to step up to prevent an interplanetary war very satisfying.
I'm actually close to giving it 5 stars, but the first half drags, particularly during Scorpia's chapters. Still well worth a read at least for the different take on what's becoming a well worn trope.
April 27, 2022
3.5 It was good-ish The various planets in the system that we travel to were a bit too various like the author was trying too hard and we spent too much time inside the two main character's heads but the adventures were good and the action when it happened was also fun.
None of the characters issues were resolved at the end, they remain broken in the ways they started but with a better understaning on how to go forward? It was oddly satisfying.
Good for space opera, Firefly fans, not sure if I will read the next one.
None of the characters issues were resolved at the end, they remain broken in the ways they started but with a better understaning on how to go forward? It was oddly satisfying.
Good for space opera, Firefly fans, not sure if I will read the next one.
November 27, 2021
3.5 Stars
This is a promising start to a space opera trilogy. Filled with plenty of action and adventure, the story moved along a good clip.
The characters were a unique group and admittedly I found them a bit immature. Given the premise, that may have been an intentional choice, but it still was a bit frustrating in places. While this is adult science fiction, I think it would have a lot of cross appeal for readers looking to get into adult fiction.
The story was fairly simply, hitting many of the tropes of the genre, yet it was still an enjoyable ride. I'm definitely curious to see where the story will go in the second book.
I would recommend this one to readers looking for a newer, fun entertaining space opera.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Orbit Books.
This is a promising start to a space opera trilogy. Filled with plenty of action and adventure, the story moved along a good clip.
The characters were a unique group and admittedly I found them a bit immature. Given the premise, that may have been an intentional choice, but it still was a bit frustrating in places. While this is adult science fiction, I think it would have a lot of cross appeal for readers looking to get into adult fiction.
The story was fairly simply, hitting many of the tropes of the genre, yet it was still an enjoyable ride. I'm definitely curious to see where the story will go in the second book.
I would recommend this one to readers looking for a newer, fun entertaining space opera.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Orbit Books.
April 20, 2021
Maybe it's just me, but fun space adventures seem to fall kind of flat when they aren't paired with characters I feel like I really know and can root for. There was lots of action in Fortuna yet not a lot of character development. I heard the same few things about all the main characters over and over, which got really old after ~100 pages and had me wanting to pull my hair out by the end of the book. The pacing was good and the action scenes were well written; if characters weren't the top thing I looked for in a book, I think this would have been a solid read for me.
C/W:
C/W:
February 11, 2020
A slow start to a plot that picks up eventually in this space opera with two PoVs: Scorpia and Corvus, half-siblings. They're part of a family that engages in trade between planets in a system. Each planet is markedly different from the other, and there are technological remnants of an extremely powerful alien race on these planets. This tech is central to some truly horrible happenings during this story. But what makes this book so enjoyable, though initially very painful, is the family dynamics, and how it evolves over the course of the book. Though Corvus seems initially the more balanced sibling, Scorpia really grew on me, even with all her self-destructive actions. I liked the differences between each planet and the cultures, too, and there is some really interesting stuff to do with the former residents of these planets. I'm interested to find out where Merbeth takes the family crew next in this series.
Read
November 23, 20213.5 Promising space opera romp with (mostly) likable flawed characters with POV alternating between damaged sister and brother. Damage done quite realistically by their own cruel mother. Most of what know is through the sib’s internal thoughts. My main complaint was the inner thoughts became too wordy and repetitive. Ending gives foreshadowing of next book that promises more aliens in the plot.
October 25, 2019
This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
Fortuna’s premise snagged me in an instant – a whole family of space smugglers! Devastating massacres! A young, roguish captain vying for power! How could I resist? Yet, while it didn’t disappoint… neither did it impress. Advertised as “Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers and Catherynne M. Valente,” I came in expecting both a fascinating, non-conventional setting combined with a cast of truly lovable and kind characters. Ultimately, the characters were decent, the setting cliche, and the plot mostly straightforward and with a few straggling ends. Many interesting ideas, such as recovery from child abuse/neglect, were only touched on briefly at best and stranded high and dry at worst.
The story is told across two point of view characters: Scorpia and Corvus Kaiser. Scorpia is in her mid-twenties, an alcoholic, and has a severely inflated sense of her own capabilities. It’s rare to see female characters who aren’t even slightly sympathetic, so this was somewhat refreshing; however, it also meant I struggled to connect with her in a meaningful way. Corvus, her brother, is closer to thirty and bears all the scars of a soldier.
Within the first few chapters, Scorpia attempts to smuggle an illegal plant from the jungle planet, Deva, across the solar system to the desert planet, Gaia. Naturally, this goes horrifically wrong. Fortunately, her mother, captain of the titular Fortuna, manages to get her out of trouble by cutting a deal with the planet’s leader. From here, Scorpia’s decisions continue to be out of touch and predicated on the idea that everything will go perfectly to plan. As the book progresses, the character growth seems to exist not in her learning from her plans and developing actual tactical knowledge… but rather from her plans somehow starting to work, despite still being the same hare-brained style shenanigans she was doing from the very beginning. Her schemes are ones I would expect from a teenager, not a mid-twenties adult. Her character felt incredibly juvenile given her age and the quest that is thrust upon her.
Corvus, on the flip side, is characterized early on as “the smart one.” Scorpia spends a great deal of time trying to prove she’s just as good as him, which… again, feels quite juvenile. Corvus is battling his own demons, and his little sister is the least of his worries. His home planet, Titan, is locked in a civil war with no end in sight, and he has just completed his three years of mandatory service. He struggles with PTSD and the attitudes imparted on him by their abusive mother. Unfortunately, I did not find this to be a particularly good portrayal of PTSD; often, it seemed more like a convenient plot device than a sympathetic and knowledgeable example of a serious and real mental illness.
I would have liked to see more screen time for the other members of the family: Lyre, Andromeda, and Apollo. Andromeda and Apollo are the family’s muscle – they’re twins, and they’re always spoiling for a fight. Often, they felt more like cardboard cut-outs than actual people, which was disappointing given that I felt their points of view would be interesting. Their shared dynamic would have been fun to explore. Similarly, Lyre is the quiet, younger sister. She is the mechanic and seems to be the kindest of the family. Although towards the end she’s given a very small bit of characterization, she doesn’t have much of an arc.
Their mother, Auriga, is rarely described despite playing a major part in the story. She abused all five of her children both physically and emotionally. Again, this is not explored in a meaningful way. While Scorpia has a small come-to-God moment where she attempts to break the cycle of abuse, it’s not something that is acknowledged on a larger scale. Auriga hit them, withheld affection, and created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. She pitted her children against one another such that they felt she was the only constant in her lives. This could have made for an intensely emotional and interesting story… if only it had been fleshed out and expanded upon.
The setting, too, suffered from being half-baked. One of my pet peeves in space operas and science fiction is when a planet is reduced to a single biome and a single government. Fortuna heavily leaned on this trope: Deva, the jungle planet. Titan, the ice planet. Gaia, the desert planet. Nibiru, the ocean planet… etc etc. It gets old real fast. Gaia is mentioned as being tidally locked, yet we’re expected to believe that the full face of the planet with sunlight is habitable. Quite frankly, the whole book easily could have taken place on just one planet with airships instead of spaceships and with the current planets being countries. It would have been much more believable and significantly less cliche.
The political aspects of the plot often end up drifting away at loose ends. On Titan, one of the premier generals seeks to recruit Corvus to commit treason in order to end the war. Spoiler: this goes absolutely nowhere. Many key plot points also beggar belief – am I really supposed to expect that Scorpia somehow became romantically involved with the son of a rival smuggler captain and sneaks away every time they have a martial engagement for some steamy sex? I’m just not convinced – and I’m really not convinced the Fortuna’s crew of six somehow manages to never lose a single soul in any of these battles given that the other ship has a crew of at least thirty or more pirates. There are many instances such as this which feel engineered to advance the plot at the expense of believability.
Throughout the novel, the remnants of a former civilization, Primus, and the dangers of the weapons they left behind feature heavily. Each planet has a varying attitude towards Primus tech: some look on it with distrust, while others embrace it. I was eager to learn more about the Primus civilization, especially when Corvus encounters one of their spaceships in the first few chapters. The ship is organic with a beating pulse, and we all know how dear to my heart good squishy scifi is. However, this is the only up close and personal view of Primus tech the reader is allowed.
Had this been a debut novel, I would have been willing to cut Kristyn Merbeth a bit more slack. Although this is her first foray into science fiction, Merbeth has also written a post-apocalyptic trilogy. I expected just a bit more from a seasoned author than I received in Fortuna.
Thank you to Orbit for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If you enjoyed this review, please consider reading others like it on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
Fortuna’s premise snagged me in an instant – a whole family of space smugglers! Devastating massacres! A young, roguish captain vying for power! How could I resist? Yet, while it didn’t disappoint… neither did it impress. Advertised as “Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers and Catherynne M. Valente,” I came in expecting both a fascinating, non-conventional setting combined with a cast of truly lovable and kind characters. Ultimately, the characters were decent, the setting cliche, and the plot mostly straightforward and with a few straggling ends. Many interesting ideas, such as recovery from child abuse/neglect, were only touched on briefly at best and stranded high and dry at worst.
The story is told across two point of view characters: Scorpia and Corvus Kaiser. Scorpia is in her mid-twenties, an alcoholic, and has a severely inflated sense of her own capabilities. It’s rare to see female characters who aren’t even slightly sympathetic, so this was somewhat refreshing; however, it also meant I struggled to connect with her in a meaningful way. Corvus, her brother, is closer to thirty and bears all the scars of a soldier.
Within the first few chapters, Scorpia attempts to smuggle an illegal plant from the jungle planet, Deva, across the solar system to the desert planet, Gaia. Naturally, this goes horrifically wrong. Fortunately, her mother, captain of the titular Fortuna, manages to get her out of trouble by cutting a deal with the planet’s leader. From here, Scorpia’s decisions continue to be out of touch and predicated on the idea that everything will go perfectly to plan. As the book progresses, the character growth seems to exist not in her learning from her plans and developing actual tactical knowledge… but rather from her plans somehow starting to work, despite still being the same hare-brained style shenanigans she was doing from the very beginning. Her schemes are ones I would expect from a teenager, not a mid-twenties adult. Her character felt incredibly juvenile given her age and the quest that is thrust upon her.
‘“Whoa, whoa, this is yours,” I say, pushing it back. My heart is starting to hammer. I’m majorly screwed if I get caught here, especially without my family to back me up. Plants from Deva are a class-one contraband item on Gaia. If I’m caught with one, there’s only one punishment: death. Off-worlders don’t even have a legal right to a trial. “You just bought it. It belongs to you.”
“We haven’t finalized the deal!” Shey protests, sending the box sliding back across the table. “
We were about to.” Push.
“You’re the criminal, you take it!” Push.
“I’m an off-worlder, you take it!”’
Corvus, on the flip side, is characterized early on as “the smart one.” Scorpia spends a great deal of time trying to prove she’s just as good as him, which… again, feels quite juvenile. Corvus is battling his own demons, and his little sister is the least of his worries. His home planet, Titan, is locked in a civil war with no end in sight, and he has just completed his three years of mandatory service. He struggles with PTSD and the attitudes imparted on him by their abusive mother. Unfortunately, I did not find this to be a particularly good portrayal of PTSD; often, it seemed more like a convenient plot device than a sympathetic and knowledgeable example of a serious and real mental illness.
‘“I don’t want to die here.” His cheeks flush with shame. Only on Titan would that admission be said with such a self-loathing expression. “I don’t want to be another death in a never-ending war.” He looks down. “And I will be, if I stay. A fifty-fifty chance would be miles better than what I have here.”’
I would have liked to see more screen time for the other members of the family: Lyre, Andromeda, and Apollo. Andromeda and Apollo are the family’s muscle – they’re twins, and they’re always spoiling for a fight. Often, they felt more like cardboard cut-outs than actual people, which was disappointing given that I felt their points of view would be interesting. Their shared dynamic would have been fun to explore. Similarly, Lyre is the quiet, younger sister. She is the mechanic and seems to be the kindest of the family. Although towards the end she’s given a very small bit of characterization, she doesn’t have much of an arc.
Their mother, Auriga, is rarely described despite playing a major part in the story. She abused all five of her children both physically and emotionally. Again, this is not explored in a meaningful way. While Scorpia has a small come-to-God moment where she attempts to break the cycle of abuse, it’s not something that is acknowledged on a larger scale. Auriga hit them, withheld affection, and created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. She pitted her children against one another such that they felt she was the only constant in her lives. This could have made for an intensely emotional and interesting story… if only it had been fleshed out and expanded upon.
The setting, too, suffered from being half-baked. One of my pet peeves in space operas and science fiction is when a planet is reduced to a single biome and a single government. Fortuna heavily leaned on this trope: Deva, the jungle planet. Titan, the ice planet. Gaia, the desert planet. Nibiru, the ocean planet… etc etc. It gets old real fast. Gaia is mentioned as being tidally locked, yet we’re expected to believe that the full face of the planet with sunlight is habitable. Quite frankly, the whole book easily could have taken place on just one planet with airships instead of spaceships and with the current planets being countries. It would have been much more believable and significantly less cliche.
The political aspects of the plot often end up drifting away at loose ends. On Titan, one of the premier generals seeks to recruit Corvus to commit treason in order to end the war. Spoiler: this goes absolutely nowhere. Many key plot points also beggar belief – am I really supposed to expect that Scorpia somehow became romantically involved with the son of a rival smuggler captain and sneaks away every time they have a martial engagement for some steamy sex? I’m just not convinced – and I’m really not convinced the Fortuna’s crew of six somehow manages to never lose a single soul in any of these battles given that the other ship has a crew of at least thirty or more pirates. There are many instances such as this which feel engineered to advance the plot at the expense of believability.
‘A shocking amount of dead pirates are piled in the cargo bay in front of her, none even close to reaching her. Their bodies are so thoroughly riddled with holes that Momma’s weapon must have been at work. Bile rises in my throat at the sight. Usually, our skirmishes don’t end with quite so many bodies, but it seems Momma really wasn’t screwing around this time.’
Throughout the novel, the remnants of a former civilization, Primus, and the dangers of the weapons they left behind feature heavily. Each planet has a varying attitude towards Primus tech: some look on it with distrust, while others embrace it. I was eager to learn more about the Primus civilization, especially when Corvus encounters one of their spaceships in the first few chapters. The ship is organic with a beating pulse, and we all know how dear to my heart good squishy scifi is. However, this is the only up close and personal view of Primus tech the reader is allowed.
‘There, dangling from the ceiling, is the power source I’ve been seeking. Slim black cords snake into it from both sides and from above, holding it in suspension. With each pulse of the orb, the cords shiver, a movement that travels down their lengths and continues to ripple through the walls and ceiling. The room is moving around me, pulsing in tune with the power source, like it’s the ship’s ancient, still-beating heart. When another, larger pulse occurs, the orb glows so brightly I have to cover my eyes.’
Had this been a debut novel, I would have been willing to cut Kristyn Merbeth a bit more slack. Although this is her first foray into science fiction, Merbeth has also written a post-apocalyptic trilogy. I expected just a bit more from a seasoned author than I received in Fortuna.
Thank you to Orbit for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
If you enjoyed this review, please consider reading others like it on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
January 18, 2023
Рецензия на всю трилогию.
This is about my family, and nothing is more important than my blood. Not my moral compass, and certainly not my heart (c).
☆ маркировано взрослым сайфаем и персонажи старше двадцати, но не верьте глазам своим: это типовый янгэдалт, где назло Мамуле отмораживают уши в открытом космосе и забарывают злодея силой дружбы. Из серьезного разве что геноцид, алкоголизм, птср, ламповый семейный абьюз… да, ��очно, янгэдалт.
Порнухи только два абзаца. Это печально.
☆ из сильных сторон тут персонажи и экшен. И слабых - текст. Половину трагических раздумий надо выкинуть, сюжетные дыры позашивать, композицию расчесать… эх.
Фактически это три звезды, но, сами понимаете: команда долбоебов спасает мир, фемслеш, шутки за триста, боевые женщины с пистолетами… у меня рука не поднялась.
☆ отделу маркетинга, который пытался продать эту книгу фанатам Беки Чамберс, - мой респект за троллинг.
Да, как и в Wayfarers, весь сюжет крутится вокруг маленького кораблика и его команды, которая, конечно же, как одна семья.
В буквальном смысле.
Ауренга Кайзер решила уволиться из пиратов и сколотить состояние на гениальной схеме. Если родить ребенка в порту, то ребенок автоматически получает гражданство планеты, а мама - гостевую визу и возможность торговать контрабандой из-под полы. В системе Вита Нова пять планет, соответственно, у капитана Кайзера пять детей, которых она железными оплеухами приставила к бизнесу.
Естественно, детишки воруют, пьют, ненавидят друг друга и мечтают сбежать от Мамули. Но когда Мамуля действительно исчезает, сладкий запах свободы настолько кружит голову, что команда "Фортуны" начинает творить абсолютную дичь. Потому что можно вывезти человека из семейного абьюза, а вот вывезти семейный абьюз из человека - уже сложнее.
☆ история рассказывается двумя старшими детьми:
♧ Скорпия, сьюха-алкоголичка-лучший-пилот-в- галактике. Отвечает за стремные шутки, гениальные планы и флирт с врагами. Половина планов проваливаются из-за алкоголизма, но бросить Скорпия не может: в трезвый мозг начинают приходить МЫСЛИ, и это БОЛЬНО. К тому же без выпивки у Скорпии начинают дрожать руки, а дрожащие руки на штурвале - это ЧРЕВАТО.
"Okay", i whisper, putting a hand against the building to steady myself. "Move fast and quiet. We have one chance at this."
I suck in a deep breath, take two steps forward, and fall flat on my face.
Скорпия влюблена в чопорную принцессу одной из планет (отсюда два абзаца порнухи). Кто подумал про пейринг Хана с Леей, тот молодец. Раз за разом благородная принцесса заманивает коварную контрабандистку в свои сети, а потом цинично кидает с разбитым сердцем. Потому что ПОЛИТИКА.
♤ Корвус, рыцарь печального образа с ПТСР. Мамуля отдала Корвуса в армию, там он убивал гражданских, бросал товарищей и дослужился до сержанта. К сожалению, теперь Корвус не может спать, а его медали никому не нужны.
Медленный суицид с помощью алкоголя в стиле Скорпии Корвусу не дает совершить офицерская честь, поэтому он все время норовит обвязаться гранатами и прыгнуть на врагов.
I see only darkness. Perhaps that's all I deserve. I take a breath and move my thumb over to the grenade's pin.
Корвус закончит трилогию в составе тройничка м/м\ж, где два горячих космодесантника ночью будут зажимать его между собой, потому что Одна Кровать.
Но Корвус нервный и целомудренный лох (а также помним про гранаты), поэтому космодесантники, как коты, будут подкрадываться к Корвусу по миллиметру в главу, прикрываясь лозунгом "мыжебратья".
А потом они резко сымают с него трусы и выкидывают их в космос! И все, финал!
К сожалению, это действительно финал трилогии, поэтому порнуха осталась за кадром.
◇ Также есть социопатка Лира, которая что-то там ботанит над двигателями и шипит, если посветить фонариком в ее логово. И дебилы Дром и Пол, которые любят убивать и носить коробки с грузом.
Прости меня, Беки Чамберс, мы все проебали.
Нет, конечно же, в финале дружба победит, но идти туда долго. Очень долго. Километры соплей. Уже и пираты спрашивают, когда им можно застрелить героев, что за безобразие, срутся и срутся между собой эти Кайзеры, лирическая сцена затянулась!
☆ во второй и третьей книге меньше экшена и больше дворцовых интриг, и без слез, конечно, на это не взглянешь, но я после первой книги так втянулась в персонажей, что читала бы даже список покупок с их именами.
☆ несмотря на обилие космодесантников автор упоротый пацифист с широкой душой и призывает возлюбить врагов своих (вырубив их перед этим коварным приемом и намазав вазелином). Душещипательно.
☆ на сцене таже есть артефакты древних алиенов, но исключительно в роли бога из машины. Эх.
☆ в общем, мне дико понравилось. Экшн годный, герои упоротые, по морали мы с автором сестры.
Рекомендовать никому не буду (технически это не идеал), но перечитаю обязательно.
Потому что там злодеи залазят в вентиляцию и Скорпия в панике: они же могут проползти по всему кораблю!
Хе. Хе. Хе.
This is about my family, and nothing is more important than my blood. Not my moral compass, and certainly not my heart (c).
☆ маркировано взрослым сайфаем и персонажи старше двадцати, но не верьте глазам своим: это типовый янгэдалт, где назло Мамуле отмораживают уши в открытом космосе и забарывают злодея силой дружбы. Из серьезного разве что геноцид, алкоголизм, птср, ламповый семейный абьюз… да, ��очно, янгэдалт.
Порнухи только два абзаца. Это печально.
☆ из сильных сторон тут персонажи и экшен. И слабых - текст. Половину трагических раздумий надо выкинуть, сюжетные дыры позашивать, композицию расчесать… эх.
Фактически это три звезды, но, сами понимаете: команда долбоебов спасает мир, фемслеш, шутки за триста, боевые женщины с пистолетами… у меня рука не поднялась.
☆ отделу маркетинга, который пытался продать эту книгу фанатам Беки Чамберс, - мой респект за троллинг.
Да, как и в Wayfarers, весь сюжет крутится вокруг маленького кораблика и его команды, которая, конечно же, как одна семья.
В буквальном смысле.
Ауренга Кайзер решила уволиться из пиратов и сколотить состояние на гениальной схеме. Если родить ребенка в порту, то ребенок автоматически получает гражданство планеты, а мама - гостевую визу и возможность торговать контрабандой из-под полы. В системе Вита Нова пять планет, соответственно, у капитана Кайзера пять детей, которых она железными оплеухами приставила к бизнесу.
Естественно, детишки воруют, пьют, ненавидят друг друга и мечтают сбежать от Мамули. Но когда Мамуля действительно исчезает, сладкий запах свободы настолько кружит голову, что команда "Фортуны" начинает творить абсолютную дичь. Потому что можно вывезти человека из семейного абьюза, а вот вывезти семейный абьюз из человека - уже сложнее.
☆ история рассказывается двумя старшими детьми:
♧ Скорпия, сьюха-алкоголичка-лучший-пилот-в- галактике. Отвечает за стремные шутки, гениальные планы и флирт с врагами. Половина планов проваливаются из-за алкоголизма, но бросить Скорпия не может: в трезвый мозг начинают приходить МЫСЛИ, и это БОЛЬНО. К тому же без выпивки у Скорпии начинают дрожать руки, а дрожащие руки на штурвале - это ЧРЕВАТО.
"Okay", i whisper, putting a hand against the building to steady myself. "Move fast and quiet. We have one chance at this."
I suck in a deep breath, take two steps forward, and fall flat on my face.
Скорпия влюблена в чопорную принцессу одной из планет (отсюда два абзаца порнухи). Кто подумал про пейринг Хана с Леей, тот молодец. Раз за разом благородная принцесса заманивает коварную контрабандистку в свои сети, а потом цинично кидает с разбитым сердцем. Потому что ПОЛИТИКА.
♤ Корвус, рыцарь печального образа с ПТСР. Мамуля отдала Корвуса в армию, там он убивал гражданских, бросал товарищей и дослужился до сержанта. К сожалению, теперь Корвус не может спать, а его медали никому не нужны.
Медленный суицид с помощью алкоголя в стиле Скорпии Корвусу не дает совершить офицерская честь, поэтому он все время норовит обвязаться гранатами и прыгнуть на врагов.
I see only darkness. Perhaps that's all I deserve. I take a breath and move my thumb over to the grenade's pin.
Корвус закончит трилогию в составе тройничка м/м\ж, где два горячих космодесантника ночью будут зажимать его между собой, потому что Одна Кровать.
Но Корвус нервный и целомудренный лох (а также помним про гранаты), поэтому космодесантники, как коты, будут подкрадываться к Корвусу по миллиметру в главу, прикрываясь лозунгом "мыжебратья".
А потом они резко сымают с него трусы и выкидывают их в космос! И все, финал!
К сожалению, это действительно финал трилогии, поэтому порнуха осталась за кадром.
◇ Также есть социопатка Лира, которая что-то там ботанит над двигателями и шипит, если посветить фонариком в ее логово. И дебилы Дром и Пол, которые любят убивать и носить коробки с грузом.
Прости меня, Беки Чамберс, мы все проебали.
Нет, конечно же, в финале дружба победит, но идти туда долго. Очень долго. Километры соплей. Уже и пираты спрашивают, когда им можно застрелить героев, что за безобразие, срутся и срутся между собой эти Кайзеры, лирическая сцена затянулась!
☆ во второй и третьей книге меньше экшена и больше дворцовых интриг, и без слез, конечно, на это не взглянешь, но я после первой книги так втянулась в персонажей, что читала бы даже список покупок с их именами.
☆ несмотря на обилие космодесантников автор упоротый пацифист с широкой душой и призывает возлюбить врагов своих (вырубив их перед этим коварным приемом и намазав вазелином). Душещипательно.
☆ на сцене таже есть артефакты древних алиенов, но исключительно в роли бога из машины. Эх.
☆ в общем, мне дико понравилось. Экшн годный, герои упоротые, по морали мы с автором сестры.
Рекомендовать никому не буду (технически это не идеал), но перечитаю обязательно.
Потому что там злодеи залазят в вентиляцию и Скорпия в панике: они же могут проползти по всему кораблю!
Хе. Хе. Хе.
June 30, 2020
This was a great adventure story! Like all fantastic stories it pulled me in right away and kept my attention until the end. And I liked the characters too, which is a big plus. The plot sort of reminded me of Revenger by Alistair Reynolds, so if you like that one you might like this one too as the situation is very similar with a crew on a ship amid lots of danger.
The one character that brings this story to life is Scorpia. Without her this book would be pretty dead. Her siblings are nice but it's her wild antics that really affects the plot. Scorpia, she's wild...she doesn't think before doing things (and that leads to huge problems), she has bad habits, she makes stuff up on the spot (also very, very bad) and she suffers from emotional issues. Plus she drinks hard liquor...while driving. But what can I say? I love Scorpia! She's the one who makes this book. And she grows up and changes as the book progresses too and none of it is easy for her.
The chapters alternate between Scorpia and her brother Corvus. Corvus is very different from his sister. He's more reserved. Maybe it's because he's a soldier...? I think he has a good head on his shoulders but I admit I like the chapters with Scorpia better. Yet I admit the icy planet where Corvus was living was very intriguing. Such a hostile place..! Great descriptions in those chapters too!
This is a huge adventure story that spans across several different planets within a single solar system. Each planet is very different than the other: a icy frozen one, a thick jungle, a world of salty seas and another place where the crops struggle to grow.. add to that groups that are hostile to each other plus smuggling... You don't want to get caught smuggling! Tons of action and intense scenes! Plot twists too. I must admit about in the middle of the book there was a huge twist I never expected that truly surprised me!
I did have a little problem with the very end of the book..I guess I grew very distrustful of a certain character and I kept expecting something else to happen...the villian in here is truly atrocious! I guess that says something about the author's writing skills...to make such a nasty, cold blooded person that even at the very end you expect the villian to do yet more, because they are so awful that you can't trust them at all.
A fast flowing story!
The one character that brings this story to life is Scorpia. Without her this book would be pretty dead. Her siblings are nice but it's her wild antics that really affects the plot. Scorpia, she's wild...she doesn't think before doing things (and that leads to huge problems), she has bad habits, she makes stuff up on the spot (also very, very bad) and she suffers from emotional issues. Plus she drinks hard liquor...while driving. But what can I say? I love Scorpia! She's the one who makes this book. And she grows up and changes as the book progresses too and none of it is easy for her.
The chapters alternate between Scorpia and her brother Corvus. Corvus is very different from his sister. He's more reserved. Maybe it's because he's a soldier...? I think he has a good head on his shoulders but I admit I like the chapters with Scorpia better. Yet I admit the icy planet where Corvus was living was very intriguing. Such a hostile place..! Great descriptions in those chapters too!
This is a huge adventure story that spans across several different planets within a single solar system. Each planet is very different than the other: a icy frozen one, a thick jungle, a world of salty seas and another place where the crops struggle to grow.. add to that groups that are hostile to each other plus smuggling... You don't want to get caught smuggling! Tons of action and intense scenes! Plot twists too. I must admit about in the middle of the book there was a huge twist I never expected that truly surprised me!
I did have a little problem with the very end of the book..I guess I grew very distrustful of a certain character and I kept expecting something else to happen...the villian in here is truly atrocious! I guess that says something about the author's writing skills...to make such a nasty, cold blooded person that even at the very end you expect the villian to do yet more, because they are so awful that you can't trust them at all.
A fast flowing story!
November 8, 2019
Rating: ★★★☆☆+
Synopsis
Fortuna launches a new space opera trilogy that will hook you from the first crash landing.
Scorpia Kaiser has always stood in Corvus’s shadow until the day her older brother abandons their family to participate in a profitless war. However, becoming the heir to her mother’s smuggling operation is not an easy transition for the always rebellious, usually reckless, and occasionally drunk pilot of the Fortuna, an aging cargo ship and the only home Scorpia has ever known.
But when a deal turns deadly and Corvus returns from the war, Scorpia’s plans to take over the family business are interrupted, and the Kaiser siblings are forced to make a choice: take responsibility for their family’s involvement in a devastating massacre or lay low and hope it blows over.
Too bad Scorpia was never any good at staying out of a fight.
Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers and Catherynne M. Valente, Fortuna introduces a dazzling new voice in science fiction.
Review
Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Fortuna (Nova Vita Protocol #1) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.
Fortuna is a promising start to this new space opera trilogy, but not without a few bumps in the road. The premise ultimately hooked me into picking this one up, but the execution is slightly different than what I was expecting. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. There is plenty to like here and plenty more to look forward to in the sequels.
How can you not want to read about a family of space smugglers? Especially with a rebellious and alcoholic heir that can’t seem to get on track, and with her brother back in the picture after a three (3) year absence, getting on track is the least of Scorpia’s worries. Mix that with an overbearing mother who has been abusive and negligent most of their lives, though is the head and heart of the operation, and you have a pretty messed up family prior to the smuggling operations.
Unfortunately, these relationships are mostly surface with not a lot of depth, which I believe led me to feel a large disconnect with the characters.
Scorpia, at times, felt way to juvenile a character with the responsibilities handed to her, and given her age. I get that she enjoys alcohol and that plays a big role in her actions, but there are a few times where you are just left scratching your head and asking “Do people really act like that?” Not to say I don’t see that on the daily with social media, so maybe it just becoming a norm for mid-twenties people to act carelessly. On the other hand, Corvus is dealing with PTSD from the war he has since returned from, and his actions are fairly in-line with a vet, but again, are a little too top of the water and the illness is there to continue moving the plot along.
Don’t come into Fortuna expecting a ton of space battles or chases. This is more of a politically driven story with a family drama syrup and revenge cherry on top. It is an engaging read that will definitely appeal to fans of science fiction and space operas, but without the immense world-building and galactic warfare.
Synopsis
Fortuna launches a new space opera trilogy that will hook you from the first crash landing.
Scorpia Kaiser has always stood in Corvus’s shadow until the day her older brother abandons their family to participate in a profitless war. However, becoming the heir to her mother’s smuggling operation is not an easy transition for the always rebellious, usually reckless, and occasionally drunk pilot of the Fortuna, an aging cargo ship and the only home Scorpia has ever known.
But when a deal turns deadly and Corvus returns from the war, Scorpia’s plans to take over the family business are interrupted, and the Kaiser siblings are forced to make a choice: take responsibility for their family’s involvement in a devastating massacre or lay low and hope it blows over.
Too bad Scorpia was never any good at staying out of a fight.
Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers and Catherynne M. Valente, Fortuna introduces a dazzling new voice in science fiction.
Review
Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Fortuna (Nova Vita Protocol #1) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.
Fortuna is a promising start to this new space opera trilogy, but not without a few bumps in the road. The premise ultimately hooked me into picking this one up, but the execution is slightly different than what I was expecting. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. There is plenty to like here and plenty more to look forward to in the sequels.
How can you not want to read about a family of space smugglers? Especially with a rebellious and alcoholic heir that can’t seem to get on track, and with her brother back in the picture after a three (3) year absence, getting on track is the least of Scorpia’s worries. Mix that with an overbearing mother who has been abusive and negligent most of their lives, though is the head and heart of the operation, and you have a pretty messed up family prior to the smuggling operations.
Unfortunately, these relationships are mostly surface with not a lot of depth, which I believe led me to feel a large disconnect with the characters.
Scorpia, at times, felt way to juvenile a character with the responsibilities handed to her, and given her age. I get that she enjoys alcohol and that plays a big role in her actions, but there are a few times where you are just left scratching your head and asking “Do people really act like that?” Not to say I don’t see that on the daily with social media, so maybe it just becoming a norm for mid-twenties people to act carelessly. On the other hand, Corvus is dealing with PTSD from the war he has since returned from, and his actions are fairly in-line with a vet, but again, are a little too top of the water and the illness is there to continue moving the plot along.
Don’t come into Fortuna expecting a ton of space battles or chases. This is more of a politically driven story with a family drama syrup and revenge cherry on top. It is an engaging read that will definitely appeal to fans of science fiction and space operas, but without the immense world-building and galactic warfare.
January 29, 2021
There was a good idea here, but for me it didn't work out. DNF 60%
We start with the basic single spaceship scratching out a living. Of course there's a hardass in the team and in this case it's Momma, who makes Bette Davis look like Miss Sweetstory. We soon see that Momma is abusive and amoral, daughter is a barely-functioning alcoholic, brother has PTSD, the twins are intellectually challenged, and the youngest is a wisp. So far it's Cold Comfort Farm without the wit. Even so, it could have been an improvement over the usual Lantern-jawed White Male Captain of Enormous Ability plus the Brooding Nasty Crew Member With A Secret.
But we plow on with the standard space opera approach of "plan? ha! We'll just dive right in and think of something as we go." Sure enough, here's Scorpia meeting the President of the Planet (WTF?) and making googly eyes at the Prexy's daughter because what President's daughter doesn't want to get it on with a rascally alcoholic smuggler?
So what's up? Well, there are some of the usual Artifacts from a Mysterious Alien Race that are Far Beyond Our Understanding. There are these implausible planets, and one has a problem that gets worse. Among the Mysterious Artifacts, Prexy discovers a biological neutron bomb and says, "hmm, nothing wrong here that a little genocide won't solve." And guess who she's going to use to get 'er done?
Now add the frenemy pirates, another ridiculous throw-in that apparently was important because it had to be resolved later in this book.
Eventually I asked myself, "Do I care what happens to these broken people? Will there be a satisfying redemption arc here?" I decided, that the answers were No, and Of Course, and that led to "It's Time For Another Book."
We start with the basic single spaceship scratching out a living. Of course there's a hardass in the team and in this case it's Momma, who makes Bette Davis look like Miss Sweetstory. We soon see that Momma is abusive and amoral, daughter is a barely-functioning alcoholic, brother has PTSD, the twins are intellectually challenged, and the youngest is a wisp. So far it's Cold Comfort Farm without the wit. Even so, it could have been an improvement over the usual Lantern-jawed White Male Captain of Enormous Ability plus the Brooding Nasty Crew Member With A Secret.
But we plow on with the standard space opera approach of "plan? ha! We'll just dive right in and think of something as we go." Sure enough, here's Scorpia meeting the President of the Planet (WTF?) and making googly eyes at the Prexy's daughter because what President's daughter doesn't want to get it on with a rascally alcoholic smuggler?
So what's up? Well, there are some of the usual Artifacts from a Mysterious Alien Race that are Far Beyond Our Understanding. There are these implausible planets, and one has a problem that gets worse. Among the Mysterious Artifacts, Prexy discovers a biological neutron bomb and says, "hmm, nothing wrong here that a little genocide won't solve." And guess who she's going to use to get 'er done?
Now add the frenemy pirates, another ridiculous throw-in that apparently was important because it had to be resolved later in this book.
Eventually I asked myself, "Do I care what happens to these broken people? Will there be a satisfying redemption arc here?" I decided, that the answers were No, and Of Course, and that led to "It's Time For Another Book."
January 2, 2020
A dysfunctional family with an abusive parent; a depressive, alcoholic narrator who pilots the ship to a crash landing that somehow...isn’t; a military unit facing child suicide bombers—saw nothing in the opening that made me think that reading this might bring any sort of pleasure. DNF.
December 16, 2019
I love this book. I enjoy reading form Scorpia and Corvus point of view and how the siblings doing everything they can to protect their family. Cant wait for the sequel. I recommend this book for people who want to get into a science fiction novels.
September 8, 2020
Stop me if you've heard this before:
A broken-down freighter with a rag-tag crew gets itself involved in shady business. Hijinks ensue, there is interpersonal drama, someone probably dies, but everyone comes out the other side stronger for the challenge. Reading the summary, what I expected from this book was found-family fluff with a side of action; perhaps a slightly edgier version of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that's NOT what this book is.
Some unspecified year in the future, humanity has fled to the stars, settling in a new system with 5 mostly-habitable planets. But the journey was long, and the planets don't trust each other. Landing on a planet requires citizenship there, and so most trade is done by automated drones.
Enter Fortuna. Auriga Kaiser (simply called 'Momma' through most of the book) has five children, each planned and born on a different planet, giving her trade access throughout the system. She's a hard woman, and difficult to get a read on for most of the book. I got the impression she was a very ends-and-means personality, but as much as she claimed to want the best for her family, what she considered 'best' seemed financial; not personal.
The story itself is told by Auriga's two eldest children in alternating first-person perspective. Scorpia is a shortsighted trainwreck with high ambitions, and Corvus has been away for three years fighting a civil war on his birth planet of Titan, and carries the trauma to match. The reunion is messy, filled with all the hurts and biases that siblings can throw at each other, and that's without counting the war crime that Fortuna is now responsible for.
Because yes, this is a book about a crew operating on the 'gray' side of the law that finds itself WAY over the line of acceptable rule-bending. People in this book make horrific choices for sometimes-stupid reasons, and then they have to deal with the fallout. Becky Chambers this is not. Family growing pains, space opera politics, a romantic subplot... there are a few things that turn out just a bit too neat, but overall it's an exceptionally well-realized drama.
Justly, the book doesn't cop out and close with "everyone wins." It's complex, bittersweet, and just a tad unsettling. As a standalone, I appreciate the way Merbeth closed the story. Knowing there's a sequel coming out shortly, I only hope it does justice to the rest of the fallout. 3.5*, rounding up because it defied my expectations.
A broken-down freighter with a rag-tag crew gets itself involved in shady business. Hijinks ensue, there is interpersonal drama, someone probably dies, but everyone comes out the other side stronger for the challenge. Reading the summary, what I expected from this book was found-family fluff with a side of action; perhaps a slightly edgier version of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that's NOT what this book is.
Some unspecified year in the future, humanity has fled to the stars, settling in a new system with 5 mostly-habitable planets. But the journey was long, and the planets don't trust each other. Landing on a planet requires citizenship there, and so most trade is done by automated drones.
Enter Fortuna. Auriga Kaiser (simply called 'Momma' through most of the book) has five children, each planned and born on a different planet, giving her trade access throughout the system. She's a hard woman, and difficult to get a read on for most of the book. I got the impression she was a very ends-and-means personality, but as much as she claimed to want the best for her family, what she considered 'best' seemed financial; not personal.
The story itself is told by Auriga's two eldest children in alternating first-person perspective. Scorpia is a shortsighted trainwreck with high ambitions, and Corvus has been away for three years fighting a civil war on his birth planet of Titan, and carries the trauma to match. The reunion is messy, filled with all the hurts and biases that siblings can throw at each other, and that's without counting the war crime that Fortuna is now responsible for.
Because yes, this is a book about a crew operating on the 'gray' side of the law that finds itself WAY over the line of acceptable rule-bending. People in this book make horrific choices for sometimes-stupid reasons, and then they have to deal with the fallout. Becky Chambers this is not. Family growing pains, space opera politics, a romantic subplot... there are a few things that turn out just a bit too neat, but overall it's an exceptionally well-realized drama.
Justly, the book doesn't cop out and close with "everyone wins." It's complex, bittersweet, and just a tad unsettling. As a standalone, I appreciate the way Merbeth closed the story. Knowing there's a sequel coming out shortly, I only hope it does justice to the rest of the fallout. 3.5*, rounding up because it defied my expectations.
May 13, 2021
Somewhere between 3 and 4 tbh idk what my rating system is. Good but not great
December 26, 2019
I want to thank Orbit Books for providing me with a copy to read Fortuna in exchange for my open and honest review.
Imagine Momma Fratelli from Goonies is your mother and ship captain. Except your ship is in space, and you are part of a family of smugglers. Your family is spectacularly chaotic, and you are trying to save millions of people. Fortuna is this story told by author Kristyn Merbeth previously writing as author K.S Merbeth in the Wastelanders duology.
I have had my eye on this book for months. The synopsis, space opera, and family dynamics, as well as that gorgeous cover, had me sold long before copies were available to read. The cover, bright and glaring, reminds me of sunset on a desert planet with some serious Firefly vibes thrown in. Maybe Dune in space? I wasn't sure quite what to expect.
Scropia Kaiser is the second oldest of a family of 5 children and one spectacularly distant messed up mother. All Scorpia wants is to satisfy and make her mother proud and step into the boots of her older brother Corvus. Corvus had left home previously three years ago to join the Gaian military service and fight in an unwinnable war. His choice to enlist and abandon the Kaiser family is devastating to the Kaiser children and Scorpia in particular.
Corvus is finishing up his tour of service and wanting nothing more to come home to the life he has left. He is done with war and haunted by the deeds he had to do to battle in that war. It has left deep marks on his soul and a bought of PTSD that he does not know how to deal with.
Both characters have enormous hurdles to overcome. Scorpia cannot stop stepping on her own feet. She is continually screwing things up or drinking too heavily. Twice in the novel, she almost got her entire family killed due to the ramifications of her choices. There is winging it, and then there is suicidally and stupidly not thinking before your actions. Her actions were not redeemed to me because there were no offset qualities that help balance the scales. She was just a mouthy fuck up most of the story with a considerable ego and mommy issues. She would have been redeemed by the love she had for her brothers and sisters, but they were flat characters, and thus that love felt very flat and unreal.
This story is the pairing of two narratives, one told from Corvus's side while the other told from Scorpia's side. The unfortunate thing about this story is although the setting and the bare bones of the worldbuilding are there and exciting, I did not care about either character. Scorpia especially. Her decision making, alcoholism, naivete, and arrogance that is almost stupidity turned me off from her as a protagonist. Scorpia is a flawed character, as all people are imperfect, but there needs to be a point to her choices and chaos, including her addiction to alcohol. It is difficult to explain, but it almost seemed like her addiction lacked authenticity. It did not ring true. She was an alcholic, not someone addicted to sweets. Alcoholism is a real thing and can be devastating, it isn't something for pratfalls or rim shots. Corvus was a much cooler character. In the beginning, his brooding and aloofness were annoying, but as the story continued, the brooding led to some character growth and change. He fleshed out into a three-dimensional character.
With the difficult time I had connecting with the characters, the slow down of the plot and pacing destroyed my enjoyment of the book. It became a slog, which was unfortunate because it had such tremendous promise. I love the idea of a dysfunctional band of smugglers who happen to be family run by a matriarch - Very Firefly. But something did not cinch together, and the depth and love of the characters I would need to become emotionally invested in the story never became deeper than a superficial level. For example, Scropia's brother and sisters were nothing more than cardboard cutouts for most of the story. I know the familial connection was supposed to be there and implied by the author, but it never connected.
As far as the enjoyment level of this story, at about the 60% mark, I almost DNF'ed, which would have been a shame because the author brought everything together nicely in the last 20% of the book. The last 20% ended up being fun and not quite what I had imagined. I liked the spin she put on it and opening it up for the next book in the series, which is why I gave this a lukewarm 3 stars. I won't be continuing this story as I don't think I am the right audience, however much like other recent books I have read this book will find the right audience. I could imagine a considerable bunch of love for it, which is excellent. Every story will find it's readers.
Either way, come because of the gorgeous cover, and the synopsis is neat and stay for that last 20%.
Imagine Momma Fratelli from Goonies is your mother and ship captain. Except your ship is in space, and you are part of a family of smugglers. Your family is spectacularly chaotic, and you are trying to save millions of people. Fortuna is this story told by author Kristyn Merbeth previously writing as author K.S Merbeth in the Wastelanders duology.
I have had my eye on this book for months. The synopsis, space opera, and family dynamics, as well as that gorgeous cover, had me sold long before copies were available to read. The cover, bright and glaring, reminds me of sunset on a desert planet with some serious Firefly vibes thrown in. Maybe Dune in space? I wasn't sure quite what to expect.
Scropia Kaiser is the second oldest of a family of 5 children and one spectacularly distant messed up mother. All Scorpia wants is to satisfy and make her mother proud and step into the boots of her older brother Corvus. Corvus had left home previously three years ago to join the Gaian military service and fight in an unwinnable war. His choice to enlist and abandon the Kaiser family is devastating to the Kaiser children and Scorpia in particular.
Corvus is finishing up his tour of service and wanting nothing more to come home to the life he has left. He is done with war and haunted by the deeds he had to do to battle in that war. It has left deep marks on his soul and a bought of PTSD that he does not know how to deal with.
Both characters have enormous hurdles to overcome. Scorpia cannot stop stepping on her own feet. She is continually screwing things up or drinking too heavily. Twice in the novel, she almost got her entire family killed due to the ramifications of her choices. There is winging it, and then there is suicidally and stupidly not thinking before your actions. Her actions were not redeemed to me because there were no offset qualities that help balance the scales. She was just a mouthy fuck up most of the story with a considerable ego and mommy issues. She would have been redeemed by the love she had for her brothers and sisters, but they were flat characters, and thus that love felt very flat and unreal.
This story is the pairing of two narratives, one told from Corvus's side while the other told from Scorpia's side. The unfortunate thing about this story is although the setting and the bare bones of the worldbuilding are there and exciting, I did not care about either character. Scorpia especially. Her decision making, alcoholism, naivete, and arrogance that is almost stupidity turned me off from her as a protagonist. Scorpia is a flawed character, as all people are imperfect, but there needs to be a point to her choices and chaos, including her addiction to alcohol. It is difficult to explain, but it almost seemed like her addiction lacked authenticity. It did not ring true. She was an alcholic, not someone addicted to sweets. Alcoholism is a real thing and can be devastating, it isn't something for pratfalls or rim shots. Corvus was a much cooler character. In the beginning, his brooding and aloofness were annoying, but as the story continued, the brooding led to some character growth and change. He fleshed out into a three-dimensional character.
With the difficult time I had connecting with the characters, the slow down of the plot and pacing destroyed my enjoyment of the book. It became a slog, which was unfortunate because it had such tremendous promise. I love the idea of a dysfunctional band of smugglers who happen to be family run by a matriarch - Very Firefly. But something did not cinch together, and the depth and love of the characters I would need to become emotionally invested in the story never became deeper than a superficial level. For example, Scropia's brother and sisters were nothing more than cardboard cutouts for most of the story. I know the familial connection was supposed to be there and implied by the author, but it never connected.
As far as the enjoyment level of this story, at about the 60% mark, I almost DNF'ed, which would have been a shame because the author brought everything together nicely in the last 20% of the book. The last 20% ended up being fun and not quite what I had imagined. I liked the spin she put on it and opening it up for the next book in the series, which is why I gave this a lukewarm 3 stars. I won't be continuing this story as I don't think I am the right audience, however much like other recent books I have read this book will find the right audience. I could imagine a considerable bunch of love for it, which is excellent. Every story will find it's readers.
Either way, come because of the gorgeous cover, and the synopsis is neat and stay for that last 20%.
November 4, 2019
4.2 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Fortuna is the space opera debut from Wastelanders author Kristyn Merbeth. This one has been on my radar for a while, only partly due to its absolutely beautiful cover. Two siblings, separated by time and space, reunite at the turning point of all things.
Scorpia Kaiser once stood in her elder brother’s shadow. But when three years prior, he abandoned their family to fight in the war on his home world, she hoped this would change. Three years, and Scorpia now only has one thought—becoming the new heir apparent of the family business and owner of its ship, Fortuna. It’s not a fancy ship—aged, battle-scarred, space-worn—but it’s the only home Scorpia’s ever known, and the only one she ever wants.
Three years prior Corvus Kaiser was abandoned on Titan, his home world, to fight in an unwinnable war. A war that he very much suspects will eventually claim his life. But recent events have changed his mind on this. In a split-second decision he calls his family, summoning them to his aid. But now faced with the choice of whether to leave or stay he must make a difficult decision between the team he never wanted and the family that doesn’t want him back.
Between the two of them there’s enough chaos to go around, but the universe seems dead-set on raising the stakes. Soon the Kaisers and Fortuna are in the middle of a war—one that may very well cost them their lives.
Fortuna is told using dual-1st person POV chapters—one following Scorpia and the other Corvus—which alternate every chapter. Initially, I found this impossible. In fact, I would read three of Scorpia’s then go back and do three or so of Corvus’s. But then the two reached the same point and place in time and—actually, it wasn’t as bad as I expected.
There’re only a couple other books I’ve read that had this format. The Girl the Sea Gave Back (by Adrienne Young) featured the same alternating man-woman 1PPOVs and I kept getting confused and lost between characters. In Iron Gold (by Pierce Brown), there are three POVs all 1P, that alternate around. I stopped this one for much the same reasons—confusion, mixing up characters, etc. Fortuna is the same, but not. I… don’t really know how to describe it. Maybe it’s because the characters are in close proximity for 2/3 of the book. Maybe it’s because they’re similar. Maybe it’s because the chapters are longer. But it didn’t bother me as much. I mean, it still bothered me, just less.
In the Afterword, Merbeth mentions that she added Corvus’s POV on the advice of her editor. Now, I dunno if this was doing him in 1P, alternating his chapters, or whatnot, but it seems to have payed off. I absolutely loved both of their stories—barring the end. The end (the final showdown, if you will) fairly well sucked. The outcome was never in question, and it was as if the author was trying to inject drama wherever possible. Which is a shame, considering the rest of the text is a treasure. While both Corvus and Scorpia have their own individual storylines, they share the main quite well. And while Scorpia tied all her threads off quite nicely, Corvus pretty much just took a flamethrower to his. Gradually, over the course of the book, though.
TL;DR
Fortuna was quite a treat. Kristyn Merbeth has weaved herself a masterful tale, one that I can’t wait to see more of. The writing, description and characters were all top-notch, and at no point did I lament reading one character’s chapter to get to the next. While the ending does have its issues, the post-showdown section manages to tie everything together rather nicely, leaving me with only a few loose ends to worry after. The divide between Corvus and Scorpia helps tell their story, something that their interconnection is more the better for. It helped me feel so much more for them, humanize them, almost made them seem like real siblings, even.
I definitely recommend Fortuna. And I can’t wait to see more from Kristyn Merbeth!
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Fortuna is the space opera debut from Wastelanders author Kristyn Merbeth. This one has been on my radar for a while, only partly due to its absolutely beautiful cover. Two siblings, separated by time and space, reunite at the turning point of all things.
Scorpia Kaiser once stood in her elder brother’s shadow. But when three years prior, he abandoned their family to fight in the war on his home world, she hoped this would change. Three years, and Scorpia now only has one thought—becoming the new heir apparent of the family business and owner of its ship, Fortuna. It’s not a fancy ship—aged, battle-scarred, space-worn—but it’s the only home Scorpia’s ever known, and the only one she ever wants.
Three years prior Corvus Kaiser was abandoned on Titan, his home world, to fight in an unwinnable war. A war that he very much suspects will eventually claim his life. But recent events have changed his mind on this. In a split-second decision he calls his family, summoning them to his aid. But now faced with the choice of whether to leave or stay he must make a difficult decision between the team he never wanted and the family that doesn’t want him back.
Between the two of them there’s enough chaos to go around, but the universe seems dead-set on raising the stakes. Soon the Kaisers and Fortuna are in the middle of a war—one that may very well cost them their lives.
Fortuna is told using dual-1st person POV chapters—one following Scorpia and the other Corvus—which alternate every chapter. Initially, I found this impossible. In fact, I would read three of Scorpia’s then go back and do three or so of Corvus’s. But then the two reached the same point and place in time and—actually, it wasn’t as bad as I expected.
There’re only a couple other books I’ve read that had this format. The Girl the Sea Gave Back (by Adrienne Young) featured the same alternating man-woman 1PPOVs and I kept getting confused and lost between characters. In Iron Gold (by Pierce Brown), there are three POVs all 1P, that alternate around. I stopped this one for much the same reasons—confusion, mixing up characters, etc. Fortuna is the same, but not. I… don’t really know how to describe it. Maybe it’s because the characters are in close proximity for 2/3 of the book. Maybe it’s because they’re similar. Maybe it’s because the chapters are longer. But it didn’t bother me as much. I mean, it still bothered me, just less.
In the Afterword, Merbeth mentions that she added Corvus’s POV on the advice of her editor. Now, I dunno if this was doing him in 1P, alternating his chapters, or whatnot, but it seems to have payed off. I absolutely loved both of their stories—barring the end. The end (the final showdown, if you will) fairly well sucked. The outcome was never in question, and it was as if the author was trying to inject drama wherever possible. Which is a shame, considering the rest of the text is a treasure. While both Corvus and Scorpia have their own individual storylines, they share the main quite well. And while Scorpia tied all her threads off quite nicely, Corvus pretty much just took a flamethrower to his. Gradually, over the course of the book, though.
TL;DR
Fortuna was quite a treat. Kristyn Merbeth has weaved herself a masterful tale, one that I can’t wait to see more of. The writing, description and characters were all top-notch, and at no point did I lament reading one character’s chapter to get to the next. While the ending does have its issues, the post-showdown section manages to tie everything together rather nicely, leaving me with only a few loose ends to worry after. The divide between Corvus and Scorpia helps tell their story, something that their interconnection is more the better for. It helped me feel so much more for them, humanize them, almost made them seem like real siblings, even.
I definitely recommend Fortuna. And I can’t wait to see more from Kristyn Merbeth!
January 12, 2020
The cover is so pretty and I wanted to like it so much. But there's just too many things about this that annoyed me.
Number one, for a book with a whole system full of inhabitable planets, the author sure did make the world feel small. Each planet seems to be condensed to a single community with particular defining traits. One planet has a president that represents the entire planet. I'm sorry, what? Can you imagine having a president of Earth? If it's something like only small parts of the planet being habitable, maybe I could understand that. But there's not much in the way of mapping to help me understand how big or small these worlds are. We don't spend much time on any of them, anyway. I think this book could have worked better if we were dealing with one planet that had different countries/continents, and then you could have the different cultures without it seeming like each planet is made up of only one area.
Number two, the characters are awful. Between the two narrators, Scorpia and Corvus, I guess I prefer Corvus, although only marginally. Scorpia is incredibly annoying. All she does is whine about how she can't do anything right, and drink. She acts more like she's twelve than twenty-seven. And Corvus lost my sympathies the moment he abandoned his army comrades, fully knowing what would happen to them if he did. I would feel more for him if he had even tried, but he didn't. He then proceeded to do...not much, as far as the story is concerned.
Number three, what the hell was that war about that Corvus was fighting on Titan at the beginning?? I kept waiting and waiting for it to be explained, and it never was. Then the book just moved on to the new war that was starting. I STILL WANT TO KNOW WHY THE PPL ON TITAN WERE FIGHTING. Also, starting out on planets with names like Titan and Gaia was confusing, because I thought for several chapters that we were in our own solar system, since Gaia is another name for Earth.
The middle parts were very boring and I basically slogged through the last two hundred pages. But at least I finished it. I'm tired of DNFing so many books. :(
Number one, for a book with a whole system full of inhabitable planets, the author sure did make the world feel small. Each planet seems to be condensed to a single community with particular defining traits. One planet has a president that represents the entire planet. I'm sorry, what? Can you imagine having a president of Earth? If it's something like only small parts of the planet being habitable, maybe I could understand that. But there's not much in the way of mapping to help me understand how big or small these worlds are. We don't spend much time on any of them, anyway. I think this book could have worked better if we were dealing with one planet that had different countries/continents, and then you could have the different cultures without it seeming like each planet is made up of only one area.
Number two, the characters are awful. Between the two narrators, Scorpia and Corvus, I guess I prefer Corvus, although only marginally. Scorpia is incredibly annoying. All she does is whine about how she can't do anything right, and drink. She acts more like she's twelve than twenty-seven. And Corvus lost my sympathies the moment he abandoned his army comrades, fully knowing what would happen to them if he did. I would feel more for him if he had even tried, but he didn't. He then proceeded to do...not much, as far as the story is concerned.
Number three, what the hell was that war about that Corvus was fighting on Titan at the beginning?? I kept waiting and waiting for it to be explained, and it never was. Then the book just moved on to the new war that was starting. I STILL WANT TO KNOW WHY THE PPL ON TITAN WERE FIGHTING. Also, starting out on planets with names like Titan and Gaia was confusing, because I thought for several chapters that we were in our own solar system, since Gaia is another name for Earth.
The middle parts were very boring and I basically slogged through the last two hundred pages. But at least I finished it. I'm tired of DNFing so many books. :(
December 16, 2019
A great start to a trilogy from an excellent new author! I love SF and I love complicated family dynamics and I love how the Kaiser siblings react to finding themselves in an unexpectedly pivotal position. I very much appreciate the care and attention Merbeth put into the siblings personalities and relationships because they felt real, and their interactions reminded me of shenanigans with my own siblings.
There's a lot to love here, and the story moves right along and kept me fully engaged from page one. Really good stuff and I can't wait for the next book!
There's a lot to love here, and the story moves right along and kept me fully engaged from page one. Really good stuff and I can't wait for the next book!
October 31, 2019
The Kaiser family is my new favorite space family.
I read Fortuna as an eARC from NetGalley, so thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Space. A family of smugglers. Political drama. How could I resist reading Fortuna with this sort of content?
Fortuna follows the story of the Kaisers, particularly the eldest two, Scorpia and Corvus, who follow in their Momma’s footsteps to be ruthless smugglers. After a job goes south, the Kaisers must decide once and for all how far they are willing to go for family.
The characters are all so strong in this book. Scorpia and Corvus are the main points of view in Fortuna, but the other three of the Kaiser brood are just as well developed that you feel you know them all personally. Because of the two points of view in the story, you also get to see the family through different eyes, and you end up learning more about everyone because of the expanded point of view. I was about to try to pick a favorite Kaiser, but then realized I simply can’t. Even Pol, who gets the least amount of time in the story, is someone you become attached to (maybe we will see more of Pol in book 2??)
The world building was also very strong in Fortuna. The amount of detail about how each of these planets in the solar system are vastly different, was great, and the different human cultures that developed are fascinating. I love there are no aliens officially in the story, just humans. I think it makes this story even stronger.
Book two is already being teased as well, and I cannot wait until I get more stories about the Kaisers.
Fortuna will keep you on the edge of your seat. Be prepared to lose track of time as you read this book!
I read Fortuna as an eARC from NetGalley, so thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
Space. A family of smugglers. Political drama. How could I resist reading Fortuna with this sort of content?
Fortuna follows the story of the Kaisers, particularly the eldest two, Scorpia and Corvus, who follow in their Momma’s footsteps to be ruthless smugglers. After a job goes south, the Kaisers must decide once and for all how far they are willing to go for family.
The characters are all so strong in this book. Scorpia and Corvus are the main points of view in Fortuna, but the other three of the Kaiser brood are just as well developed that you feel you know them all personally. Because of the two points of view in the story, you also get to see the family through different eyes, and you end up learning more about everyone because of the expanded point of view. I was about to try to pick a favorite Kaiser, but then realized I simply can’t. Even Pol, who gets the least amount of time in the story, is someone you become attached to (maybe we will see more of Pol in book 2??)
The world building was also very strong in Fortuna. The amount of detail about how each of these planets in the solar system are vastly different, was great, and the different human cultures that developed are fascinating. I love there are no aliens officially in the story, just humans. I think it makes this story even stronger.
Book two is already being teased as well, and I cannot wait until I get more stories about the Kaisers.
Fortuna will keep you on the edge of your seat. Be prepared to lose track of time as you read this book!
January 8, 2020
I've had a run of bad books lately, and unfortunately this is another one. The worldbuilding in this one, while not outstanding, is adequate, and the setup could have been interesting. But the characters did this book in about halfway through.
I don't demand that my characters be likable. An unlikable character, if well-written with clear motivations and shades of grey, can be compelling. None of these characters meet that bar, except possibly for Corvus, and in the end he wasn't enough to overcome my active dislike of all the rest. I especially hated Scorpia, the 27-year-old purportedly grown woman who acts twelve at best, and who careens wildly between stubborn, impulsive, and Too Stupid To Live. Her jealousy, pride, and ambition gets everyone around her in trouble (I mean, smuggling in a creepy living plant from another planet, banned for good reason, that could spread and contaminate an entire biosphere? Come on now!). After yet another of Scorpia's reckless, dumb decisions, I had had it. Book, meet wall--or rather bed, bouncing indignantly from the pillows.
Bah. The library is getting quite a few unexpected windfalls from me lately. I can only hope my next book is better.
I don't demand that my characters be likable. An unlikable character, if well-written with clear motivations and shades of grey, can be compelling. None of these characters meet that bar, except possibly for Corvus, and in the end he wasn't enough to overcome my active dislike of all the rest. I especially hated Scorpia, the 27-year-old purportedly grown woman who acts twelve at best, and who careens wildly between stubborn, impulsive, and Too Stupid To Live. Her jealousy, pride, and ambition gets everyone around her in trouble (I mean, smuggling in a creepy living plant from another planet, banned for good reason, that could spread and contaminate an entire biosphere? Come on now!). After yet another of Scorpia's reckless, dumb decisions, I had had it. Book, meet wall--or rather bed, bouncing indignantly from the pillows.
Bah. The library is getting quite a few unexpected windfalls from me lately. I can only hope my next book is better.
December 3, 2019
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.
Oh dear. I wanted to like this book, I really did. I’m a big fan of smuggling in stories in general, and especially in space (blame the incredible show Firefly). Unfortunately, this book was a giant resounding “meh” from me.
I can’t pinpoint anything really wrong with the book, it just didn’t keep my attention. The characters weren’t all that engaging, and Scorpia annoyed me. She was immature to the point of obnoxiousness. Corvus was okay, but not all that fantastic a character either.
If I don’t enjoy the characters in a book, the writing itself needs to be incredible to keep me invested. The writing was fine, but nothing to write home about. This is my first book by this author and, honestly, I can’t say I’m going to go out of my way to read any others she’s written.
I’ll say that this is just a case of the book not fitting the reader. It happens. I hope other readers find it more interesting than I did. I gave up 60% in.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.
Oh dear. I wanted to like this book, I really did. I’m a big fan of smuggling in stories in general, and especially in space (blame the incredible show Firefly). Unfortunately, this book was a giant resounding “meh” from me.
I can’t pinpoint anything really wrong with the book, it just didn’t keep my attention. The characters weren’t all that engaging, and Scorpia annoyed me. She was immature to the point of obnoxiousness. Corvus was okay, but not all that fantastic a character either.
If I don’t enjoy the characters in a book, the writing itself needs to be incredible to keep me invested. The writing was fine, but nothing to write home about. This is my first book by this author and, honestly, I can’t say I’m going to go out of my way to read any others she’s written.
I’ll say that this is just a case of the book not fitting the reader. It happens. I hope other readers find it more interesting than I did. I gave up 60% in.
January 2, 2020
2.5 stars
I wanted to like this book. I really did. However, about the only thing that I can say that sums this book up for me is "meh". It was a real struggle to get through because it was just so boring. There were a couple of neat ideas sprinkled in, and I realize that it's supposed to be a character driven narrative, but the characters were really uninteresting. I won't be reading any other books in this series.
That cover though! Right?
I wanted to like this book. I really did. However, about the only thing that I can say that sums this book up for me is "meh". It was a real struggle to get through because it was just so boring. There were a couple of neat ideas sprinkled in, and I realize that it's supposed to be a character driven narrative, but the characters were really uninteresting. I won't be reading any other books in this series.
That cover though! Right?
January 16, 2021
This book was delightful. **NOTE: there are a lot of negative reviews about this book, and I'm going to discuss some of the flaws they bring up, and why I could forgive them. :) **
I'm normally really picky when it comes to first-person, present-tense novels, but this one was very well-executed. The character voices were unique, emotional, and true to their person. The characters' choices and behaviors made sense given their upbringing and experiences, as well as how they thought about things and encountered problems/faced conflict.
I know that some people really disliked Scorpia as a character and narrator, calling her "childish," (which is true, but improves throughout the book), and disliking her tendency to turn towards the bottle more often than not. But here's why I like her. Scorpia is imperfect, and she makes poor decisions, but she learns from them, without making any obnoxious "I'm magically fixed now!" transitions that I've noticed in some novels. Her mother raised her with a very distant sort of attachment. She was born without a true place in the galaxy, and therefore she had to deal with her mother's abuse to fight for the one place that she could still belong. She also had no formal education
She believed she had to turn to desparate measures to make any sort of difference (even if those measures have led to disaster). But once her mother died, she stepped up, especially when she saw her brother and how broken he was, and actually ended up making some solid choices in the end in comparison to the beginning of the book. And I think that's just it: she needed to be away from her mother to discover herself and to grow. Imagine being 27, and spending your entire life in the same environment (i.e. living with your immediate family for that long, always on the move, having to perform some nasty things to survive). It's no wonder she was childish. She never had any room to grow. Not until her mother was no longer with her.
Corvus was really interesting to read. I appreciate how none of his actions in wartime were glorified. His guilt, also, was an important portion of his character. He was raised to be the "perfect child," but he returned to his family as the most imperfect of all of them, and that's another thing I feel like the author did really well.
There's a lot of good, underlying symbolism and meaning here. The character dynamic is by far the most important part of the story. But I really enjoyed the worlds, the technology, and the politics as well. This book was really fun, and also really deep, when you take a step back to analyze. Seriously, give this book a chance. It's not the most science-y science fiction out there, and the author isn't afraid to make you dislike the main character(s) before you start to understand them, and it's 100% worth the read.
I'm normally really picky when it comes to first-person, present-tense novels, but this one was very well-executed. The character voices were unique, emotional, and true to their person. The characters' choices and behaviors made sense given their upbringing and experiences, as well as how they thought about things and encountered problems/faced conflict.
I know that some people really disliked Scorpia as a character and narrator, calling her "childish," (which is true, but improves throughout the book), and disliking her tendency to turn towards the bottle more often than not. But here's why I like her. Scorpia is imperfect, and she makes poor decisions, but she learns from them, without making any obnoxious "I'm magically fixed now!" transitions that I've noticed in some novels. Her mother raised her with a very distant sort of attachment. She was born without a true place in the galaxy, and therefore she had to deal with her mother's abuse to fight for the one place that she could still belong. She also had no formal education
She believed she had to turn to desparate measures to make any sort of difference (even if those measures have led to disaster). But once her mother died, she stepped up, especially when she saw her brother and how broken he was, and actually ended up making some solid choices in the end in comparison to the beginning of the book. And I think that's just it: she needed to be away from her mother to discover herself and to grow. Imagine being 27, and spending your entire life in the same environment (i.e. living with your immediate family for that long, always on the move, having to perform some nasty things to survive). It's no wonder she was childish. She never had any room to grow. Not until her mother was no longer with her.
Corvus was really interesting to read. I appreciate how none of his actions in wartime were glorified. His guilt, also, was an important portion of his character. He was raised to be the "perfect child," but he returned to his family as the most imperfect of all of them, and that's another thing I feel like the author did really well.
There's a lot of good, underlying symbolism and meaning here. The character dynamic is by far the most important part of the story. But I really enjoyed the worlds, the technology, and the politics as well. This book was really fun, and also really deep, when you take a step back to analyze. Seriously, give this book a chance. It's not the most science-y science fiction out there, and the author isn't afraid to make you dislike the main character(s) before you start to understand them, and it's 100% worth the read.
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