Cover Image: Under Fortunate Stars

Under Fortunate Stars

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Wow. This might end up being my favorite book of the year. \What a fantastic read. I didn’t want it to end and I certainly didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters. I’ll be buying anything Hutchings writes in the future, no questions asked. Space opera fans, look no further. THIS is a must read.

Was this review helpful?

This is not a perfect novel, but there is something there that draws me in for an occasional re-read. It is a mix of time travel and space opera, but with more heart than I feel like I usually see in science fiction.

Was this review helpful?

I love a good sci-fi with a small cast of characters in a spaceship in space. That might just be my favorite trope, and this book just confirmed that for me. Even though I didn't really like all of the characters at the beginning I absolutely loved all of their dynamics and relationships. As the book when on the flashbacks sequences really fleshed out all of the characters well and their motivation, so their actions in the present felt very purposeful and in character.

The ending still sticks with me almost a year after I read it. Even though some reviews said it was a bit predictable I was still that person that was trying not to get her sought on the Kindle while reading that last chapter.

I implore you, if you love fast-paced, small crew in space with a bit of a twist, please pick this book up.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Under Fortunate Stars has quite a lot of moving parts but manages to juggle them well. We have POV chapters from two of the Jonah – both past and present and two from the Gallion that also do the same. While this sounds like it has the potential to be confusing it works really well, both to round out the characters but also to demonstrate how flexible history telling, the personal and the official can be.

The easy comparison book would be Shards of Earth – a found family in space set against a backdrop of a historic war with uncommunicative aliens. However it’s only tangentially similar as Under Fortunate Stars is much more about the characters, how they react to each other,their personal histories and defining moments unfolding as the book goes on. My favourite is Uma, the engineer from the Gallion whose competence holds the engineering team together but also is the readers viewpoint into how big a deal the Jonah’s crew is in the future and how much of an impact their actions had through her memories of creating a true to life replica and maintaining the Fortunate Five museum with her dad. There are a couple of tense action sequences especially towards the final section and these were deftly handled however some of the suspense was undercut both by the flashbacks and also the sense of inevitability due to recorded events.

If you like space opera and the twistyness that time travel can create, there’s a lot to like here and I look forward to seeing what else the author writes in the future

Was this review helpful?

‘Under Fortunate Stars' by Ren Hutchings is a novel about a rift in time where the present comes face to face with the past.

The Gallion is conveying a Felen peace ambassador when it becomes stuck in space. When they find another ship stuck, they are puzzled that it seems to be an old ship called the Jonah. Even more astounding, the crew appears to be the Fortunate Five, who ended the war with a famous treaty. The problem is that things aren't adding up with the historical record.

I really enjoyed this novel about meeting heroes from history and discovering they can be just as broken as the rest of us. I found the first third of the book less interesting, but patient readers will be rewarded with a pretty good story.

Was this review helpful?

This book had everything I want in a sci-fi - an ensemble cast of scrappy misfits, weird time shenanigans, and complex, relatable characters. I loved the way the story slowly came together through the use of dual timelines, allowing the reader to piece things together for themselves rather than handing everything over on a plate, and I thought the worldbuilding was really well done!

Was this review helpful?

Under Fortunate Stars contains a lot of the components that make me love sci-fi, particularly space opera - there's a first contact plot line in here, a scrappy crew who have to pull together in dire circumstances, a slightly shady pan-galactic corporation... However, for me, there was also something missing.
The world-building is great - Hutchings utilises a lot of sci-fi tropes, and your enjoyment of these will probably determine how much you appreciate them (I enjoyed them). I actively wanted to know more about The Fortunate Five, and about how this world came to be as it was. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the narrative, we get this information slowly and unpredictably - there is a lot of use of flashbacks.
The characters were also slightly underdeveloped - the use of multiple POVs, and the switching between time periods, made it hard to feel really connected to any one character (though I've certainly read books with many POV characters where we do feel connected to them all). This leads to the novel feeling quite plot-driven overall (in terms of personal taste, this isn't my favourite - I would much rather be carried through by the characters' experiences). There's a lot of action and revelation here, but I found I wasn't engaged enough with the characters to really see them learn from their experiences.
That said, this book had a lot of potential - there are some really intriguing ideas, and (as it's a debut) I would be keen to read more from this author to see how their work develops.
3.5 rounded up to 4

Was this review helpful?

I'm so glad I was able to read this book early, because I thoroughly enjoyed this time-traveling space opera.

UNDER FORTUNATE STARS is the story of two ships, the Jonah and the Gallion, which get stuck in an anomaly known as the Rift. The catch is that the two ships are from different points in time. The Jonah comes from a point in time right before the end of the war with the Felen, an alien species, and the Gallion comes from a time point long after the war with the Felen has been ended, by the same people that are currently on the Jonah's crew. The entire book is about the two crews working together to get out of the Rift, because if they don't, history itself could change.

I loved all of the POV characters in this book and their interactions, but what really interested me was the way the story came together. Reading this book was like being handed a bunch of puzzle pieces: about the Rift, about the characters' pasts, about how the identities of the Fortunate Five, and about how the crew of the Jonah actually brokered the peace with the Felen. The way the pieces came together at the end was incredibly satisfying, with a few things that I didn't see coming.

If you're a fan of space operas or time travel stories, I highly recommend picking up this debut!

Was this review helpful?

This was so much fun! I absolutely adored it - a space opera that manages to be completely unique and an absolute riot to read. It was incredibly cinematic (movie now please?) and beautifully written, and I fell in love with the characters. I can't wait for more from Ren Hutchings!

Was this review helpful?

This is a fantastic sci-fi read about two spaceships from different times that are flung together in a subspace rift. One is a research vessel from a peaceful future, while the other is a cargo ship of misfits from a war-torn past. The crews of each ship have to work together to figure out what the heck is going on and how they're going to get out of it, while the tensions and distrust between the characters are exacerbated by the fact that their expectations of one another are completely misaligned.

The plot was the driving force for me; I loved the time travel aspects and trying to guess how various plot aspects would weave together, and I'm happy to say that it all eventually congealed into a satisfying conclusion. The characters are all fleshed out with their own unique backstories, and while I can't say I really grew attached to most of them, as they all had aspects to them that irked me, they were solid and served the story well.

This is a must for anyone who likes to see things other than guns and space battles in their SFF. I can't exactly call the tone 'cozy', as there was a mix of high stakes and dark pasts, but it was a lot of fun and definitely left me with positive feelings. I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing more sci-fi stories from Ren Hutchings!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC received via Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

This book took me quite a while to read. The pacing is quite slow and it's very much a character piece instead of a plot filled one. The cast of characters is very interesting and well written and I loved how the two groups interacted with each other given how far apart they are. There wasn’t anyone that really stood out to me and it felt very much like an ensemble story, all the characters working together and interacting with each other. I wish that there was a bit more plot, considering how exciting the idea is. Some parts were very slow, especially when we took breaks from what was currently happening to explore some of the character’s pasts. I just wanted a bit more action and I, overall, felt a little underwhelmed. I just needed more! I think with what happened in the story, there was just too much. The length would have been fine, if the plot had more to fill it out. I think this was a great first effort. The author has an amazing imagination and the general writing was great. The atmosphere was fantastic and the stakes felt high and I loved the way the story wrapped up; it left me a lot of questions about the logistics but in the best way - I know that doesn’t make much sense but if I said anything more it would spoil everything. I’m excited to see what this author does next.

Was this review helpful?

I came into Under Fortunate Stars expecting something different from what I got but ended up loving it all the same! This space opera offers a plotline akin to an isolated closed-circle mystery, where you're piecing things together from various POVs and flashbacks, with a diversity of flawed characters to get to know and just a hint of squeal-worthy romance. The timey whimey shenanigans were handled expertly to not leave you in muddled confusion and to explore how recorded histories and our own remembered stories differ from reality. Just the right mix of space adventure and mystery, I enjoyed this one thoroughly and have found myself looking for more books similar in theme and tone since finishing it. (Let me know if you have any suggestions!)

Was this review helpful?

Characters – 7/10
While Under Fortunate Stars is a character-driven story, I feel like there were too many characters. We only get a few POV chapters, but the cast is quite large. I would have liked a smaller cast, with more POV chapters from the main characters. That being said, I really loved the characters; Shaan and Jereth the most. It makes me wish we got more of their story, but overall I think Hutchings did a great job. The main cast felt fleshed out and real, and I loved every minute.

Atmosphere – 8/10
I love sci-fi worlds. While we spend most of our time on a ship, the rest of the world feels fully fleshed out and real. I could easily read more books set in this universe. It felt like a Star Trek episode, mixed with some classic Doctor Who shenanigans.

Writing – 8/10
The writing was easy to read and fairly consistent. I always enjoy simple writing more, and overly flowery prose would have felt out of place for this story. There’s a good balance between the past and present POVs, and I really liked the short chapters. I would 100% read more from Hutchings.

Plot – 8/10
Time travel shenanigans are always tricky. It can feel like cheating or sometimes it’s just not that well executed. In the case of Under Fortunate Stars, I think it was well done. This book reminded me of my favourite Doctor Who episode Under the Lake (iykyk). I did see the final twist coming but didn’t predict the “how” only the end result. Overall it’s a really cool premise with a bit of mystery and time travel. What’s not to love?

Intrigue – 7/10
I think this book should have been 100 pages longer. Sometimes it felt like we were missing key scenes and descriptions, and a few vital moments happen off page. I would have liked the epilogue to be a bit longer (hell even give me a follow-up novella or something, I NEED TO KNOW) and I could have used some more background on the war. Overall though, it’s not bad.

Logic – 7/10
One of my favourite parts of this book is how the characters think their way out of the problem they are facing. There’s an appropriate amount of techno-babble, and fairly difficult concepts are described well enough for the reader to understand.

If you’re looking for a well-crafted, edge-of-your-seat sci-fi action standalone with a hint of enemies to lovers, this is the book for you.

Enjoyment – 8/10
I can’t believe it took me so long to pick this book up. I saw it on Netgalley back at the beginning of the year and the premise really intrigued me. I had been meaning to get to it, but time just ran away from me. However, I’m really glad I picked this one up when I did. This is a space opera that will stick with me for a long time.

Was this review helpful?

The Fortunate Five are heroes to the humans in the galaxy. They’re commemorated in artwork, museums, and countless publications documenting their backgrounds and actions. The Five were instrumental in brokering a peace 150 years ago between humans and the alien Felen after a many years-long war.

And that would be fine, except a crew ferrying a Felen ambassador and his Voice to a crucial meeting are stranded in a weird Rift, with no communications elsewhere, and losing power. Head Engineer Uma Ozakka and her crew have no clue what caused the problems, but keep scanning outside and trying to make repairs. Then they find another, small ship nearby, in the same shape as them, and haul it aboard. And get the shocks of their lives, as they find they have the ship Jonah within theirs (a reference to another ship getting stuck in a whale?). The Jonah was the ship of the Fortunate Five, and three of the Five are instantly recognizable to Uma, a major Five fangirl (she’s read EVERYthing about these people). These people were alive 150 years ago, and there should be no way Uma and others could be interacting with these heroes.

Which brings us to the idea that it’s never good to meet your heroes, as the captain, Jereth Keegan is a con artist, and Uma’s fave Eldric Leesongorski is misanthropic and cynical. There’s also a biogeneticist working with the peace movement active during the Felen war, another is a genius physicist, and the last is the Jonah’s engineer.

Ren Hutchins has created a time travel story, added in a bunch of flashbacks giving us details on the actions of Keeven and Eldric for several years before their capture by the Rift. The story structure should be confusing but instead it all comes together coherently and is darned entertaining while that happens. The characters are all flawed, with the failing power on the big ship raising the tension, as well as the slowly revealed facts about the characters.

The book is a lot of fun, and I liked Uma, Eldric, Jereth and Shaan (a woman in the present, onboard the big ship, with a murky past). I also really appreciated how Hutchins contrasted the rosy perceptions of the Five with their less than honourable actuality. It’s a fun, fast-paced and entertaining story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion, Solaris for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Was this review helpful?

Someone needs to turn this book into a movie immediately . From the vivid and detailed scenes in deep space to the remote and barren dust world of Desmoën, the imagery in this book was nothing short of stunning. The story was so immersive, even with the different timelines - which is no easy task!

Really though, there's a lot to follow in this book. We skip around quite a bit between the past, the "future," and the present time in the Rift. Having the narrative be multi-POV gives the story even more depth, and usually, at least when paired with flashbacks/time skips, I feel that might make a story convoluted, but this was remarkably easy to follow.

I love the main characters! They're all unique and have fascinating histories and personalities - especially Jereth! I'm obsessed with this hilarious space rogue. He's a wild card that flies by the seat of his pants, and I adore that about him. There's something about his character that reminds me of Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy, and please note that that is a huge compliment! They're both deviously flirty common criminals with a knack for being creative and unorthodox - but still very much capable of compassion and heroism. I also loved our quiet genius Eldric and his friendship with Jereth - they're so adorable, I can't stand it.

The only criticism that I have is how easy everything seemed to be? I get that things have to line up the way they do because the future seems to be already written, and it would have to work out in the Rift for that future to occur...But! The wow factor of the "coincidences" takes a bit of a nosedive after the first few concurrencies. Don't get me wrong, they're still exciting and well written, but I think it took away from the intensity of specific moments in the story.

Overall, I'm a massive sucker for all things space opera, so it's no surprise that I count myself as a huge fan of this book! I can't wait to see what Hutchings comes up with next!

Thank you, NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing, for the e-book in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

Under Fortunate Stars is a timeline twisting, character driven, space opera-inspired story about two ships adrift in a bubble in space called the Rift. One of these ships, the Jonah, carries a con artist, a mathematical genius, a would be highjacker, a genetic engineer, and the ship’s engineer. They are on a desperate trip to escape a generations-long war between humanity and an alien race known as the Felen when their ship is sucked into the Rift. With their engines knocked out and power almost gone, they send out a desperate S.O.S. without much hope of rescue or escape.

The Jonah‘s message is received by a science research vessel known as the Gallion. It too has been sucked into the Rift and had its engines knocked out. Luckily, they have enough power to last the skeleton crew a while to figure out an escape plan. What they don’t understand, though, is how a ship that was supposed to be destroyed 152 years ago is stuck here in the Rift with them.

Naturally, the crew of the Gallion are skeptical if the Jonah is even real, but they manage to haul it aboard using a concentrated tractor beam. Then things get even more strange and unbelievable. Aboard the ship are at least three members of a hallowed group known as The Fortunate Five – the saviors of humanity and Felen alike who managed to negotiate a peace between the two warring races that has lasted the past 152 years.

There are two main conflicts in Under Fortunate Stars: 1) How will everyone escape the Rift and get back where they belong and 2) Are the crew of the Jonah really The Fortunate Five? The plot of the story primarily revolves around these two issues and what each member of the respective ship crews believes to be true. Ren Hutchings uses a series of flashbacks in each of the main characters’ lives to explore their histories and their personalities. These flashbacks are also used to expose just how many coincidences went into bringing the crews of these two ships together at that specific time.

The entire story is one glorious time loop that keeps revealing more of itself. It made me think that it didn’t necessarily matter what these characters did because eventually the end result would be the same. They were literally making history happen, and it was such a fun story to read. Even though I knew that certain events had to eventually take place given the clues in the beginning, how those events would take place and how the characters would get there was a mystery slowly unraveled throughout the book.

I would say this was a much more character focused story even though it was driven by those two main plot points. The reader really gets to know each of the main characters as the chapters shift focus between them. I deeply cared about these characters by the end of the book, and I wanted to see them succeed and be happy.

There were only a few criticisms I have of the story. I would have liked there to be more interaction or explanation of the alien race, the Felen. There are only a few interactions with one Felen in the entire story, and that character is never named since it’s an ambassador on its way to humanity’s capital planet Etraxis. I know there may not have been time to explore them more, but I was interested enough to want to know more.

My other criticism has to do with the ending, and you will just have to read the book to know what I mean. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but a character has what is essentially a preordained death. The death is never explained, and it made me really sad that it still happened because I really cared about this character by the end.

One final note. I loved the LGBTQ+ representation in this story! I feel like this is how the world should be. None of it was explicitly commented upon by any of the characters. Each character just loved who they loved and was attracted to whom they wanted and that was the end of it. No labels. Nothing. Now, I understand that labels are very helpful for some people, and I don’t think we should just stop using them. It was just nice to take a peek at a world that didn’t need them at all.

I gave Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings four out of five stars. This story was fun to read, and the suspense and high stakes of the characters trying to use all their skills to survive kept me turning the pages. I loved all of the characters, and the only reason I didn’t give this a full five stars is because of unexplained character death at the end. If you’re looking for a space opera with romance, high stakes, and dash of mystery then give this book a read!

Was this review helpful?

I'm so late with this review but omg this book!!!

I haven't read such a compelling, earth-shattering sci-fi space opera in a long long time. My alien-loving heart was craving for such an intriguing read with a rogue, witty character and action scenes that kept my heart pounding. As a standalone, it stands so well on its own! With banter, awesome characters, and great writing, this is definitely one to look out for! II will definitely be picking up more books by Ren Hutchings!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc! II need more of these books in my life!

Was this review helpful?

4.5 stars

Under Fortunate Stars is so good - I can't stop thinking about this book and I wish it was a series. Not that it would really work with this story, but I want more to read!

It took a few chapters to get into this story, and at first, I didn't have high hopes. The characters felt stereotypical - expected caricatures of the space opera genre - and I had no idea what was going on. But at some point, I realised that my perspective had shifted, and I was entirely engrossed in the story. Though these characters appeared superficial initially, there is a lot of hidden depth and complexity to be revealed as we learn their stories.

I love that even though this is a pretty intense story with high stakes and serious danger, the tone never feels too heavy. The back stories are captivating and add weight and importance to the central storyline. Under Fortunate Stars is an incredibly unique book, and I can't wait to see what Hutchings writes next.

Was this review helpful?

“When you know you’re doing the right thing, you have an obligation to stand your ground, even if everyone says it’s impossible.”

152 years ago the Fortunate Five, in an undercover peace mission on the famous freighter Jonah, ended a universal war that threatened to end in the all-out destruction of cross-planetary civilisation. The best in their field and trained to negotiate for peace where it seemed impossible and death was likely, they represented hope and went down in history as true heroes.

At least that’s how history has chosen to remember it.

The research ship Gallion is no stranger to the events of that fateful mission, carrying a Felon ambassador, they are a legacy of the peace negotiation. Yet, currently stuck with a limited crew and in a strange rift in deep space while their supplies slowly dwindle, they get hailed by that same ship Jonah. History must have had it wrong because these five have no plans to save the world, in fact, they seem mostly comprised of criminals and unlawful cargo and missing a few key figures but with the power running out and more than just their lives at stake, they’re going to need to look at the past to make the future.

This book speaks to the historian in me. It considers how we make history, how we write it and continue to remember it. Everything is connected, in ways you don’t expect it’s a series of twists and turns that brings together friends and strangers alike at the edge of space and time. With an emphasis on found family, friendship and hope told through multiple perspectives, we get to see the impact of relatively small actions affecting something so much larger.

I loved that each POV had such a unique voice and character, I can’t pick a favourite. With awesome queer character rep and morally grey heroes, Under Fortunate Stars couldn’t stop ticking all my boxes. We have Uma, a Fortunate Five fangirl, historian and talented engineer who gets a bit of a surprise meeting her hero the Eldric Leesongronski only to find he’s not actually the Jonah’s captain and more prone to chain-smoking than striking up a conversation. Shaan is running from her past that keeps catching up with her, on that note why won’t Jereth, the Jonah’s actual captain leave her alone and stop causing trouble? Honestly, Jereth’s name should be trouble but more than that he’s a survivor and like the rest, over the course of the book, you just can’t help to grow to love them.

If you’re a fan of shows like Star Trek, Doctor Who, Firefly or just looking for a space opera with heart and hope, you’ve found your next read.

"Whatever happens, I am proud of you. All of you. We existed. We made a difference"

Was this review helpful?

How many times have we wished to be a fly on the wall during an important time in history, to feel first hand what happened? The science fiction novel, Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings ends up being just that experience for the characters. The story sets up a meeting in “holding space” for two sets of characters. A ship from the past meets a ship from the future, and slowly they find out that each needs the other in a very important way. It is so hard not to give away any “a ha!” moments, because its fun when your brain picks up what is happening. It is an exciting world that Hutchings creates, with the novel being told in several points of view. However much I enjoyed the background and detail on those point of view speakers, some of them weren’t even main characters in the plot line. Why did I need to know their back story? I think that those chapters could have been used better on telling the reasons for the two species of people being at war or making it clear whether this involved two universes. If you are a fan of character back stories, you will enjoy these. However the ending was quite rushed and left a lot to the imagination as far as the final pieces being put together. Therefore, for me this novel was entertaining in its world building and set up, but did not approach being a favorite.

Was this review helpful?