this book was so interesting! a high stakes space soap opera indeed!

It is thrilling and fast paced, a complete must read!

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings is a unique high-stakes sci-fi, a space opera that revolves around preserving a fundamental peace agreement from the threat of a space-time anomaly. With a diverse cast of characters and an intriguing plot, it's impossible to not get captured by this story.

The core idea of the book, about a ship and a crew meant to be a key part of history getting lost in time, is developed in such an intricate and unique way, with past and present (or future, depending on which angle you are looking at it) deeply connected through flashback scenes and a cohesive narrative. From the way how they travel through space to the form of telepathic communication, everything about the world-building looks simply fascinating.
I especially adored how it is implied that one of the biggest reasons why the war kept going for so long was because of a linguistic barrier: even if there were people trying to act against the deep fear of a different population and culture to negotiate, it was literally impossible to communicate with the other part.

Under Fortunate Stars’ main issue is that it features such a wide number of characters that sometimes it can get a little bit confusing to remember and connect all the pieces of the characters' backstories and remember who is who- though it gets easier to familiarize with everything as the stories go on.

Still, there is something absolutely special about this group: they are scientists and criminals, who have either always lived in a galaxy at peace or were too busy surviving to care about a distant war and never think they were going to become heroes, and yet, throughout the curse of the book, they decide they are ready to risk everything to preserve history.
And while all of them are well-written, with layered and flawed personalities, there are some I loved more than others: Uma is a literal fangirl and extremely relatable (who wouldn't be a bubbling mess when meeting her favorite historical character slash real-life hero?), and Keeven is the witty and sassy bisexual king we deserved all along (his friendship with Leeg had me on the floor, they are the most amazing besties in the whole universe).

Even if I expected something a little bit different when I first heard about Under Fortunate Stars, it's still an enjoyable sci-fi I recommend to those looking for a brilliant story with a genius use of time travel elements.

Bound to be one of the year's coolest sci-fi books. My blurb:

"Smart, slick, and mind-blowingly twisty, Under Fortunate Stars pits a memorable ensemble cast against impossible odds: fragile timelines, fifth-dimension science, and explosive politics. Woven with crackling wit, this is an unmissable debut."

DNFed at 40%

I have had a very rocky relationship with Sci-FI. Unfortunately, most sci-fi books I read I do not end up enjoying, and Under Fortunate Stars is another case of a book not working for me.

While the concept is incredibly fascinating and mind-bending, I had difficulty connecting with the characters. I have seen a lot of positive reviews for this book, though, so this is definitely a “me thing”.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys space operas or sci-fi books with interesting concepts!
Since I did not finish this book, I won’t give it a star rating.

Thank you to Rebellion for sending me a physical arc!

I’m a sucker for time based shenanigans, whether it’s time loops or alternate histories I get an itch that needs to be scratched. So when a new book threatens me with some timey-wimey antics, I prefer to seize the day. Ren Hutchings answers the call with a different sort of temporal prank by having the past and future collide in a pocket dimension. Under Fortunate Stars fulfills its duty of providing that temporary relief, but it leaves a few unscratched itches along the way.

Eldric Leesongrowski, with his former partner in crime, Jereth Keeven are on the run. Not from the authorities, but the collapse of humanity as its generations-long war with the Felen turned the wrong way. As two stowaways force their hand to leave earlier than planned, their little freighter, the Jonah, gets the entire crew caught in a dimensional bubble. Inside said space, they encounter the research vessel Gallion, which claims to be from 152 years into their future. To Uma and Shaan, members of the Gallion, the Jonah might just be a hoax. After all, it’s the same ship that led to the peace between humans and the Felen all those decades ago. This can’t be the real Leesongrowski, the Pathfinder himself, that would just be too absurd. But the crew of the Jonah are equally perplexed as to who they purportedly become. In this space though, resources are scarce and the engines aren’t running. Will they have the time to become who they are supposed to be? Or pale in comparison to the heroes they are enshrined as, destroying the peace that could have been?

I have complex feelings about this book. On one hand, it felt a little too convenient, a series of twists and opportune encounters pushed forward a lot of the plot. Each successive chapter became less of a reveal and more of a “oh that’s funny.” In the first half of the book, it was enjoyable; it had a sense of playfulness. By the end, it felt like a grind. History was coming for the characters, whether they liked it or not. Knowing the history as the reader forced me to try to get ahead of Hutchings’ reveals and guess at how it would play out. It was a frustrating experience because I didn’t feel any sort of tension. It was how it was always going to be, fortunate enough. I also didn’t particularly find myself enamored with the world. The future didn’t hold any real bright promise other than the fact that everyone was living peacefully. That’s not a bad thing, there just weren’t any stakes for me.

But on the other hand, I did enjoy some of the characters and Hutchings’ ability to realize them in the moment. I didn’t really care too much for the backstory chapters, they felt a little too tropey for me, and didn’t really add to the tension in the main story. Especially since they existed outside of the actual plot, they were just kind of there for the reader. However, I simply adored the interactions between Eldric, Jereth and the crew of the Gallion, particularly Uma and Shaan. Hutchings’ does a great job of capturing the Uma’s fangirling over the Fortunate Five and how it puts a strain on their communications. Eldric is uncomfortable with the mantle he has been given, but still tries to live up to it.

But really, my heart belongs to Jereth Keeven. I am in love with him and his smart aleck wit, his roguish charms, and his incessant ability to both knock people off balance and build them up. Hutchings knew how to bring his commentary to the line without making it feel off putting. Every moment with him felt like a delight, whether he was arguing with Eldric, negotiating his way out of providing information to the Gallion, or convincing everyone his insane plan just might work. He had a magnetic personality, and it shined so bright in the present timeline. While I didn’t mind seeing his less than reputable and sometimes tragic past, it didn’t add a whole lot to who he was for me.

All in all, Under Fortunate Stars is fine. It’s a little too cozy and easy for my taste. Its characters are enjoyable, but two-fifths of the Fortunate Five barely have anything to do, other than be plot devices. The alternating timelines didn’t add much to the story in their current form, though the information was helpful in muddying the mythology that Uma grew up with. I wish there was a little more focus on the characters becoming the Five, other than it simply just being a fact of history. If you’re looking for a fun read that can take you out of the moment for a bit that doesn’t pressure you a whole lot, Under Fortunate Stars might be worth checking out.

Rating: Under Fortunate Stars – 6.0/10
-Alex


An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.

This was so much fun!!

It's pretty obvious that Hutchings is a diehard scifi fan - there's so much love and attention baked into every page of this novel, and you can really feel the appreciation for the little things that make space operas so charming: time travel, techobabble, heists, space battles, a war against an alien onslaught... the list goes on. The characterization of the Fortunate Five - or, at least the two Fortunate Five characters that have significant portions of the novel dedicated to their POVs - was at times heartbreaking and at times beautiful. The quiet queer rep throughout the book was fantastic and the way it should be done in ALL books, full stop, end of story, and while some of the supporting characters felt a bit sidelined due to the sheer size of the cast in this book, I felt like I came away from UNDER FORTUNATE STARS having a genuine connection to so many people.

This was a great book, and a great entry into an exclusive club of space opera SFF that I will reread until the end of time.

(Thanks so much to Rebellion and Solaris for the NetGalley ARC!)

Need a sci-fi good time?? Then this is the story you need!! Fast paced, terrific characters, good twists and when I finished, all I thought was, boy, that was fun!! It also hits the feels there at the end.

4.5/5 stars. Thanks to Rebellion Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

The story follows Jereth Keeven and his ship, the Jonah, as they become trapped in a region of space with no engine power and no means of communication. The Jonah is then found by the Gallion, a science research ship also in the same region of space and with the same problems. However, the Gallion is from 150 years in the future, after the war with the alien Felen was ended by a group of people, The Fortunate Five. As the members of each ships crew struggle to understand what has happened, we learn about them and the events in their pasts that have led them to this point. They all have to put their differences aside to try and find a solution and get back power and communication or everyone will die.
This story pulls you in from the start and I loved how the flashbacks of the crews lives is woven throughout and then all begins to build together towards a fulfilling conclusion. Just when you think you know where it's headed, a quick turn and you have to rethink everything. The pace of events and the distinctive,well rounded characters that you truly care about just make this a darn good time!! Long live the Fortunate Five!!

I loved this book so much! There is a lot going on, including time travel, flashbacks, aliens, and yet I never felt lost. I loved getting to know each one of the characters - both the ones on the research vessel, and the "Fortunate Five" from the past, who don't seem to match up to the history books. The flashbacks slowly feed information about people and events, and I loved how things unfolded. I highly recommend it to people who enjoy character-driven science fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rebellion Publishing, and Ren Hutchings for the chance to read this book. I am sure it'll be one of my favorite science fiction books of the year.

Under Fortunate Stars is a fantastic debut space opera novel that has it all. It has space travel, time travel, aliens, and political intrigue. This novel also has great characters. We get to read from several characters points of view across the two ships lost in space. The plot is fast paced, and full of intriguing elements. Information is revealed at just the right times to maximize the impact. There are three different timelines to follow, but they never become confusing since they are labeled at the beginning of each chapter. This was an ambitious novel that was executed really well. Fun, fast paced, with a lot of interesting ideas to think about.

Engaging from beginning to end, with interesting characters. I cared about the characters and it was paced well with plot action and character development. I enjoyed it very much.

A fun time-twisy sci-fi tale with well realized characters and the fate of mankind at stake. The author has created an interesting universe with good takes on technology and alien relations.

This is an intriguing premise. Two ships separated by 150 years get caught up in a mysterious rift where nothing is getting in or out. So far, so average. What has everyone on the Gallion completely freaked out is that the battered little trader they eventually haul aboard is the most famous ship in recent history – the Jonah. It played a crucial role in saving two species from destroying themselves. However… the crew aren’t remotely similar to the brave Five depicted in the history books. In fact, several key figures appear to be missing.

I really enjoyed where this one goes, particularly as I am a bit of a History buff. This book skips between timelines, as we gradually build up a more complete picture of the main characters involved in this key event – and what actually has happened to them, as opposed to what the history books say about them. There are also some nice touches of humour – I particularly like Hutchings’ depiction of the corporate space liner and its risk-averse policy.

The descriptions of the ships, the steadily building tension as time runs out, the characterisation of the main protagonists – these aspects of the story are all very well handled. But I did have a problem with the pacing. Right at the start of the story, we learn of the crucial role of the Jonah and its five crew members, so the reader is ahead of the little ship’s crew for quite a chunk of the book. While I was never tempted to DNF this one, as I enjoyed the overall premise, there was a middle section when I wanted to story to speed up. Once we got past a certain stage where I no longer could predict what would happen, I once again found the story a wholly engrossing and pleasurable read. And the ending packs a real emotional punch which I found very moving. Recommended for space opera fans who appreciate something a bit different in their alien encounters. While I obtained an arc of Under Fortunate Stars from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

From the blurb you know that two ships from different times meet in a rift, with the ending of a universal war having occurred in the time between. We have the newer ship filled with scientific wonders and staff who have hero worshipped the war-enders. We also have the five miscreants from the older ship who have no intention of going near the enemy, let alone ending the war!

The story is told in flash backs of the main four characters - this sounds like it could be confusing but it flows really well. The flashbacks help reveal events that are key to the next chapter. It’s well done.

The narrative is written well and the characters are likeable although I would’ve liked one to be a little more ‘rogue-y’.

I did drop a star as there is one reveal that seemed too fortunate for me but overall I enjoyed it a lot. Read over two sittings, stayed up too late!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing this E- ARC in exchange for an honest review.

under fortunate stars is precisely the kind of science fiction i love. beautiful writing, expert world building, and a cast of endearing characters, all thrown together into an accidental time travel situation that lets everything shine. a marvelous debut from a very promising author, perfect for readers of becky chambers, ryka aoki, and anyone who loves star trek's gorgeous sense of humanity.

Wowowow, this was a great book! It had been a while since I’d been so attached to characters and hooked on a plot line. Under Fortunate Stars is a really cool space opera stand-alone that will keep you wanting to know more until the very last page!

I’m giving this book 4 stars because I believe the first 20% could have been tightened and changed up a bit, as it felt like a lot of telling and showing too early in order to set up bigger plot lines further down the line. In the end, it totally worked. But at the beginning, it felt a bit jarring. If you start reading it and feel the same way I did, just keep reading and you will see it’s all worth it!

One thing Ren Hutchins is a master at is making you feel for and relate to her characters. By the end of this book, I felt like crying for every single one of them. I would love a second book to know what’s happened to all of them, which hasn’t happened to me in a while. All of the plot lines were also interesting, and there were no moments where I wished I could be reading about someone else, although this book is peppered with flashbacks and I typically get thrown off by them happening too often.

Please do yourself a favour and pick this debut sci-fi book up! I will totally be putting it in the staff picks at my work when it comes in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris/Rebellion Publishing for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I genuinely could not put this book down, it was enticing, gripping and action packed throughout.
I absolutely loved the story and finding out piece by piece of how things fitted together.

It was written so well and I will definitely recommend and will be re-reading this book.

Time travel is one of the ultimate and oldest science fiction tropes but when done well can also be one of the most fun (think Back to the Future). Ren Hutchings’ debut Under Fortunate Stars uses its time travel premise in a space opera setting spectacularly well and so long as readers are not too hung up on untangling bootstrap paradoxes they will have a blast with this.
Under Fortunate Stars opens with down at heel smugglers Jereth Keeven and Eldric Leesongronski picking up a paying passenger and a prisoner and running from Union forces in their ship Jonah before being sucked into a mysterious rift in space. The two and their passengers are also fleeing a generations long battle against humanity by an implacable alien enemy known as the Felen. At the same time, the crew of the research ship Gallion also find themselves in the rift and rescue the battered cargo craft and its crew. Only the crew of the Gallion are from 152 years in the future, a future of peace with the Felen after a truce that was negotiated by a group now known as the Fortunate Five. In the Gallion’s history books, Leesongronski was on of the Five who travelled on a ship called Jonah. Only none of the Jonah’s crew match up to the hagiographic historical record. But before history can be saved the two crews need to work together to work out how to escape from the Rift and return to their own times before their power reserves run out and they all die.
This set up in no way reflects the sheer enjoyment in reading Under Fortunate Stars. Hutchings delivers a diverse cast of fascinating, conflicted characters and throws them together in a seemingly impossible situation. The Fortunate Five are revered characters, particularly Leesongronski, but that is more due to carefully constructed personas after the fact. Part of the enjoyment of this set up is both learning the shady and tragic backstories of the crew of the Jonah and watching how this experience changes them. On the other side of the ledger, the narrative focusses on two of the crew of the Gallion who have their own pasts and issues thrown into relief by the situation.
Overall, though the vibe of Under Fortunate Stars is one of barely controlled chaos and personal growth. Hutchings very quickly builds her world and established the stakes before she starts throwing curveballs at her protagonists leading to plenty of cliffhangers and on-the-fly solutions to life or death situations. But she never loses sight of her characters and it is their worlds and interactions that really drive this novel.
On shelves full of sequels and series, Under Fortunate Stars is a stand alone that builds a rich universe and delivers a full and satisfying story within it. Hutchings effectively plays with some well worn time travel and space opera tropes – wormhole travel, interstellar colonisation, long running alien wars – and delivers something fresh and original with them. And given that this is a debut, it also heralds the introduction of an exciting new voice in the speculative fiction.

4.5 stars

Really loved this one, the premise is enticing, the characters are amazing and they have very interesting back stories. I’ve seen someone describe Jereth and Leeg’s dynamic as similar to Miguel and Tulio in *The Road to El Dorado* and this is spot on!

The story is pretty fast paced but it still takes time for the emotional build up and it has some delightful banter. Ticked all my boxes tbh. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for the author’s next release

Under Fortunate Stars is a sci-fi novel set in the far future, far out there. Humanity is at war with an incomprehensible alien race, with the loss of humanity imminent. Except a hundred and fifty years later, there’s peace with the aliens, thanks to an unlikely crew of Jonah, the Fortunate Five.

The crew of Jonah have no idea what awaits them. They barely know each other. But then a space anomaly strands them and the crew of the science vessel that comes to their rescue tells them what they are expected to do. They don’t exactly believe it, but then again, neither do the people from the future believe these are their saviours.

The book has a decent core idea: how history is made and how it’s remembered are two different things. But I found the execution boring in how neatly everything fell in place. Everyone assumes when the two ships meet in the rift that Jonah is on its way to save the world, instead of arriving from a random point in time. It’s only a matter of getting Jonah where it needs to be.

Most of the book is spent on the science vessel trying to figure out how to get the ships out of the rift and the necessary people on Jonah to make the future happen as it should. The rest is spent recounting the pasts of the key characters, most of which wasn’t all that interesting—or even necessary. It didn’t make a very interesting plot.

There was a twist at the end that the author had clearly aimed at. If it hadn’t been the goal, the plot might have been more interesting, as the author wouldn’t have needed to hide who ended on Jonah. There could’ve been a third time level, for example, where the Fortunate Five were negotiating the peace, adding depth to the narrative and balance to the past-heavy narrative.

The end was unnecessarily vague and abrupt. The reader at least should’ve been told what really happened, instead of leaving it to the imperfect historical accounts. We were robbed of proper character arcs and conclusion for the characters.

My biggest problem was, however, that I didn’t connect with the characters; it took me ages to tell Shaan and Una apart, for example. I liked Jereth well enough, and for him I would’ve liked that the author hadn’t copped out from writing a proper ending. Narrative was competent and the chapters were short, keeping the pace good. Pity it didn’t lead anywhere.

Who doesn't love a good space semi-opera with flashbacks, universe building, potential universe-breaking time travel and paradoxes? Elements that have stood the test of time in SFF have done so for a reason, and Ren Hutchings' Under Fortunate Stars does a fantastic job of blending those elements, tweaking and adding their own elements and touches to craft a great novel. Hutchings handles flashbacks and expositions masterfully, allowing the reader to slowly gain more information on the universe and its history without dropping walls of text. Their characters feel vivid and authentic to their timeline (important to the story, as mixing characters from different eras should, and does, lead to confusion and conflict). All in, this is a great novel and is the first of my "read this in a hammock in your backyard in the summer breeze" recommendations for the year.