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e_flah's review
1.0
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:abusive parent, death of a loved one, pandemic/plague, violence
C/W:
runoutofpages's review
4.0
This book has alternating POV's, which each chapter flipping back and forth between the two main characters. It really worked for this book, it allowed the reader to really understand the actions and thoughts of both characters (who are every different) while also allowing for additional setting and plot to unfold.
I really struggled with one of the main characters but she very (and I mean very) slowly grew on me, I found myself rooting for her only to be let down by her decisions again and again but by the end of the story she finally came into her own and I was able to appreciate her choices. I realized after the story that that was so much more realistic then a perfect character or one who makes one bad decision and suddenly changes their whole personality so while I was frustrated when reading I'm really happy the author created the character that way. I'm interested to see where the plot goes, while the story wraps up pretty nicely there is definitely more drama looming on the horizon.
I really struggled with one of the main characters but she very (and I mean very) slowly grew on me, I found myself rooting for her only to be let down by her decisions again and again but by the end of the story she finally came into her own and I was able to appreciate her choices. I realized after the story that that was so much more realistic then a perfect character or one who makes one bad decision and suddenly changes their whole personality so while I was frustrated when reading I'm really happy the author created the character that way. I'm interested to see where the plot goes, while the story wraps up pretty nicely there is definitely more drama looming on the horizon.
cosmicllama's review
4.0
Read this review, and other Sci Fi/Fantasy reviews at The Quill to Live
I know it’s not exactly the best way to get excited about a book, but I was immediately attracted to Fortuna, by Kristyn Merbeth, when the eighties synthwave cover was revealed. When Orbit threw in a blurb likening the work to that of Becky Chambers, I was done for. No need to complete the chokehold with a synopsis about a family of space smugglers, but it was there anyway. Fortuna is a great book with a rollicking character-focused story that succeeds in emotional depth but reaches a little too far when it comes to large-scale destruction.
Fortuna is a nice mix of action and character driven narrative. It follows the Kaiser family, a small group of smugglers raised and managed by Auriga Kaiser, the biological mother of the crew. The main characters are Corvus, the eldest brother, and Scorpia, the second oldest. Upon hearing that Corvus is returning to the Fortuna(the name of the ship) after finishing his third year of service within the Titan planetary military, Scorpia hatches her latest plan to make her mother proud so she can take the captain’s reigns and continue the Kaiser legacy. However, Scorpia is not as competent as her confidence suggests, and the system itself has other plans that muddy the Kaiser’s ability to maintain their smuggling business. Amidst the family drama, resources become tight and rumors of war circulate as the planets begin to become more isolationist.
I want to start off by highlighting Merbeth’s exceptional writing ability. The chapters alternate between Corvus and Scorpia, both sides written in a first-person perspective. I normally have issues with first person, because I generally do not like how things are described from that perspective, but Merbeth really knocked it out of the park here. Not only do the two characters feel distinct as people, but it comes through in how they describe the people around them, or the environments they are in. Scorpia comes off as a confident, whip-smart, smooth operator who acknowledges she might drink too much and often looks at people in a buddy-buddy way. Often her descriptions feel as if they are pulled out of hat. Corvus, on the other hand, is reserved, disciplined and all too aware of himself. He constantly feels distanced from those around him, regardless of how close they are. His distance is often self imposed, exemplified by the directness with which he speaks to himself and those around him. It was very distinct and kept me pulled along through the whole ride.
In a similar vein, the characters are fairly deep even though some are built on recognizable foundations. Fortuna shines because of its characters and their relationships with each other. The Kaiser family feels alive, and they have a deep history with each other. They have been through a lot and it shows. Corvus’ return feels monumental, even though it’s subdued and carries a lot of baggage. Merbeth does an excellent job of revealing the experiences and motivations of characters in such a way that their interactions feel natural and uncontrived. I think a lot of people might feel beaten over the head with Scorpia’s flaws, but I think Merbeth nailed it. Scorpia is inconsistent, juvenile, and brash but wants to do what is best for her family and will go to whatever length she feels is necessary to keep them safe and happy. Her alcoholism runs deep, and it takes her a while to deal with it, while the rest around her see it day in and day out. Her flaws, as deep and heartbreaking as they were, were made endearing by her better qualities. Merbeth straddled the line of unbearable and loveable with Scorpia, and it made the book more engaging.
While the intense character drama drove the narrative, I felt that the plot was a little inconsistent. I enjoyed the smuggling and the politics between the different worlds. I also enjoyed that the smugglers were the connections in some sense between the worlds as they all slowly began to close their borders. My biggest issue with the plot was its sense of scale. The amount of destruction that occurs alongside the family drama felt unreal and made some of the arguments the Kaisers had a little garish and cartoonish. Pair that with the fact that a lot of it happened off-screen (for reasons that are apparent within the story that I want to avoid spoilers) also diminished the attachment. Merbeth did a good job in terms of set up and in explaining why the different members of the family would be affected by the events in the way that they were, but the events just felt too big. The planets, while fairly fleshed out, did not have a sense of scale. With the family drama in the forefront, it was hard to appreciate the threat, and just how much of an effect it had, and how the Kaisers were involved. I enjoyed the story and plotting of events in general, but I felt that some of the consequences were too big for a small family of smugglers.
In the end, I had a blast with Fortuna. It was a good ride with a lot of heart, and heavy family drama that felt well built within a well-realized world. The characters were likeable in the long run and felt distinct despite their rough beginnings. The book had its inconsistencies, but like its characters, the better qualities shone all the brighter because of it. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. If you are looking for a small-scale drama among the stars with heavy consequences, then Fortuna by Kristyn Merbeth is for you.
Rating: Fortuna – 8.0/10
-Alex
I know it’s not exactly the best way to get excited about a book, but I was immediately attracted to Fortuna, by Kristyn Merbeth, when the eighties synthwave cover was revealed. When Orbit threw in a blurb likening the work to that of Becky Chambers, I was done for. No need to complete the chokehold with a synopsis about a family of space smugglers, but it was there anyway. Fortuna is a great book with a rollicking character-focused story that succeeds in emotional depth but reaches a little too far when it comes to large-scale destruction.
Fortuna is a nice mix of action and character driven narrative. It follows the Kaiser family, a small group of smugglers raised and managed by Auriga Kaiser, the biological mother of the crew. The main characters are Corvus, the eldest brother, and Scorpia, the second oldest. Upon hearing that Corvus is returning to the Fortuna(the name of the ship) after finishing his third year of service within the Titan planetary military, Scorpia hatches her latest plan to make her mother proud so she can take the captain’s reigns and continue the Kaiser legacy. However, Scorpia is not as competent as her confidence suggests, and the system itself has other plans that muddy the Kaiser’s ability to maintain their smuggling business. Amidst the family drama, resources become tight and rumors of war circulate as the planets begin to become more isolationist.
I want to start off by highlighting Merbeth’s exceptional writing ability. The chapters alternate between Corvus and Scorpia, both sides written in a first-person perspective. I normally have issues with first person, because I generally do not like how things are described from that perspective, but Merbeth really knocked it out of the park here. Not only do the two characters feel distinct as people, but it comes through in how they describe the people around them, or the environments they are in. Scorpia comes off as a confident, whip-smart, smooth operator who acknowledges she might drink too much and often looks at people in a buddy-buddy way. Often her descriptions feel as if they are pulled out of hat. Corvus, on the other hand, is reserved, disciplined and all too aware of himself. He constantly feels distanced from those around him, regardless of how close they are. His distance is often self imposed, exemplified by the directness with which he speaks to himself and those around him. It was very distinct and kept me pulled along through the whole ride.
In a similar vein, the characters are fairly deep even though some are built on recognizable foundations. Fortuna shines because of its characters and their relationships with each other. The Kaiser family feels alive, and they have a deep history with each other. They have been through a lot and it shows. Corvus’ return feels monumental, even though it’s subdued and carries a lot of baggage. Merbeth does an excellent job of revealing the experiences and motivations of characters in such a way that their interactions feel natural and uncontrived. I think a lot of people might feel beaten over the head with Scorpia’s flaws, but I think Merbeth nailed it. Scorpia is inconsistent, juvenile, and brash but wants to do what is best for her family and will go to whatever length she feels is necessary to keep them safe and happy. Her alcoholism runs deep, and it takes her a while to deal with it, while the rest around her see it day in and day out. Her flaws, as deep and heartbreaking as they were, were made endearing by her better qualities. Merbeth straddled the line of unbearable and loveable with Scorpia, and it made the book more engaging.
While the intense character drama drove the narrative, I felt that the plot was a little inconsistent. I enjoyed the smuggling and the politics between the different worlds. I also enjoyed that the smugglers were the connections in some sense between the worlds as they all slowly began to close their borders. My biggest issue with the plot was its sense of scale. The amount of destruction that occurs alongside the family drama felt unreal and made some of the arguments the Kaisers had a little garish and cartoonish. Pair that with the fact that a lot of it happened off-screen (for reasons that are apparent within the story that I want to avoid spoilers) also diminished the attachment. Merbeth did a good job in terms of set up and in explaining why the different members of the family would be affected by the events in the way that they were, but the events just felt too big. The planets, while fairly fleshed out, did not have a sense of scale. With the family drama in the forefront, it was hard to appreciate the threat, and just how much of an effect it had, and how the Kaisers were involved. I enjoyed the story and plotting of events in general, but I felt that some of the consequences were too big for a small family of smugglers.
In the end, I had a blast with Fortuna. It was a good ride with a lot of heart, and heavy family drama that felt well built within a well-realized world. The characters were likeable in the long run and felt distinct despite their rough beginnings. The book had its inconsistencies, but like its characters, the better qualities shone all the brighter because of it. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. If you are looking for a small-scale drama among the stars with heavy consequences, then Fortuna by Kristyn Merbeth is for you.
Rating: Fortuna – 8.0/10
-Alex
amym84's review
4.0
From a young age the five Kaiser siblings have been instilled with the idea that you can only count on your family. In a family of smugglers, it’s pretty sound advice. That is, until oldest brother Corvus abandons them to fight in the civil war on his home planet of Titan.
At least, that’s how Scorpia Kaiser felt the day her older brother left without so much as a goodbye. But in the three years of his absence, Scorpia has taken over the captain’s seat, and she’s gunning for running the whole smuggling operation once their controlling and manipulative mother deigns to hand it over to her.
Except their mother has taken up a new mysterious job that leads the family right back to Titan, and Corvus. When the job goes completely, and unexpectedly, off the rails, Scorpia, Corvus, along with their siblings Lyre, Andromeda, and Apollo will have to learn how to trust one another again, and work together as a family, if they want to avoid a war of intergalactic proportions.
From the onset it’s clear that family will be the most important aspect of this story and, I’m assuming, this series. The point of view shifts between Corvus and Scorpia and, for the most part, I understand why Kristyn Merbeth made this decision. I believe that Corvus’s leaving impacted Scorpia the most – even if she’d would never outright admit that—as they were closest in age to one another.
The thing is, I just didn’t feel like we delved as far into the family dynamic as we should have. Trust me, there’s plenty to unpack about the Kaisers, there’s no way we could have gotten through it all in just this one book, but to put Corvus and Scorpia front and center and not fully deal with their issues in a more head-on way left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
It takes a good chunk of setting up the world and the family before Corvus and Scorpia are even in the same space together. The anticipation for these two to come face to face after three years with no contact drives much of the first part of the book. When they do meet up again, they basically avoid the much-needed clearing of the air required to happen so they can actually work together cohesively. Otherwise it’s basically them running circles around each other. The good news is that when they do make some headway, those are the best parts of the book hands down.
I would say potentially Fortuna is a good setup and more will come, but I really want siblings Lyre, Apollo, and Andromeda to get their own time in the spotlight. If that happens, I fear the potential for other issues to get swept under the rug. It’s just one of those things we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.
As far as the rest of the world, Kristyn Merbeth gives an interesting future that has an even more tantalizing history as to how it came to be. Complete with alien creatures who are seemingly extinct, but whose presence is still deftly felt throughout the galaxy. I look forward to—in addition to the family stuff—exploring this more in the next book as well.
Despite feeling like the story could have gone a little further with the siblings, I’m holding out hope we’ll get a good continuation with the next book. Plus, mysterious alien lifeforms!
At least, that’s how Scorpia Kaiser felt the day her older brother left without so much as a goodbye. But in the three years of his absence, Scorpia has taken over the captain’s seat, and she’s gunning for running the whole smuggling operation once their controlling and manipulative mother deigns to hand it over to her.
Except their mother has taken up a new mysterious job that leads the family right back to Titan, and Corvus. When the job goes completely, and unexpectedly, off the rails, Scorpia, Corvus, along with their siblings Lyre, Andromeda, and Apollo will have to learn how to trust one another again, and work together as a family, if they want to avoid a war of intergalactic proportions.
From the onset it’s clear that family will be the most important aspect of this story and, I’m assuming, this series. The point of view shifts between Corvus and Scorpia and, for the most part, I understand why Kristyn Merbeth made this decision. I believe that Corvus’s leaving impacted Scorpia the most – even if she’d would never outright admit that—as they were closest in age to one another.
The thing is, I just didn’t feel like we delved as far into the family dynamic as we should have. Trust me, there’s plenty to unpack about the Kaisers, there’s no way we could have gotten through it all in just this one book, but to put Corvus and Scorpia front and center and not fully deal with their issues in a more head-on way left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
It takes a good chunk of setting up the world and the family before Corvus and Scorpia are even in the same space together. The anticipation for these two to come face to face after three years with no contact drives much of the first part of the book. When they do meet up again, they basically avoid the much-needed clearing of the air required to happen so they can actually work together cohesively. Otherwise it’s basically them running circles around each other. The good news is that when they do make some headway, those are the best parts of the book hands down.
I would say potentially Fortuna is a good setup and more will come, but I really want siblings Lyre, Apollo, and Andromeda to get their own time in the spotlight. If that happens, I fear the potential for other issues to get swept under the rug. It’s just one of those things we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.
As far as the rest of the world, Kristyn Merbeth gives an interesting future that has an even more tantalizing history as to how it came to be. Complete with alien creatures who are seemingly extinct, but whose presence is still deftly felt throughout the galaxy. I look forward to—in addition to the family stuff—exploring this more in the next book as well.
Despite feeling like the story could have gone a little further with the siblings, I’m holding out hope we’ll get a good continuation with the next book. Plus, mysterious alien lifeforms!
mausoleum's review against another edition
Nothing wrong/bad with the book, just started it at the wrong time. I would like to come back to this book.
sbisson's review
4.0
Recent Reads: Fortuna. Kristyn Merbeth's novel puts a fractured criminal family at the heart of machinations to start a war. One system, a handful of semi-habitable worlds and tribalism tearing things apart. The moral? Work together or die. But will they? A tale for our times.
eriophora's review
3.0
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.
crofteereader's review
3.0
This book was too long. Also... I've had enough "functional alcoholic female MC" from thrillers. With the main plot not really kicking in until about 50% in, there's a deep feeling of "but why do I care" in the beginning. I did enjoy the last 1/3 but it took us a while to get there.