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bluepigeon's review against another edition
3.0
Fortuna tells the story of a smuggler family in a human-settled planetary system. The family's leader is a ferocious, uncompromising woman, who seems to have calculated even the brith planets of her children to best benefit the family business. The story is told from the point of views of the eldest, perfect son, Corvus, and the second eldest, alcoholic fuck-up, Scorpia. Scorpia is bitter that Corvus left them with no word to fight in the war in his home/birth planet, Titan and has been gone for three years. Corvus is bitter that their mother left him on Titan, another calculated move for the business. He has fought well in the war and is thoroughly traumatized by everything he has seen and done.
The story has the makings of a great read. However, the narration lacks finesse, often opting for repeating the same stuff over and over again without any subtlety in the underlying psychology. Scorpia and Corvus seem very much in touch with their emotions and their own motivations and avoidances, which does not fit the characterization otherwise. An alcoholic and abused by mother, Scorpia is less likable, but that's not really enough. We're told Corvus is traumatized, but he seems more upset than deeply traumatized. Still, I can accept all of that, but the real thing that bothered me was the repetitive nature of the narration. Sure, we all get hung up on the same thoughts, the same events, but the narration does not have to keep repeating things to make this point. That is, the author can stylize the narration so we get enough of these kinds of obsessive thoughts, but not too much that it bogs down the story.
Examples: both characters harp on about the "three years" Corvus has been away at the war like it is an eternity. Perhaps, to the younger, more juvenile and immature Scorpia, three years seemed like an eternity? Still, they both talk about three years like it is 10 or 20 years, a very long time. It's not that long to justify both characters going on and on and on about "three years." (Are you annoyed by how many times I said "three years" in this little paragraph. Well, know you know how it can be.) Another example is the words "siblings" used by both characters, which made me wonder if the two would sound different enough if I were reading the book instead of listening to the audiobook (in the audiobook, a man reads Corvus and a woman, Scorpia, so they do automatically sound different...) You'd think someone like Scorpia would call her siblings other things, like kids, monkeys, mama's boys, etc. But no, both Scorpia and Corvus incessantly use the word "siblings." I mean, many many many many times...
The planetary set-up seemed simplistic and highly improbable (there are, what, five planets in the system, all of which are inhabitable.) Whole planets are reduced to one government (for no apparent reason; maybe because they are relatively newly settled?) and one big city, like saying Earth has one government and its capital city is Hong Kong or something. Whole planets are also reduced to one climate, it seems. Just by the fact that these are planets with poles and axes and are (hopefully) roundish, they should have different climates within each planet. That one planet is all desert and one is all lush green made little sense.
The political intrigue was interesting and I liked reading about it, as well as about the now-extinct Primus culture with its very powerful weapons and ships and weird monuments. But this occupied much less of the narration compared to Corvus and Scorpia moaning about three years and siblings. Once the family really got in trouble in Titan, things picked up a bit, but I felt like this was too late in the story. I almost felt like the story could have started there, some of the key information leading up to that point could have been communicated in flashbacks or dialog. (I am sure the author has good reasons of choosing to do it this way, but reading it, I felt some restructuring would benefit the story. A writing teacher once told me to start the story and then cut all the stuff in the beginning until the story really begins... That's how I felt with this story.)
Overall, Fortuna was a fun read and a good listen. Recommended for those who like creeping plants, space pirates, and twins.
The story has the makings of a great read. However, the narration lacks finesse, often opting for repeating the same stuff over and over again without any subtlety in the underlying psychology. Scorpia and Corvus seem very much in touch with their emotions and their own motivations and avoidances, which does not fit the characterization otherwise. An alcoholic and abused by mother, Scorpia is less likable, but that's not really enough. We're told Corvus is traumatized, but he seems more upset than deeply traumatized. Still, I can accept all of that, but the real thing that bothered me was the repetitive nature of the narration. Sure, we all get hung up on the same thoughts, the same events, but the narration does not have to keep repeating things to make this point. That is, the author can stylize the narration so we get enough of these kinds of obsessive thoughts, but not too much that it bogs down the story.
Examples: both characters harp on about the "three years" Corvus has been away at the war like it is an eternity. Perhaps, to the younger, more juvenile and immature Scorpia, three years seemed like an eternity? Still, they both talk about three years like it is 10 or 20 years, a very long time. It's not that long to justify both characters going on and on and on about "three years." (Are you annoyed by how many times I said "three years" in this little paragraph. Well, know you know how it can be.) Another example is the words "siblings" used by both characters, which made me wonder if the two would sound different enough if I were reading the book instead of listening to the audiobook (in the audiobook, a man reads Corvus and a woman, Scorpia, so they do automatically sound different...) You'd think someone like Scorpia would call her siblings other things, like kids, monkeys, mama's boys, etc. But no, both Scorpia and Corvus incessantly use the word "siblings." I mean, many many many many times...
The planetary set-up seemed simplistic and highly improbable (there are, what, five planets in the system, all of which are inhabitable.) Whole planets are reduced to one government (for no apparent reason; maybe because they are relatively newly settled?) and one big city, like saying Earth has one government and its capital city is Hong Kong or something. Whole planets are also reduced to one climate, it seems. Just by the fact that these are planets with poles and axes and are (hopefully) roundish, they should have different climates within each planet. That one planet is all desert and one is all lush green made little sense.
The political intrigue was interesting and I liked reading about it, as well as about the now-extinct Primus culture with its very powerful weapons and ships and weird monuments. But this occupied much less of the narration compared to Corvus and Scorpia moaning about three years and siblings. Once the family really got in trouble in Titan, things picked up a bit, but I felt like this was too late in the story. I almost felt like the story could have started there, some of the key information leading up to that point could have been communicated in flashbacks or dialog. (I am sure the author has good reasons of choosing to do it this way, but reading it, I felt some restructuring would benefit the story. A writing teacher once told me to start the story and then cut all the stuff in the beginning until the story really begins... That's how I felt with this story.)
Overall, Fortuna was a fun read and a good listen. Recommended for those who like creeping plants, space pirates, and twins.
pvn's review against another edition
4.0
This is a little tedious a times, but sometimes that's what you get in a space opera. I can tell this is the author's first novel, and shows promise. The characters are pretty well conceived and the plot is mostly entertaining.
I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!
I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!
accidentalspaceexplorer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed reading this book despite the fact that morally grey characters and dysfunctional families aren't usually my thing. I did appreciate learning in the author's note that the solar system in the book was based on the Trappist system, since I'm a big astronomy nerd. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one!
cosmicllama's review against another edition
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
ninjamuse's review
4.0
In brief: Scorpia Kaiser is a screw-up, the family pilot, and out to prove she has what it takes to take over smuggling operations from Mama. Corvus Kaiser, exiled from his family to fight a war he doesn’t believe in, is finally coming home. Then a smuggling deal goes massively south and suddenly, what was going to be a difficult time becomes much, much worse. First of a trilogy.
Thoughts: For a book that starts with a drunken crash landing, this did not go anywhere close to where I thought it would, and that’s a good thing. Of course, Merbeth delivers on space battles and smuggling shenanigans and everything else you’d expect from that scene, but this is also very much a story about trauma, family, interplanetary politics, ethics, and morality. It gets dark and deep, and it keeps you guessing as the problems just keep piling on.
Scorpia is by far my favourite character, though everyone with a lot of say in the story is well-written. She’s got this relentless optimism and creativity, but also a dark streak of cynicism and fear, and a lot of her arc is about dealing with the trauma of Mama’s parenting and what it means to be a good person. (She also makes poor choices when pretty girls are involved, which is endearing.) Corvus has a sadness and determination about him, Mama is objectively awful and terrifying, other characters show surprising depths just when you think they’re one-note, but Scorpia is definitely the star.
But it’s not the characters that shine here as much as it’s the solar system and the themes Merbeth’s exploring. She’s taken the premise of Single Biome Space Opera planets, added in “they will all kill you” and extinct aliens, and then delved into how the cultures and politics would shake out. It’s not good. Sometimes it’s genuinely bad. It’s entirely complicated, and the Kaiser family’s caught right in the vice between it all. In some ways, it’s like that gag of plugging one hole just for three more to open up, or maybe Whack-a-Mole, if the moles occasionally exploded.
And the themes? I’m used to space opera that’s either an adventurous romp or that really goes at some external issue. (See: the Expanse series and exploitative corporations.) This one goes into emotions a lot more, asks questions about the nature of humanity, and yes, also delivers a lot of the wild political ride that the Expanse does. I found some of the “oh but wait” moments a little hard to follow sometimes—there is sometimes a lot in play—but that didn’t stop me fearfully turning pages to find out what happens now.
Oh, and the family dynamics are something else. There’s so much fear and misinterpretation and distrust that those almost make for a satisfying story on their own. And family history, especially childhoods, factor into the intrigue and adventure surprisingly often.
For all that I’m glowing about this book, though, I didn’t love-love it. Some of the narration kicked me out of the story, there were the moments I couldn’t always follow, and some of the more minor characters and moments just didn’t work for me. That said, it’s definitely a series I’m going to keep following and one I recommend, especially to fans of James S.A. Corey.
To bear in mind: Alcoholism. Maternal abuse. A really nasty bioweapon. A government that, if not fascist, is definitely getting there. PTSD and survivor’s guilt. Genre-typical violence and injury.
7.5/10
Thoughts: For a book that starts with a drunken crash landing, this did not go anywhere close to where I thought it would, and that’s a good thing. Of course, Merbeth delivers on space battles and smuggling shenanigans and everything else you’d expect from that scene, but this is also very much a story about trauma, family, interplanetary politics, ethics, and morality. It gets dark and deep, and it keeps you guessing as the problems just keep piling on.
Scorpia is by far my favourite character, though everyone with a lot of say in the story is well-written. She’s got this relentless optimism and creativity, but also a dark streak of cynicism and fear, and a lot of her arc is about dealing with the trauma of Mama’s parenting and what it means to be a good person. (She also makes poor choices when pretty girls are involved, which is endearing.) Corvus has a sadness and determination about him, Mama is objectively awful and terrifying, other characters show surprising depths just when you think they’re one-note, but Scorpia is definitely the star.
But it’s not the characters that shine here as much as it’s the solar system and the themes Merbeth’s exploring. She’s taken the premise of Single Biome Space Opera planets, added in “they will all kill you” and extinct aliens, and then delved into how the cultures and politics would shake out. It’s not good. Sometimes it’s genuinely bad. It’s entirely complicated, and the Kaiser family’s caught right in the vice between it all. In some ways, it’s like that gag of plugging one hole just for three more to open up, or maybe Whack-a-Mole, if the moles occasionally exploded.
And the themes? I’m used to space opera that’s either an adventurous romp or that really goes at some external issue. (See: the Expanse series and exploitative corporations.) This one goes into emotions a lot more, asks questions about the nature of humanity, and yes, also delivers a lot of the wild political ride that the Expanse does. I found some of the “oh but wait” moments a little hard to follow sometimes—there is sometimes a lot in play—but that didn’t stop me fearfully turning pages to find out what happens now.
Oh, and the family dynamics are something else. There’s so much fear and misinterpretation and distrust that those almost make for a satisfying story on their own. And family history, especially childhoods, factor into the intrigue and adventure surprisingly often.
For all that I’m glowing about this book, though, I didn’t love-love it. Some of the narration kicked me out of the story, there were the moments I couldn’t always follow, and some of the more minor characters and moments just didn’t work for me. That said, it’s definitely a series I’m going to keep following and one I recommend, especially to fans of James S.A. Corey.
To bear in mind: Alcoholism. Maternal abuse. A really nasty bioweapon. A government that, if not fascist, is definitely getting there. PTSD and survivor’s guilt. Genre-typical violence and injury.
7.5/10
ws_bookclub's review against another edition
3.0
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.
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.
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