It was the cover of this one that initially drew my attention – I’m always a sucker for a beautiful spacescape. And then I was further intrigued by reading the blurb…
BLURB: Fleeing the final days of the generations-long war with the alien Felen, smuggler Jereth Keeven’s freighter the Jonah breaks down in a strange rift in deep space, with little chance of rescue—until they encounter the research vessel Gallion, which claims to be from 152 years in the future.
The Gallion’s chief engineer Uma Ozakka has always been fascinated with the past, especially the tale of the Fortunate Five, who ended the war with the Felen. When the Gallion rescues a run-down junk freighter, Ozakka is shocked to recognize the Five’s legendary ship—and the Five’s famed leader, Eldric Leesongronski, among the crew. But nothing else about Leesongronski and his crewmates seems to match up with the historical record. With their ships running out of power in the rift, more than the lives of both crews may be at stake.
REVIEW: 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
Those are the last words the woman tells Barry Sutton before she leaps from the Manhattan rooftop. Deeply unnerved, Barry begins to investigate her death only to learn that this wasn’t an isolated case. All across the country, people are waking up to lives different from the ones they fell asleep to. Are they suffering from False Memory Syndrome, a mysterious, new disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they never lived? Or is something far more sinister behind the fracturing of reality all around him?
It’s been madly busy and great fun… Yes – I know I used that line last week, but it also nicely sums up this last week. Himself was working until 10 pm on Christmas Eve, so it was something of a blur to get presents wrapped and all the cooking done. My son arrived on Christmas Eve, just in time to start tucking into the homemade vegan mince pies and we had a lovely natter together. Christmas morning was spent cooking – Himself was in charge, despite struggling with a terrible cold. My sister and nephew joined us for lunch and stayed for the evening. We had a lovely time – Rob and Michael hadn’t seen each other for far too long, so were able to have a good catch up. After lunch 
was eaten and cleared away, we opened presents and played a couple of cracking games – Ticket to Ride and Scotland Yard.
Brighton, 1950.
This meme was started by Books by Proxy, whose fabulous idea was to compare UK and US book covers and decide which is we prefer. This meme is currently being nurtured by
This edition was produced by Oxford University Press in January 2009 and is my favourite. I love the halo of supernatural light as the four children emerge from the underground bunker. If you look closely at the three children you can see clearly, you’ll see that two of them are dressed quite differently from the middle boy. I really like the fact that the artist has taken the trouble to depict the difference in their clothing, given it features so much in this timeslip adventure. I think it is plain from the cover that this is a science fiction adventure – another pluspoint for this polished, classy offering. It doesn’t hurt that this is the cover that I recall features on the audiobook, either.
Published in June 2013 by Oxford University Press, this retread isn’t quite so successful. While I like the artwork – I think it’s a real shame that over a third of the cover is given over to that intrusive, ugly text box. That marvellous font could easily have stood out against the forest canopy and looked more contemporary and interesting as a result.
This US edition, published by EgmontUSA in May 2010, so very nearly became my favourite. I love the fact that this one depicts the dramatic scene where the modern pair encounter their great aunt and uncle in suspended animation… But it’s a daft expression on Freddy’s face as he slowly surfaces in the chamber that ruins it for me. Other than that, I love the funky font and the marvellous artwork. This is definitely a contender…
This German edition, produced by Fischer KJB in November 2012, seems to have got their genres muddled. While there are some genuinely creepy moments in this fast-moving adventure, it is not a horror story – it is definitely a science fiction timeslip adventure with generous dollops of humour and some interesting things to say about how life has changed for children over the last fifty years. And this cover doesn’t give a hint of that.
This French edition, published in December 2016 by Bayard Jeunesse, has the feel of the old Enid Blyton books, which given the age of a couple of the children is more relevant than it might seem. What worries me is that I’m not sure this cover would attract modern independent readers as there is no sense of the smart, funny, thought-provoking writing in the artwork. Which is your favourite?
This is part of the weekly meme over at the 
Last week my sister and I spent the weekend at the Chewton Glen hotel having a series of spa treatments to celebrate her 60th birthday. And yes… it was every bit as fabulous as it sounds!
young sons without a father and a wife suddenly widowed. On Saturday, I was asked along as a number of my sister’s friends arranged a surprise birthday party for her. It was a lovely, relaxed affair, full of jokes, laughter and affection. I’m so glad and proud of her for battling through her serious illness and a long, unhappy relationship, to be able to get to this stage – she is a star!
It’s Christmas Day, 2067. Silent Night drifts across the ruins of a wrecked spaceship, listing helplessly in the black. A sole woman, May, stirs within – the last person left alive of a disastrous first manned mission to Europe, a moon of Saturn.There is only one person who can help her – her ex-husband Stephen, a NASA scientist who was heading up the mission back on Earth. Until, that is, she broke his heart and he left both her and the mission.
Brainfluff 