Space exploration and secret identities and high-stakes corporate interest. A bit slow in the middle, the characters are distant but strong action scenes and a solid, if not exactly surprising, ending.

I was unable to read this before it expired. Please accept my apologies. I hope to read more books later.

Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall
Ace Books, 2018
Science Fiction, 416 pgs

I do not know what it is about the coming together of a misfit or ragtag group of people that is so irresistible. It is a trope that never gets old. At least not for this reader. Stars Uncharted is one such novel, and what an adventure it turned out to be! It made me want to stock my bookshelves with more science fiction of the space opera variety.

The reader is first introduced to Nika Rik Terri, a body-modification artist at the top of her field. She is known for being innovative and is well respected. She takes great pride in her work and her business. The only sore point for her is being tied to a mafia-like space company that often calls upon her services to help cover up their dirty work. As a result, her latest client’s intentions are far from above board, and Nika flees in fear of her life, picking up an inexperienced body modder along the way—much to his dismay. Snow never asked for his life to be upturned so suddenly—especially by Nika, whose true identity he does not know.

Meanwhile, on the cargo ship The Road to the Goberlings, Captain Hammond Roystan, and his crew happen upon a sight they never expected to see. The great exploration ship Hassim is not only disabled, floating in space, but appears to be unmanned. It is a huge find given the wealth of information stored in the Hassim’s databanks about the various worlds the ship has visited. Junior engineer Josune Arriola is the most recent addition to Roystan’s crew and her knowledge of the Hassim raise the captain’s suspicions. With an enemy who will stop at nothing to gain the secrets of the Hassim, Roystan and his crew are forced to go on the run and stay ahead of those who want them dead.

As Nika and Snow are trying to avoid being discovered, Roystan and his crew are attempting to repair their ship and make a hasty retreat before their enemy can catch up with them. Roystan agrees to take on Nika and Snow, all of them desperate and in need of what the other can offer.

I was hooked on Stars Uncharted from the very first page. I found myself thinking of the characters even when I was not reading, wondering what they were up to. Nika and Josune are very different and yet both resourceful, intelligent and women I would want on my side in a fight. For me, they made the novel. I also really liked Captain Roystan. It is obvious he a good leader who respects his crew. I liked how the relationships between the characters seemed to grow naturally, their coming to trust each other and depend on each other, especially given their circumstances and their hidden pasts. Even with Snow, who I wasn’t a huge fan of in the beginning, but came to respect as the novel went on.

Not too surprisingly, the world the authors created has a dystopian feel, where the wealthy corporations have the upper hand and everyone else does what they can to eke out a living and survive. I saw mention here and there that hard core science fiction fans might find the technical aspects of the book lacking. I have not read enough science fiction to say one way or the other. All I know is that I really enjoyed all aspects of the novel. Stars Uncharted was right up my alley. Great well-developed characters I connected with, fast paced action, and interesting storylines, including the main plot. I hated for Stars Uncharted to come to an end and am eager to read Stars Beyond when it comes out next year.

First time I have read these Aussie authors and must say I really enjoyed the book. Am so looking forward to bk#2 next year.

Stars Uncharted opens with Nika Rik Terri a brilliant body-modder. A celebrity body artist with a following she has the cachet of Banksy and with the right equipment she’s the futuristic version of a plastic surgeon, a stylist and an innovative personal doctor all in one. Nika is one of several POV characters in this book and definitely the one that I found the most personally dynamic.

On the run from what amounts to a galactic mafia, Nika finds a berth on a spaceship with Captain Hammond Royston and his crew, including junior engineer Josune. In the midst of this fantastic space opera we have space pirates, love and betrayal, mercenaries and assassins and a galactic treasure hunt all tied to the epic disappearance of one of the first legendary space adventurers.

As a fan of this author’s previous work, the Linesman trilogy, I was excited to see that they’d be publishing a new science fiction adventure. I thought this was space opera at its best and thoroughly enjoyed my time in this universe!

A gritty work of sci-fi that'll satisfy lovers of The Expanse but also readers who loved William Gibson's work as the author-pair S.K. Dunstall gives us technology that modifies not just your physical body but your mind as well. The plot is very treasure seeking which gives the narrative a directness that the best thrillers have but there is still plenty of suspense and intrigue.

After loving Linesman I was really excited to get my hands on a copy of Stars Uncharted and I have to say that S.K. Dunstall has done it again and created another fast paced, action packed story full of great characters and fun world building. I loved the fact that all of the main characters were keeping secrets, some we know about from the beginning and others that you only discover as you carry on reading. Nothing on board Roystan's ship is quite what it seems but the characters all have reasons to hide their full identities and are distrustful of others due to past experiences.

I really enjoyed the banter between the shipmates and the way that there was such a strong bond between the original crew members who had been working together for a long time. Roystan was a great captain who looked out for his people and they respected him for that. Josune had joined the ship under false pretences but quickly grew to like the people she was working alongside and started questioning everything about her mission. Then you had body-modification artist Nika who was running from dangerous people and needed safe passage off planet to pretty much anywhere that she could start over under a new identity.

Each character brought something different to the story and I loved the way body-modification was described, what a fantastic technology that would allow people to change their appearance via their DNA so those changes were permanent. Well, until they fancied another new look anyway! Although Stars Uncharted works well as a standalone I'm really glad that the Dunstall sisters plan to write more stories about this group & I'm definitely going to be first in line for the next one.

There is a lot going on in this sci-fi romp -- body modifications and exchanging, evil and greedy corporations, space exploration, and just lots of action-packed adventure. It's a space adventure that gave me a Firefly-type fix, with more intrigue and genetic modifications added into the mix. Sometimes I just need an entertaining adventure in space to make me happy. This book put a smile on my face. :) See?

For the first third of this book the story dealt mainly with genetic modifications and body exchanges. While that is interesting and I like the Nika (the body modder) as a character, the story moved a bit too slowly for me at first. But, once the action got started, I was so hooked on this story. It definitely kept my attention. The character development and the world is just so richly creative. This was definitely fun to read!

This sci-fi story is well-written, engaging and incredibly creative. I like it when I find a story that is different and new....this isn't just a recycled sci-fi plot with tired trope-y characters. Nicely done!

The cover art is gorgeous!!

S.K. Dunstall also write the Linesman series. I liked this book, so I'm definitely going to read her other series!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I had previously tried to read Linesmen by S.K Dunstall and while I liked it ok, it wasn't exciting enough for me. After reading the description of this book I decided to give S.K. Dunstall another chance, and I'm glad I did. This book kept me company into the wee hours of the night when I was sick with a cold and couldn't sleep. I found it very easy to read and I liked the characters a lot. The body modding was interesting. Think cosmetic surgery taken to the extreme. It's an art here. You can go into a machine and come out looking like a completely different person. I thought Nika was very indicative of what a cosmetic surgeon is probably like; always looking at people and thinking up ways to make them look different and 'better'. It's not really a good way to look at people, but it fit really well with the story.

Josune and Roystan were very likable and I liked the slight romance that was there. It was never too pronounced and was a nice touch to the story without becoming the focus. The mystery surrounding Roystan kept me reading and I feel like I should have figured it out sooner than I did.

The negatives for me were that I found it hard to believe most everyone couldn't figure out who Nika was, and also who Josune is later on in the story, but other than that I really have no complaints about the book. It was a nice, fun, stand-alone read that had just enough action for me and focused on the characters a lot, which I liked. Although this is a stand-alone the authors are planning to write a second book set in this world and I am planning on reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Note: I received a free advanced copy of Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (And, for the first time in quite some time, I actually finished the book before it's release date of August 14th. Unfortunately I forgot to get the review out before that day. I'm getting better at my timeliness though so that's good.)

For the past couple years I've been super into science fiction and so when I first read the description for Stars Uncharted I thought it sounded pretty interesting. It focuses on three characters: Nika Rik Terri, Josune Arriola, and Hammond Roystan though only the two girls have point of view chapters. At the beginning, the two girls are no where near other but, eventually, everyone ends up in the same place.

Stars Uncharted is a world, or worlds I suppose, where everyone that we meet is focused on one of two things; either body modification (they have the technology to manipulate genes and change pretty much anything for cosmetic reasons or to help repair injuries) or treasure hunting.

Nika is one of the best body modders in the galaxy and it's literally all she can think about. Any time she meets a new person she thinks about what modifications they've likely had and how she would approve upon them. I suppose I can get that. I wouldn't be surprised if an interior designer often thinks the same when they walk into a new room but it got so annoying after awhile. Her story line was interesting though given that she's so good at her job that she's fallen in with a rough crew, led in part by her ex-boyfriend, and all she wants is to escape but knows they'll hunt her down for what she can do for them.

Josune starts out on Hammond's spaceship but is soon revealed to be a plant from another ship called the Hassim. She's not a bad character though, she was just supposed to kind of get Hammond together with her old captain but that proves difficult when the Hassim shows up with all of her crew dead. 

Hammond is a very nice guy (and after finding out his secrets it seems kind of odd how incredibly nice he is) and truly cares for everyone in his crew. But, as I said, he has some pretty big secrets.

Now how it was all interwoven was an intriguing story over all. I mostly liked the main characters (even though Nika got a bit annoying after awhile) and I really wanted to know how it would all end for everybody. But it was a little too slow in parts and it was a bit too heavy on the science portion of the science fiction. I really don't think I needed to learn so much about body modding as I did. (Case in point...it's been two weeks and I can still remember the names of three body modification machines and in which order Nika would rank them in their usefulness. This is information I don't need stuck in my head.)

Captivating read. I received this ARC from NetGalley and I thank them and the publishers for providing it.
Nika and Snow, Josune and her Captain, the crew of the Road and even the villains of this book will be very difficult to forget. Wonderful job of making the characters come to life. When I started I made the mistake of thinking they (Nika and Josune) were the same person, past and present. I was so wrong as I soon found out.
Nika was a modder, gene therapy combined with body sculpture. She was one of the best, an artist. Trouble was she had a very abusive boyfriend who she suspects will one day kill her. So she plans for a way to disappear. Josune is an explorer, obsessed with finding a lost treasure out on the rim of space. How their stories became intertwined makes for a fine read with plenty of action. The book has a satisfactory ending but this story has to go on. I hope the authors make it so!

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t regularly read books set in space. Occasionally, I will pick one up because of recommendations from trusted sources or because it’s by an author I’ve previously read. Reading Stars Uncharted was a case of immensely enjoying S.K. Dunstall’s book Linesman (the first in The Linesman series which is about hearing the songs and music in the lines that allow ships to travel – read the book to understand what I’m talking about). Because I loved the interesting concept of Linesman, I wanted to give Stars Uncharted a try (plus the stunning cover drew my attention too).
Meghan's Thoughts
Stars Uncharted is a space opera that follows different characters who eventually end up on the same ship. One of those characters is a renowned body-modification artist. That ends up being exactly what you think it is – this is a world where a quick (or long) stint in a machine can change absolutely everything about your body. Changes in weight, features, skin color, hair color, eye color, and even gender are a normal part of this world. Before starting this book, I did read some reviews that were put off with the way some of these changes were discussed. I don't want to minimize or dismiss anyone's opinions on that matter, but I would like to discuss this a little further.
I should point out that I am a white, straight, cis-female (for those who don’t know, that means I was assigned the female sex at birth and I self-identify as female). I fully accept and acknowledge that my experiences are different, and I may have overlooked some of the language that others might not given my identity. While the language was not particularly graceful involving some of gender switch body modifications (while referencing a past instructor at school with a fluid gender identity), I didn’t see it as harmful. I saw it as matter of fact. For me, in this world created by S.K. Dunstall, all the things we have learned to identify ourselves with can be changed with money and time. That has created a fluid society in which those identifying factors don’t matter so much and I think the language reflects that. It’s also interesting to point out that many characters have one feature that they do identify with and refuse to change (for one villain it’s a heinous scar). That one feature changes from person to person but is almost nonexistent for the “body modders” as they continually practice their craft. It’s an interesting world which creates unique discussions about genetics, gene therapy, and means anyone can look however they want – if they know a body modder with the right skills and knowledge.
And this of course sets the stage for book. It is through this need or desire to “fix” things, that our cast of characters comes together. I found the book a bit slow to start, but once the gang is all together, about a third of the way through, the pace picks up. Stars Uncharted is a standalone novel with an engaging, character-oriented plot (one of the qualities of the Linesman series that was praised by readers). But some of those characters can be a bit tough to like and may not be for everyone. Similarly, the discussions about genetics, while largely superficial, may be unpalatable for the super scientific and/or for the much less scientifically inclined. I found it to be the right balance between detail and generalization, but I also have a scientific background and am willing to suspend disbelief for things that cannot possibly be explained with today’s advances.
While I had a tough time getting into the book at first, overall I enjoyed the book. Once the gang is assembled the pace picks up. However, I did find the plot to be rather predictable and slightly thin. Also, the “anti-company” sentiment to be rather heavy-handed (but that could also be me projecting some of my own fears of giant corporations into the text). But, it is an entertaining read that did get me thinking a but more about identities and so it earns three out of five stars from me.
Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall is available now from Ace Books. I’d love to know what you think about the body modification concept and the science and language used to describe that concept and the shifts created by it.

3.33 stars. Stars Uncharted is a breezy, fast-paced space opera adventure. A motley space ship crew and a few desperate passengers are running for their lives from an evil mafia-like corporation, careening wildly from one near-disaster to the next. What it lacks in substance, it at least in part makes up for with an engaging plot and high octane escapades.

Nika Rik Terri, the top body modification artist (body modder) in this area of space, is forced to use her genemod machines to heal and disguise assassins and operatives of the Eaglehawk Company. When their top assassin threatens her life, Nika goes on the run, pulling another, younger body modder, Bertram Snowshoe, along in her wake. Josune Arriola is an engineer who’s been sent by the captain of another ship, the Hassim, to spy on the captain of The Road, who may have secret information about a planet with priceless minerals. The Hassim is late to reconnect with Josune … and when the ship finally appears out of nullspace (think: hyperspace) next to The Road, its crew is dead and unknown paramilitary operatives are in control of it. But the digital memory of Hassim is also immensely valuable ― enough that deadly forces are soon pursuing The Road and its crew.

Nika and Josune, whose paths soon merge, provide the two points of view in Stars Uncharted, usually in alternating chapters. As Kat points out, pretty much everyone on board the spaceship The Road to the Goberlings has a secret or a past that they’re trying to escape … or both. That’s a lot of secrets to juggle. The characters are engaging ― other than the villains, who are unremittingly villainous ― but are by and large recognizable types.

The technology in Stars Uncharted is also light and fluffy, reliant on distinctly handwavy pseudo-science. One of the focal points of the plot is the search for a mother lode of a fictional rare element called dellarine with near-magical powers. I was forcefully reminded of vibranium from the Marvel comics and Black Panther film. Another key plot element involves Nika’s pair of body modification machines that, it is disclosed in the first chapter, can switch minds between two people for 24 hours, after which the minds automatically switch back. Why? How? It’s never discussed at all. When Dunstall does get into the details of body modification, which combine both artistic and scientific components, it’s actually quite interesting, though it still requires a hefty suspension of disbelief.

On the plus side, Stars Uncharted ― again, rather like a Marvel superhero movie ― was a fun, exciting ride and kept me glued to my couch, eyes on my iPad, when I really should have been doing other more important things like, say, working on a lesson I had to give the next day. I have to give this novel credit for keeping me up until 2 a.m.!

<a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2018/08/14/stars-uncharted-by-sk-dunstall/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart</a>

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I didn't even read the blurb before requesting this one. I just knew from the cover and title, <strong>Stars Uncharted</strong>, it was science fiction / space opera by an author I love.  This was as enjoyable as their other books I have read.

We see the world mainly through the eyes of two strong, talented women. Nika is a body modder, which is several steps above a doctor. She can heal and drastically change a person's looks. She is a genius in her field, an innovator, dedicated to her art and recognized to be the best. Unfortunately, she dated the wrong guy which could get her killed at some time.

Josune is an engineer on a well known exploration ship.  They have been hunting and narrowing down where the treasures are which were found by an explorer years ago. That explorer did not share or document where he found this great wealth. So all the space explorers hunt for it. Josune loves the adventure and is a brilliant engineer. She has also learned to fight since others want the information her ship has gathered.

These women end up on the run together in a fight for survival on a smaller exploration ship. There's nothing like a battle for your life to bring about personal growth and self awareness.  My mind was challenged and my heart pounded as I wanted them to succeed. There are some really tense moments and some twisty surprises.  It's an exhilarating trip out in the stars.

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Stars Uncharted's two main characters are very different. Josune Arriola is an engineer/explorer. Nika Rik Terri is a body modification artist (also known as a modder). No reason they should ever meet.

But they do. Stars Uncharted chapters alternates between the perspectives of Josune and Nika. Totally separate and unknown to each other at first and becoming best friends by the end.

‘Ragtag’ is an apt way to describe the crew of the Road to Goberlings. Diverse and a bit on the shabby side. A chef that is also the cargo master (he would rather be cheffing), a very capable engineer, a junior engineer who’s talent belies her juniorness and a captain that likes to rule by committee even if it does occasionally bite him in the butt.

When they happen upon the disabled Hassim, a very famous exploration ship, things take off. Everyone wants what they think the Hassim has. So everyone is after Captain Hammond Roystan and his crew.

Strangely enough, body modification tech overlaps with ship navigation tech, so when a critical ship part goes bad, somehow, the Road ends up with not one, but two modders, both of whom are on the run.

Now the crew is really ragtag!

Non-stop adventure, really bad bad guys, motley good guys, a broken down ship, and the treasure of the universe! What’s not to like about this book! I ate it up! Stars Uncharted is the kind of story that gives space opera its good name!

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book so that I could bring you this honest review.

For a book whose premise promises the hunt of a lost planet, I don't think there was very much exploration involved. Instead there is a lot of focus on the world-building and technology. This works for a Sci-Fi, but it wasn't what I was expecting. The most heavily-focused area of the story is body-modding, or the ability to modify human bodies and appearances. I definitely learned more than what I wanted to about it.

There wasn't anything in this book that made me feel anything-- I didn't care for the characters. I kind of lost what the plot was along the way, but it was mainly due to my lack of interest. I don't think I would've finished this book if it wasn't for the fact that I was reading it for review (and I try pretty hard to finish those).

You might like this book if you enjoy sci-fi with a lot of detail on one particular technology. 

I received a free eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Slow building until you find yourself completely riveted...

Stars Uncharted is a precarious space odyssey of epic proportion. The crew battles political machination, corruption and betrayal all while trying to stay alive. Complex world building, characters with true depth and intense action all play pivotal elements to Stars Uncharted.

I received this ARC copy of Stars Uncharted from Berkley Publishing Group - Ace. This is my honest and voluntary review. Stars Uncharted is set for publication August 14, 2018.

My rating: 4.5 stars
Written by: S. K. Dunstall
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: August 14, 2018
ISBN-10: 0399587624
ISBN-13: 978-0399587627
Genre: Scifi

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#StarsUncharted by S.K. Dunstall, a good Sci-Fi book, about personal relationships, and exploring space. Definitely add this one to your To-Read list as you won't want to miss out on the story.

Nika Rik Terri is one of the best body modifiers. She has her own shop and practice but must walk away from that when her abusive ex-boyfriends boss tries to kill her. As she's trying to flee she run across a newbie body moddifer named Bertram Snowshoe. Bertram is forced to flee along with Nika after Nika saves her life.

Hammond Roystan is the captain of The Road, a generic cargo runner. On the crew is Josune Arriola, a brilliant engineer with a questionable past. The ship comes into contact with the highly sought after Hassaud, an exploration ship that may have information of rich planets in their memory drive. Nika and Roystan come together after they need each other's help as they try to flee from their enemies.

This novel was good. As the novel progressed my interested started to wane, it was still good but it lacked the amazing beginning. I found there was too much body modification and gene therapy talk. Initially it was interesting but by the end and the fifth body modification I was bored of it. It was a large part of the novel as one of the main characters, Nika, is a body modification but it still
went on for too long.

The pacing was good but in the middle it started to become repetitive. The middle of the novel goes like this: ship flees, they gets caught by their enemies, ship is damaged, it's a race to fix ship in time before the enemy gets them and then the ship flees.

The characters were the best part of this novel. I loved all the main characters and even most of the secondary characters. I loved learning the mystery behind Hammond and his weird physiological problems. Bertram got a bit annoying though, I understand he is a teenager and a little immature but his immaturity took an absurd level. He was worried about a machine while on the run for his life?

In summary, this was a good sci-fi novel with great characters and a good plot. There was a nice blend of character development, world building and action. I would suggest it to all space opera sci-fi fans out there.

Thanks to Netgalley for this free ARC.

This was my first Dunstall book, and I REALLY enjoyed it. I especially loved the detailed and seamless explainations of body mods, and how it fit so well into a large portion of the world. The universe itself was great very interesting, and I'd love for it to be explored more.
Liked the characters quite a bit. There were definitely a cast of characters, but not too many to confuse. I found myself wanting to know so much more about each of the characters, more of their history, how they ended up where they did.

It wrapped up nicely, but I do hope there's a second one. Five stars, and I will definitely be checking out the rest of their works.