I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This book was an interesting one. The characters were quite simple and the plot moves very fast and almost too fast. I wanted more meat from this story as I think it needed more substance and had a lot of potential. I enjoy stories - especially space operas so have a little more seriousness and weight to it!

From the shelves

Through spring and summer, we now fall into reading


By Tom Mayer
tmayer@cullmantimes.com

So many books, so little time, so … let’s get to it. Here we offer two dozen titles that I’ve picked and plucked from the … more than a few dozen … I receive from publishers each year. From the best nonfiction (and a journey through history with Pope Francis), children’s fiction (just try to resist a story with the title, “Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week”) and fiction from acknowledged masters to masters-in-the-making, this list isn’t exhaustive — somewhere north of 1 million books are published each year — but I’m betting you’ll find more than few titles listed here to ignite your fall reading.

“Ferris” (Candlewick) by Kate DiCamillo: Introduce a ghost and a family of warring raccoons into Ferris Wilkey’s summer before fifth grade and it becomes a season of sheer pandemonium. As always, DiCamillo's writing shines with warmth and empathy.

“After Annie” (Random House) by Anna Quindlen: A poignant story of loss and the long road to healing following the death of Annie Bowen as her husband, children and closest friend are left to understand and repair the chasms left in their own lives and addictions. The novel is a beautiful exploration of love, grief and resilience.

“The Number One Lawyer” (Little, Brown and Company) by James Patterson and Nancy Allen: The authors team for a fast-paced legal thriller about a top lawyer who becomes a top murder suspect following the death of his wife. The novel is a gripping page-turner filled with unexpected twists and turns.

“Life: My Story Through History” (HarperOne) by Pope Francis, translated by Aubrey Botsford: Pope Francis shares his personal journey intertwined with pivotal moments in modern history, offering insights into his faith and leadership. This memoir is a deeply reflective and inspirational account of a life dedicated to service.

“Friends in Napa” (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Stella Yasmin Marikar with an introduction by Mindy Kaling: Marikar’s novel is a delightful exploration of friendship and wine in California's Napa Valley, where six old friends reunite to navigate life’s complexities … and the illusion of friendship. The story is filled with warmth, humor and a touch of nostalgia.

“Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week” (Peachtree) by Sarah L. Thomson, illustrated by Vin Vogel: Thomson presents a heartwarming tale of friendship, adventure and Otto the dog that turns two soon-to-be friends' world upside down. Those who loved “The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking” will relish this new tale.

“For Worse” (Blackstone Publishing, paperback) by L.K. Bowen: This dark thriller puts readers into intricate plots of marital revenge as Ellie tries to, again, leave her seemingly picture-perfect married life. A tale about a psychologically abusive, manipulative and cruel marriage keeps readers on the edge.

“The Forgetters” (Heyday) by Greg Sarris: Sarris delivers a compelling tale of memory and identity, as two crow sisters, Question Woman and Answer Woman, must work in tandem to recount the journeys of the Forgetters. The novel, told in the style of Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok creation stories, is a profound meditation on the power of storytelling.

“Lost to Dune Road” (Thomas & Mercer, paperback) by Kara Thomas: Pulled back into an unsolved murder after a mistake ruined her reporting career, Lee Ellerin finds a chance for redemption in finding the killer. Thomas weaves a tale of secrets buried along a road to vindication. The story is a haunting exploration of the past's grip on the present.

“Pictures of Time” (Silver Street Media, large format) by David Alexander with graphic design by Tommy Steele: A tale of time is told through photographs as the book explores how art and science converge and cross. The book is rich with vivid descriptions and thought-provoking themes.

“Murder on Demand” (Blackstone Publishing) by Al Roker and Matt Costello: Book 4 in Roker’s The Morning Show Murders series takes place a decade after Billy Blessing’s adventure in Chicago. Much has changed for Blessing in the past 10 years, but when a woman walks into his life talking about murder, things start to seem very familiar. The novel is a clever, fast-paced thriller with a bookish twist.

“Matterhorn” (Mac Dekker Book 1) by Christopher Reich: Mac Dekker is living in an Alpine village, trying to put his past in the past — until he learns that his son, following in his footsteps, was killed in the Alps. Reich crafts a tense military thriller set against the backdrop of a high-stakes mission. The novel is packed with action, suspense and geopolitical intrigue.

“The Hunter’s Daughter” (Berkley, paperback) by Nicola Solvinic: Suppressed childhood memories return after Lt. Anna Koray kills a man in the line of duty. The novel is a haunting exploration of family as a serial killer emerges — and one who is both copying her father and seems to know way too much about her.

“The House That Horror Built” (Berkley, paperback) by Christina Henry: House cleaner Harry Adams tries to do her job, keep her head low and safeguard the employment she need to support her son. She maintains all of that until she hears noises from behind a locked door that sound like a human cry for help. The story is a spine-chilling mix of gothic horror and psychological suspense.

“In Our Stars” (The Doomed Earth Duology) (Ace) by Jack Campbell: Campbell’s space opera is an epic tale of love, loss, and interstellar conflict. The novel is a sweeping adventure that explores the human spirit's resilience in the vastness of space as the genetically engineered — and ostracized because of it — Lt. Selene Genji is thrust four decades into the past with a chance to save Earth from the annihilation she witnessed in her present time.

“Freeset” (The Four Cities Series Book 3) (Blackstone) by Sarina Dahlan: This sequel to “Reset” (“Preset” was the first in the series) continues the thrilling saga of a group of Dreamers fighting to find each other after Tabula Rosa — the process that wipes citizens’ memories every four years. The story is built on a foundation of family and hope … and fragile trusts.

“Camino Ghosts” (Doubleday) by John Grisham: The best of the Camino Island series to date (“Camino Island” and “Camino Winds” preceded), Grisham’s latest legal drama follows a seasoned lawyer on a quest for justice in a small coastal town. The justice here is social as the sole descendent of a community of runaway Black slaves must save a haunted island, and her heritage, from the hands and wallets of developers. The novel is a gripping exploration of corruption and redemption.

“Lake County” (Thomas & Mercer, paperback) by Lori Roy: Reimagining the life of Marilyn Monroe, aka Aunt Jean, involves a niece and her boyfriend, who also happens to be part of the illegal bolita he’s running on mob lands. When he’s forced to make a deal that could save both of their lives, worlds are altered in an atmospheric 1950s setting from the Edgar Award-winning Roy.

“Serendipity” (Dutton, paperback) by Becky Chalsen: Chalsen weaves a heartwarming tale of unexpected love and second chances set in the charming backdrop of a seaside town. The novel is a delightful mix of romance, humor and serendipitous moments as Maggie reconnects with her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend. In a summer share house named Serendipity, Maggie, with the help of her friends, will try to get her life back on track — if she can avoid the drama running on the rails.

“Shelterwood” (Ballantine Books) by Lisa Wingate: Exploring a centuries-old legacy of missing child cases, Wingate’s novel tells the story of a long-hidden burial site in the newly minted Horsethief Trail National Park. When a ranger’s quest for justice unearths more than the burials from a century ago, the book becomes a poignant exploration of memory, loss and the story of children abandoned by the law.

“The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra Needle” (Holiday House) by Dan Gutman: Gutman’s novel is a playful retelling of Cleopatra’s life, with a humorous twist that reimagines history: Could Central Park’s Cleopatra’s Needle have been built by thousands of people in 1461 BCE? The story is a fun and educational romp through the ancient world.

“Jackpot Summer” (Penguin) by Elysa Friedland: Born into a frugal family, the four Jacobson siblings have nonetheless made a mess of their adult financial lives. Whiles one declines to partake, the other three buy a (winning) Powerball ticket and soon find their lives really spiraling out of control. The story is a suspenseful exploration of greed, family, fate and drama.

“The Helper” (Blackstone) by M.M. Dewil: Written by a former monk from North India who is today an award-winning Hollywood director and director, Dewil’s novel is laced with lies, deceit, revenge and how one woman struggles to earn her own piece of the American Dream. The debut is a testament to the author’s biting wit and satirical commentary.

“Winter Lost” (Mercy Thompson, book 14) (Ace) by Patricia Briggs: Ancient and arcane magics are at work, as is Mercy Thompson Hauptman’s mate, a werewolf protector of the Tri-Cities of Washington State, and her brother, Adam, who needs a helping hand in Montana. “Winter Lost” is the 14th segment of this best-selling, highly rated urban fantasy series.

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A cool new sci-fi read with a very interesting premise, if you had 40 years to save Earth could you do it? This is exactly what our main characters have to do but every change can cause a ripple effect and make the future worse. This was a cool idea and I liked how it's played out so far, I look forward to reading the next one.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It looks like my sci-fy phase is slowly melting away.

In Our Stars by Jack Campbell is science fiction novel set in a world where the Earth is being destroyed. Earth, 2180 Genetically engineered with partly alien DNA, Lieutenant Selene Genji is different from ordinary humans. And they hate her for it. Still, she’s spent her life trying to overcome society’s prejudice by serving in the Unified Fleet while Earth’s international order collapses into war. Genji is stationed on a ship in orbit when humanity’s factional extremism on the planet reaches a boiling point, and she witnesses the utter annihilation of Earth. When the massive forces unleashed by Earth’s death warp space and time to hurl her forty years into the past, Genji is given a chance to try to change the future and save Earth—starting with the alien first contact only she knows will soon occur. Earth, 2140 Lieutenant Kayl Owen’s ship is on a routine patrol when a piece of spacecraft wreckage appears out of nowhere. To his shock, there is a survivor on board: Selene Genji. Once her strange heritage is discovered, though, it becomes clear that Genji is a problem Earth Guard command wants to dispose of—quietly. After learning the horrifying truth, Owen helps her escape and joins her mission. Together, they have a chance to change the fate of an Earth doomed to die in 2180. But altering history could put Genji’s very existence in danger, and Owen wonders if a world without her is one worth saving. . . .

This is a relatively easy space opera to get into. I just found problems with it holding my attention, as the plot became too predictable at times. I blame it mostly on my binge of sci-fy novels before this. Overall, it's a decent read.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


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

I'm a big fan of this author's military / political space opera with the Lost Fleet . In Our Stars has some of that feel but is more in the Science Fiction Romance genre which felt weird. The romance was not typical to a romance novel. Other aspects were more similar with politics, aliens, and inexplicable time travel.

Selene is an alloy from about 40 years in the future. Her ship appears and Kayl Owen is part of the team who goes to find any survivors. Both of them are used to others looking down on them or disliking them. They put their personal issues aside to try to save Earth from an attack between now - 2140- and 2180. The catalyst for the attack is prejudice and misunderstanding about aliens or various classes of human, along with the typical greed of politics.

Selene is determined to save Earth by influencing attitudes and events. Kayl joins her in the mission. They knew it would be dangerous but the Earth Guard fleet tries to kill them from the start. As they begin trying to have effects on big events, they become attached and attracted, even though Selene is unwilling to hope. She knows that changing things may mean she might not exist in the future.

I enjoyed the fast paced action and strategy. The relationship seemed a little hokey, a bit immature somehow. That could be that Selene and Kayl both have limited experience with serious relationships. I appreciated the world building of the different places and factions. Aliens are always exciting to me and I love their part here. I am ready for the next book in The Doomed Earth series because the end was a bit of a cliffhanger.

In Our Stars by Jack Campbell
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In Our Stars is the first book in a new series: The Doomed Earth. After watching the Earth be completely destroyed, Selene is swept by the shock waves back in time 40 years. She comes into contact with Kayl, who finds it unbelievable that she is from the future. Selene needs his help because her new mission is to keep the future from happening and save Earth.
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I am extremely impressed with the story. Here’s a few reasons why:
-That first chapter really sucked me in. The Earth is destroyed and we go back in time to stop it from happening? Sign me up!
-The action and suspense are never ending! Not only do people not believe Selene, but shortly after arriving there are multiple attempts to stop or even kill her.
-Kayl’s character is a great guy who comes from a great family. I loved the glimpses we got of his Aunt, Mom, and Sister.
-Aliens. Obviously cool.
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4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I think the only thing I didn’t like was that cliff hanger ending. I will be waiting anxiously to find out what happens to Selene and Kayl and how their mission goes from that ending.

A terrorist plot destroys the earth, but what if a woman has the chance to change history and save the earth? Jack Campbell’s books caught my eye some time ago when reading a book pal’s reviews, but In Our Stars was my first opportunity to take up his suspenseful, intriguing and action-packed first in series Space Opera.

Selene is half-human, half-alien, genetically engineered, and holds a military position with a front row seat from space as the terrorists and multiple factions at war succeed in annihilating the planet. The result is that Selene is catapulted 40 years into the past when there is a chance to change what went catastrophically wrong from the point of first contact with the aliens and the way several earth governmental entities are handled.

She can’t do it alone and the only one who believes in her is a man who serves in the military, working to dispel is family’s tarnished reputation, but now has bought into her mission to save earth’s future.

From the earliest pages, In Our Stars captured my rapt attention as Kayl and Selene are on the run for their lives and then have to go straight to the heart of trouble with their plans. I loved the setup of Selene time-traveling, but not so far into the past that the focus became the time travel. Rather, this is merely the vehicle that gets her there and allows her to have clarity of her mission back in the past.

But, like any good story, Selene’s save the earth mission isn’t so simple. There is political intrigue because of the great powers within the eroding Earth Guard that Kayl only had suspicions about from his spot as a patrol ship lieutenant, and there are big movers and shakers who are corrupt with their own agendas. The alien race’s arrival is pivotal to much that is going on, and Selene and Kayl have to find a way to keep the peace though some are working hard for their own reasons to create a hostile environment.

And, then there are the personal elements with both of them fighting their own demons. Kayl joined the Earth Guard to bring honor back to his family name after his dad was wrongfully blamed for something and disgraced, but instead finds that most of the Earth Guard is not about ability, but who you know and the status quo. Selene has fought prejudice and fear and lack of belonging all her life for her alien DNA. She struggles to believe Kayl and a few others like him can be so accepting and loyal.

I enjoyed the high risk set up and flow to this story that included fast and furious action and moments of suspense build up or thoughtful reflection. There is excellent character and relationship development. And, while this was obviously a first in series that had to establish the world and series arc, it was a fabulous story with closure in its own right.

In summary, I will be finishing Selene and Kayl’s story and hitting up Jack Campbell’s backlist for some more superb sci-fi and space opera

Somewhere between a 3 and 4 star book depending on the reader I think. It’s a straightforward story (and very much a cliffhanger book one) of the partially nonhuman Lieutenant Genji being thrown back in time 40 years after Earth is destroyed and once she realizes when she is she wants to save the world as she’s a good person who immediately makes the cold calculation that her life versus the life of everyone else on the planet is a price she’ll pay without hesitation. She runs into the equally good Lieutenant Owen who’s also willing to pay the price to save everyone. It’s an easy read, the action doesn’t let up and there’s no question as to the morality of the heroes chosen path. So, if you’re looking for light escapism it’s a four star book, you’ll be entertained and happy with the page turner. If you’re looking for deep crunchy sci-fi you have to stop and think about…. Probably not the book for you but you’d probably still like it if you enjoy a Star Trek episode from time to time and would find it a perfectly enjoyable three star light read.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
In Our Stars (The Doomed Earth, Book 1) by Jack Campbell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 397 / Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

Selene Genji is a genetically engineered human-alien hybrid from the year 2180. She watched Earth explode right before she’s hurled back 40 years—just in time to stop the events that lead up to the explosion. With help from a young lieutenant named Kayl Owen, they battle against Earth’s worst enemy—corrupt humans in power. And if all goes well, they’ll make the necessary changes to save Earth and Selene would then cease to exist in the new timeline.

I really enjoyed this exciting space and time travel adventure. It’s the first in a series and and now I can’t wait for Book 2!

Thank you, @netgalley and @berkleypub for my gifted copy of In Our Stars.

This is a new release from the same author who wrote The Lost Fleet series. I enjoyed the first book for the most part, but I choose to continue on with the series. So if you absolutely love the author’s previous series, you may enjoy this series more than me.

This was a easy space opera with likeable, if not simple, characters. The plot moves quickly, making this for a fun fast read. Personally I wanted more meat from this story because the stakes felt low. I prefer stories with more weight since those serious elements tend to hook me in and keep me engrossed.

This is the start of a series and I would potentially continue as it offers a light escapist experience.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

From the opening pages, In Our Stars read an awful damn lot like a Star Trek episode. Actually, several of them. Because this is a time travel story, of just the kind that Star Trek in ALL of its various iterations, has played with – A LOT.

It’s the year 2180, and Lieutenant Selene Genji of Earth’s United Fleet is just close enough to the event horizon to watch in horror as Earth is destroyed. Not by aliens, not by the Borg, not by accident.

But deliberately, by its own people. Not even in an attempt to throw off an alien invasion as in the first Avengers movie. In Lieutenant Genji’s 2180, Earth bombs itself out of existence in a fit of xenophobia directed at people just like her.

People who are ‘alloys’, who have a portion of alien DNA. Because after ‘First Contact’ with the Tramontine in 2140, genetic manipulation made that possible – and briefly – desirable.

But humans are gonna human, and some humans are just looking for an excuse to declare that other people aren’t people, and charismatic tyrants and despots are always available and all-too-willing to latch onto any stupid excuse to grab power.

To make a long story short, there was a large, influential group of people who believed that destroying Earth to purge it of alien influences would cause a new, pure Earth to emerge from the inevitable dust cloud.

The wrongness of that belief and her wish to change history to make sure this doesn’t happen again are Selene Genji’s last conscious thoughts before she’s rescued by Lieutenant Kayl Owen of Earth Guard, the only survivor aboard her derelict ship, in 2140, just months before First Contact.

Selene Genji has that barely conscious wish within her sights. She is in the right place – or at least at the right time – to prevent the destruction of Earth she witnessed 40 years in the future.

Whether she’s in the right place is an entirely different question, as Kayl Owen inherited his father’s disgrace to his service, and no one has any compunctions about making them both disappear in order to keep the secret of her existence from everyone who might care.

Which is way more people and forces than she expected, as the mysterious powers that took over Earth so quickly in her own time are considerably more active in her new here and now than Selene – or history – told her to expect.

It’s going to be an even longer road, NOT getting from there to here, than even a woman from the future could possibly have imagined.

Escape Rating B: I couldn’t get the resemblance to Trek out of my head, and that affected my reading of this book a lot because it felt just a bit too familiar. To the point where even though I didn’t know what was coming, I sorta/kinda knew what was coming. Also, to the point where I couldn’t resist falling down a Trek time travel rabbit hole. Or should I say, a time travel black hole, because that device was used frequently and often, even if that’s not quite what happened here.

The thing is, Star Trek played with time travel frequently and often. There’s at least one time travel episode in every Trek series to date, taking them in Trek’s chronological order, from the entire first season of Enterprise with its Temporal Cold War arc, through “What is Past is Prologue” (Discovery), “A Quality of Mercy” (Strange New Worlds), “Tomorrow is Yesterday” (The Original Series), “Yesteryear” (The Animated Series), “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (Next Gen), “Past Tense” (DS9), “Future’s End” (Voyager) and last but certainly not least, “The Star Gazer” from Star Trek: Picard’s second season. As well as one of Trek’s most famous and storied episodes, “The City on the Edge of Forever” from TOS, and two of its best and most popular movies, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, otherwise known as ‘the one with the whales’ and Star Trek: First Contact – the one with Steppenwolf’s marvelously apropos “Magic Carpet Ride”.

(The above list is ONLY a sampling. There are multiple time travel episodes and/or arcs in every Trek series. If you’re really curious check out the Memory Alpha wiki.)

The difference between most but not all of the Trek examples and In Our Stars is that in Trek it’s usually someone else who has mucked with the time stream and it’s the job of whatever series is running at the time to make things right. Although there have been exceptions.

The plot in In Our Stars is to prevent the worst from happening by mucking with the 2140 time stream as soon and as much as possible. The story is that neither of those things, fast or soon, are going to be as easy as Selene – and her soon-to-be life-partner Kayl Owen – either expect or even hope.

Which is clearly what is going to push the plot of The Doomed Earth series, of which In Our Stars is the first book, through the years from 2140 to 2180 and hopefully past that original disastrous day. Something that we’ll get to see in the months and years ahead, both theirs and ours.

I picked this up because Jack Campbell is an author who has been recommended to me multiple times, but by the time that happened his best known series, now called The Lost Fleet, with its follow up Lost Fleet Universe series, was already well past a dozen books in. I wasn’t in the mood to start from the beginning and don’t like picking things up in the middle if at all possible.

In Our Stars solved that problem, as it’s the opening book in a new series, so no catch up and no need to jump in the middle with both feet and hope for an informative landing. One of these days the ‘round tuit’ for reading Lost Fleet will emerge, as they do. But today is not that day.

In the meantime In Our Stars turned out to be a great place to get into a new-to-me author. The familiarity of the setup was a comfort that also made the plotting of the political craziness – because that’s definitely a feature – the touch of romance and the constant drive of our heroes on the run while building support – just that much easier to get into.

So if you’re looking for a new space opera type adventure with more than a hint of the familiar in all the best places, take a ride to 2180, or 2140, or both, In Our Stars.

I simply love a good space adventure, and this did not disappoint! Not to mention the time traveling twist?! I honestly can't wait to see where this goes!

I really didn't have time to be bored, the main characters were constantly on the run from one scenario to the next trying to save the earth in the future. Some of the arguments/conversations made me roll my eyes a couple time just because some of the things said between the main characters were a bit repetitive. To be fair some of those conversations in life can be repetitive in real life. This really didn't affect my enjoyment of the story I was invested in the outcome of their journey. The way Jack Campbell left the ending I will definitely be reading the next book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to get into science fiction it is fast paced and easy to get into.

Lt. Selene Genji witnesses the destruction of Earth, only to be thrown back in time by the shock wave, to shortly before alien visitors arrive. Now she has 40 years to try to alter the future and save Earth, with the help of a despised Earth Guard lieutenant.

This is a departure from Campbell's previous oeuvre, being more of a thriller than military SF, despite the opening chapters. And it is very definitely the first in a series. Fortunately, Campbell does have a habit of finishing series.

I love this cover.

The prose itself was very narrative, which I’m personally not a fan of. I stopped after chapter 1 (7%). It feels like an easy three stars for the target audience, four to five for the right readers. Judging from the extensive backlist, Campbell probably has it down to a science by now. I’d guess fans will be pleased.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.