A rebellious young woman leads a family of smugglers who become unwittingly entangled in a galactic war in this first book of an action-packed space opera trilogy.
There's only one thing Scorpia Kaiser wants in the whole galaxy: to finally own Fortuna, the ship she pilots and the only home she's ever known. But when it becomes clear her predecessor - the family matriarch - has been secretly dealing with various planetary governments, Scorpia realizes that her own family may be the reason the system's five planets are headed toward a devastating war.
Lies, manipulation, and profit are all she's ever been taught, but as she ascends into her new position Scorpia finds she has the chance to change everything. Yet even as she takes on more responsibility for the family's fate, fortune and influence, she is not at all sure she's ready for it - nor that she has the support of her crew, particularly her brother and rival Corvus.
To stop the war, she'll have to unite her family and unravel the chaos they've left in their wake.
Industry Reviews
"This is an engaging start to a series that blends crime family drama with the sort of character-focused sci-fi that made Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series an award-winning favorite."--B&N Reads
"It's everything you could ask for in a space opera."--The Arcanist
"Merbeth's world building is fascinating-five human-settled planets, each distinct and littered with alien technology-but her multifaceted characters and their troubled relationships give this action-packed family drama its heart. A good readalike for Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan books, John Scalzi's Collapsing Empire (2017), and for those who want a grittier version of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series."--Booklist
"High energy, high stakes, and lots of high notes."--Library Journal
"Merbeth's multiple narrators and plotlines converge beautifully into a suspenseful tale of family. The characters are distinct and grounded, and each interaction is filled with purpose and emotion that brings all of them, regardless of differences, into the fray together. SF fans who have been waiting for a crime family spin on space opera will find nothing but joy in this whirlwind story."--Publishers Weekly
"The narrative is powered by a cast of deeply developed characters. Scorpia, in particular, is impressively multidimensional . . . . The nonstop action and varying levels of tension make this an unarguable page-turner."--Kirkus
"Kristyn Merbeth has created a desperate, gritty world in her newest book Fortuna, an epic space opera about the lengths a family will go to survive not only each other, but a world out to kill them . . . . Merbeth is a voice to watch in space opera!"--K. B. Wagers, author of There Before the Chaos