If you’re searching for a fun, emotional, and heartwarming science fiction adventure, meet Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow.
Summary
Jack Jetstark travels the universe to seek out the descendants of superpowered freaks created long ago by VesCorp scientists. The vibrations encoded in a particular song transform the members of Jack’s crew into a firebreather and an angel, a wildman and telepathic conjoined triplets, so they hide the truth of who they really are with the theatrics of a carnival.
The song plays every night through the receptor Jack carries with them, but when one night it has a different ending and their temporary powers become permanent, Jack believes the change is a signal from the woman who sent him on this quest in the first place. He and his freaks must navigate a universe at war to protect the love of his life.
But does the ruler of VesCorp really need protecting?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Under the surface of Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow is a adventure story that asks important questions about power, leadership, and a rebellion worth fighting for. Based on the premise of a carnival where for the span of a song, the performers are transformed, the book takes a turn based on romance, justice, and freedom. That being said, if you’re looking for a book about a whimsical and wondrous carnival, this book quickly takes off. It becomes a book about causes, sacrifices, and a battle for agency.
There were really great parts of this story – an ace/aro side character, the embrace of nonbinary characters, and the way it constantly treads the line of human and something more.
Themes and Questions
- What happens when someone we love turns into something monstrous?
- When someone we love is corrupted by power, what are we willing to do?
- Are people redeemable?
- Where is the line between something human and monstrous?
- In the quest for power and righting the universe’s wrongs, when does one go too far?
But I was a little taken aback by the pacing. It seemed to really take off at the end, to almost a dizzying speed. We were in the heat of the action, with guns blazing, so I’m sure it was meant to portray the high stakes. That being said, if any of the questions above appeal to you, then I would recommend this book! Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow is a story inspired by love, embroiled in a plot of revolution, and the fate of the world as we know it.
Find Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound & The Book Depository.