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Jaq's Harp (Future Tales #1)

by Ella Drake (Goodreads Author)

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 41 ratings · 18 reviews

In a world of floating islands and bio-engineered beans, the bad guys are taken down by agents of the Mother organization—agents like Jacqueline “Jaq” Robinson. Instead of accepting her next routine assignment, she sets out on a mission of her own—to destroy Giant Corp, the company responsible for her sister’s wasting illness. Jaq must steal her cure from Giant’s headquart...more

ebook, 93 pages

Published February 21st 2011 by Carina Press (first published January 21st 2011)

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Apr 03, 2011 Dina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, netgalley, sci-fi-romance, novella

Jaq's Harp is a sci-fi romance that pays hommage to the old tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, adding a little twist to make things more interesting. Jack and the Beanstalk has never been one of my favorite children's tales, but that didn't affect my take on this story.

Agent Jacqueline Robinson is on a mission - and this time, it's personal. Jaq's sister is severely ill and Giant Corp, the company responsible for her wasting illness, holds the cure hostage. So Jaq plans to infiltrate the company's...more Jaq's Harp is a sci-fi romance that pays hommage to the old tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, adding a little twist to make things more interesting. Jack and the Beanstalk has never been one of my favorite children's tales, but that didn't affect my take on this story.

Agent Jacqueline Robinson is on a mission - and this time, it's personal. Jaq's sister is severely ill and Giant Corp, the company responsible for her wasting illness, holds the cure hostage. So Jaq plans to infiltrate the company's headquarters to steal the cure, even though she's wary of running into Harper English, a fellow agent and, most importantly, the man who's left her to go deep undercover at Giant.

Harp thought he was doing the right thing when he left Jaq, but he realizes his mistake as soon as he sees her again. He wants her back, this time for good, but she doesn't trust him anymore. Now, if only danger wasn't all around them and they could escape Giant Corp safely, he would have time to win her heart again. Or would he?

This is a short story and, as expected, character development and world building were a bit overlooked at times, but the overall result was satisfying. I cared for Jaq and Harp, even though the TSTL moment he had (*) made me want to slap him and tell him to snap out of it, I believed they loved each other, which is always a must in a romance book, and I liked the action scenes. Jaq could kick some serious ass! (view spoiler)*cheers*

(*) Harp's timing was oh-so-bad... (view spoiler) Thank the gods Jaq put a stop to his nonsense.

All in all, this was a quick, nice read. I wish it was longer, and that's a good thing because I'm only happy with the short length of a novella when I don't like the story.

Note: I received this eARC from Carina Press via NetGalley. That had no influence on my review/rating.
(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2012 Critique de Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

The good: I loved the play on Jack and the Beanstalk with a good dose of a dystopian world, advanced technologies and the contrasting privileged lifestyles of those in the floating cities. There's a real sense of the desperation of the landers. My heart ached throughout for Jaq, and I was desperate for her to get her HEA. I wanted this book to be longer so I could enjoy more of the world building and great descriptions throughout.

The bad: I felt there was too much back story crammed in between t...more

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Apr 17, 2011 AnnaM rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-sfrs

Very clever! I liked it. I admit, when I started reading it I knew only that this story was Science Fiction Romance and nothing else. So, the play on the story of Jack and the Beanstalk surprised me. I thought it was well done.

I liked Jaq, liked Mr. Bovine (he was funny) and I enjoyed the thorough worldbuilding. The SF was nicely blended with the Romance and there seemed to be equal parts of each. I liked the tech. It had a bit of a James Bond feel. I liked the way a couple of innocuous things n...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, futuristic

Jaq's sister is dying. And if she doesn't steal a cure for her, there is no hope. So Jaq sneaks her way onto the floating island that the Giant corporation calls home. There, she runs into her ex-fiance, Harp, who is on an undercover mission to take down the company and its corrupt owner. And of course, the heat between them ignites all over again.

This is a short story, only 67 pages. So there's not a lot of room for anything too deep. Basically, you've got two questions that play out: Can Jaq &...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed by Mishel at RexRobotReviews.com

I usually don’t like short stories and/or novellas because I always seem to be left pretty unsatisfied in the end. So I tend to stay away from the shorter side of the story-telling world. However, something drew me to Jaq’s Harp, and having never read anything by Ella Drake, I can’t really tell you what made me want to read and review it. Jaq’s Harp is a unique re-telling of Jack and the Beanstalk that involves floating islands, secret agents, and new-age...more Reviewed by Mishel at RexRobotReviews.com

I usually don’t like short stories and/or novellas because I always seem to be left pretty unsatisfied in the end. So I tend to stay away from the shorter side of the story-telling world. However, something drew me to Jaq’s Harp, and having never read anything by Ella Drake, I can’t really tell you what made me want to read and review it. Jaq’s Harp is a unique re-telling of Jack and the Beanstalk that involves floating islands, secret agents, and new-age technology. Add in a little sprinkle of steamy sexual tension between ex-lovers and you got yourself a fun time!

Jaq is one of the many agents that belong to the Mother organization, a secret part of the government GOoSE (Global Organization of Strategic Equity), bent on keeping all of the Megacorps floating above New Castle in line. But Jaq has her own agenda in mind when she goes after Giant Corp. Giant is responsible for her younger sister’s fatal illness. The only way to save Merry is for Jaq to find a way up to Giant’s headquarters and steal the cure from the medical labs. But guards and getting caught isn’t the only thing Jaq has to worry about dealing with at Giant. Harper English is deep undercover working to track down evidence to bring Giant down as well. He’s on the very mission that caused him to break Jaq’s heart when he left her a year ago.

Harp finally realizes the mistake he made with Jaq and wants nothing more than another chance to prove himself. But he’ll have to escape Giant first, and make sure Jaq is safely on the ground with him when the corporation comes crumbling down.

So I give major kudos to Ella Drake for writing a really great and satisfying novella. Of course, I wouldn’t mind a full-length novel about Jaq, Harper, and the world of New Castle but I’m not being picky. Jaq’s Harp was very balanced, well-paced, and it wrapped up nicely in the end.

I enjoyed both Jaq and Harp. They were developed enough for me to get a good sense of their personalities and the background story of their relationship. Jaq is definitely a heroine that can take care of herself. And even though she’s been hurt by Harp, she still cares about him deeply. Deeply enough to risk her life going after him when he needs help! And Harp isn’t the tough, macho, secret-spy he claims to be, even though it does take almost losing Jaq for him to realize what he wants in life. Men just need a little extra time some days…

The world-building was pretty excellent in my opinion! The reader gets a gritty dose of the dark life as a Lander; the working-class people left to live life on the ground, while the rich and privileged are far above the dirt and grime. I also really loved all the subtle cracks and pokes at the original Jack and the Beanstalk, they were very clever and felt like small inside jokes that added a lot of fun to the story.

I’ll definitely be reading more by Ella (especially her twisted fairy tales) and I’ll be giving shorter stories and novellas more of a chance in the future. I think anybody who loves re-tellings of fairy tales, futuristic romance, or just a nicely-paced kick-ass read will want to get a copy of Jaq’s Harp.(less)

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Feb 24, 2011 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: short-story-or-novella, netgalley, spy, estranged-lovers-or-marriage, 2011-read, family-issues, on-the-run, classics-retold

Reviewed at The Romance-a-holic

--

As you may be able to tell from the cover, Jaq’s Harp is a futuristic twist on the fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk. I really enjoyed the not-so-subtle nods to the original story, such as the “magic” bio-engineered beans, Monsieur Bovine, a reference to “the blood of an Englishman”, and more.

What worked for me:

* The cover art is simply gorgeous.

* I’m not normally a fan of stories where the main protagonists had a previous relationship, but I heartily approve o...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 17, 2011 Penny Watson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake:

This was an ARC....will be released by Carina Press in February. The premise for this story is fantastic. It's a futuristic sci fi take on the legend of Jack and the Beanstalk. I adore funky new twists on fairy tales and legends. Drake calls this book a "twisted fairytale, biopunk romance." What I liked....the sci fi details are awesome. Drake does a tremendous job with her world-building. The bio-engineered beanstalk, the floating "islands," the hovercrafts, the dark, g...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2011 Mishel Zabala rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, e-book, rexrobotreview

My Rating: 4/5 stars

I usually don’t like short stories and/or novellas because I always seem to be left pretty unsatisfied in the end. So I tend to stay away from the shorter side of the story-telling world. However, something drew me to Jaq’s Harp, and having never read anything by Ella Drake, I can’t really tell you what made me want to read and review it. Jaq’s Harp is a unique re-telling of Jack and the Beanstalk that involves floating islands, secret agents, and new-age technology. Add in a...more My Rating: 4/5 stars

I usually don’t like short stories and/or novellas because I always seem to be left pretty unsatisfied in the end. So I tend to stay away from the shorter side of the story-telling world. However, something drew me to Jaq’s Harp, and having never read anything by Ella Drake, I can’t really tell you what made me want to read and review it. Jaq’s Harp is a unique re-telling of Jack and the Beanstalk that involves floating islands, secret agents, and new-age technology. Add in a little sprinkle of steamy sexual tension between ex-lovers and you got yourself a fun time!

Jaq is one of the many agents that belong to the Mother organization, a secret part of the government GOoSE (Global Organization of Strategic Equity), bent on keeping all of the Megacorps floating above New Castle in line. But Jaq has her own agenda in mind when she goes after Giant Corp. Giant is responsible for her younger sister’s fatal illness. The only way to save Merry is for Jaq to find a way up to Giant’s headquarters and steal the cure from the medical labs. But guards and getting caught isn’t the only thing Jaq has to worry about dealing with at Giant. Harper English is deep undercover working to track down evidence to bring Giant down as well. He’s on the very mission that caused him to break Jaq’s heart when he left her a year ago.

Harp finally realizes the mistake he made with Jaq and wants nothing more than another chance to prove himself. But he’ll have to escape Giant first, and make sure Jaq is safely on the ground with him when the corporation comes crumbling down.

So I give major kudos to Ella Drake for writing a really great and satisfying novella. Of course, I wouldn’t mind a full-length novel about Jaq, Harper, and the world of New Castle but I’m not being picky. Jaq’s Harp was very balanced, well-paced, and it wrapped up nicely in the end.

I enjoyed both Jaq and Harp. They were developed enough for me to get a good sense of their personalities and the background story of their relationship. Jaq is definitely a heroine that can take care of herself. And even though she’s been hurt by Harp, she still cares about him deeply. Deeply enough to risk her life going after him when he needs help! And Harp isn’t the tough, macho, secret-spy he claims to be, even though it does take almost losing Jaq for him to realize what he wants in life. Men just need a little extra time some days…

The world-building was pretty excellent in my opinion! The reader gets a gritty dose of the dark life as a Lander; the working-class people left to live life on the ground, while the rich and privileged are far above the dirt and grime. I also really loved all the subtle cracks and pokes at the original Jack and the Beanstalk, they were very clever and felt like small inside jokes that added a lot of fun to the story.

I’ll definitely be reading more by Ella (especially her twisted fairy tales) and I’ll be giving shorter stories and novellas more of a chance in the future. I think anybody who loves re-tellings of fairy tales, futuristic romance, or just a nicely-paced kick-ass read will want to get a copy of Jaq’s Harp.

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 07, 2011 Wenj rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, for-review

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake is an imaginative, futuristic twist on the well known children's classic Jack and the Beanstalk. While this may be an extremely short novella, coming in with under seventy-five pages, this is still a romantically charged, action packed story that was interesting and enjoyable.

With many subtle and not so subtle references toward the original fairy tale, this novella grips the classic and drags it into the next millennium with bio-en...more Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Jaq's Harp by Ella Drake is an imaginative, futuristic twist on the well known children's classic Jack and the Beanstalk. While this may be an extremely short novella, coming in with under seventy-five pages, this is still a romantically charged, action packed story that was interesting and enjoyable.

With many subtle and not so subtle references toward the original fairy tale, this novella grips the classic and drags it into the next millennium with bio-engineered bean stalks and evil giants in the form of corrupt medical corporations with an underlying story of true love. While the world building might be a bit forced given the confines in which it had to be developed, what I saw showed great potential as there was a nicely defined difference between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' illustrating the hierarchy in which the world exists. The futuristic attributes created an interesting environment for the story to take place in. All in all I loved the bleak world of the 'Landers' compared to the pristine and opulent existence of the 'Islanders' above. It creates a great contrast and an obvious segregation between good and evil...or should I say the just and the corrupt that I really enjoyed.

The character are likewise interesting and I instantly like Jaq's fiery persona. She's a bit of a free spirit, with a vulnerable and caring nature underneath a veneer of sarcasm. Brave and heroic, she is willing to go to any length to protect her sister and I found that to be quite admirable. Harp was just as interesting as he wears his heart on his sleeve and is no less noble in his actions. His love of Jaq is never once questionable, though he feels that he looses himself in that love, mainly because she isn't brave enough to open up as freely to him about her own emotions. While there could have been a lot more development in both character, I don't think that the quick introduction in to them or the brief over view of their past together hindered my enjoyment of the story in any way. In fact, I instantly recognized the spark between them and liked their gruff, lust riddled mannerisms. In truth, the only thing that would have made me like this story more was further exploration into their relationship. Especially as both are willing to undergo extreme pain, even death, to save the other. I mean, who wouldn't want to know more about that type of a connection? One other thing I would have liked to see more developed and further explored is Jaq's sister, Merry. Because we have only minimal dealings with her, I couldn't find myself to actually care about her illness. In fact, the relationship between Harp and Jaq far out shadowed the more familial aspect casting Merry into the background, despite the fact that it is because of her the Jaq undertakes this heroic and dangerous mission.

Also, on this topic I would have liked to know more about the sinister plot to infect the masses with this mysterious sickness in the guise of a cure. I think this was a wonderful aspect that was under played. The threat that Giant Corp presented just seemed to fall flat. Also, some of the character's actions at times can be a little odd. I mean the scene in which Harp strips and expects a quickie before making an escape when Jaq was evidently mad at him was a bit ill timed and ludicrous given the situation. There are a couple more instances when you have to simply scratch your head and wonder what is going on in the character's minds. But, there's quite a bit of action within this short story that did make sense and that kept the pace moving. However, like with some of the action, there were times when the action sequences could become a bit muddled and confusing, which threw off the pace at times as well.

Overall, there were parts of this story that really worked well and a few that didn't, but as whole it was still enjoyable. The unique, futuristic spin on this story was fun and I definitely loved the way the author brought the tale to life. In the end, if you enjoy the re-telling of the classic fairy tales or futuristic plots then this tale is for you!

(less)

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Apr 02, 2011 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Every time I see a cover that just stands out from all the others it makes me want to read the story. It does often happen that I come home with books that I haven’t even heard of, but the cover made the book more interesting than the story so I bought it. Jaq’s Harps cover is just amazing. The city, the Beanstalk, the whole mystery feeling I get from it makes me want to read it. So I’m glad I got this for review from Carina Press.

Jaq is a young woman who is strong, caring and very protective of...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Anna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

This is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk... in space! With added gender reversals and a good old evil corporation. Which, of course, led me to say "yessss, I am in!"

With that sort of premise, you expect a fun and creative retelling of the original fairy tale, but to my disappointment, the author played it as close as possible. Apparently the gender reversal and turning the giant into a big evil corporation is quite enough variation, because that's about all we get. On page 10 Monsieur Bovin...more This is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk... in space! With added gender reversals and a good old evil corporation. Which, of course, led me to say "yessss, I am in!"

With that sort of premise, you expect a fun and creative retelling of the original fairy tale, but to my disappointment, the author played it as close as possible. Apparently the gender reversal and turning the giant into a big evil corporation is quite enough variation, because that's about all we get. On page 10 Monsieur Bovine gives Jaq some beans, and I go really? Really? You live in a world with nanotech and lasers, but your best way of infiltrating this big shot corporation is by planting a bean and climbing up a real beanstalk? Come on, you have this awesome futuristic setting with techy bits everywhere! There are all sorts of creative solutions we could come up with to incorporate a beanstalk in here, but no, we're gonna fall back on the old leafy greens. And the DEALER is MISTER COW? My, we really are trying to cram every little detail in there, aren't we?

Ok, I might have found Mister Cow endearing if we'd gone for a little more originality in the rest of the story. As it stands, though, the whole things just smacks of trying too hard to cling to the fairy tale, dressing up the story in a sci-fi disguise and letting it run the way it always has.

The chemistry between Jaq and Harp (yes, her ex is the harp, The Giant's musician) is good, the tension between them believable. The romance was the best part of the story, certainly the part paid the most attention to. It's difficult to put together a full and believable romance in the short space of a novella, but by the end of the story it seemed natural that Jaq and Harper would end up back together, the shared adventure enough to get them both to face emotions they'd tried to hide from before.

Individually, Harper was a likeable enough character, competent with the things he'd been given and believably reluctant to see someone he cared about get caught up in his dangerous mission, even if seeing her makes his pants happy. I couldn't quite make up my mind on Jaq herself, though. She's cold and distant through most of it, until her final thaw. That can work, but her intro isn't exactly set up to endear her to readers. A prickly, difficult to like heroine is one thing, especially when she reserves most of her prickliness for the man who broke her heart, but Jaq was difficult to get to know, even with the reader inside her head, and her snipping was pretty clearly something she wasn't too afraid to spread around, even to an apparently beloved sister she was determined to protect.

The sci fi elements were mostly window dressing, much to my disappointment, whooshing doors and the occasional passcard to give a bit of colour, but adding nothing to plot or characterization. These characters could have lived anywhere, at any time, and while timeless is good, you'd think these people would have been affected at least a little by their environment.(less)

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Apr 03, 2011 Rhianna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Too Short to Do This Premise Justice

I have to say that I really can't offer a summary of the story that is any different from the blurb provided. The concept for this one was really brilliant. A sort-of fairy tale retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk with an adult science fiction twist. Unfortunately the story is quite short and thus not enough character development or backstory is provided.

Without the character development both Harp and Jaq felt flat and their romance lacked any real spark. The...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Katie(babs) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Disappointing. The world building works in some areas, but overall the tension and action fell flat.

When the hero is undercover and the villain is waiting for him, it's not a good thing for the hero to lie on his bed, get naked and tell the heroine (who is upset at him already) to climb aboard and ride him for a quickie before they try and take down the evil corporation.

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Feb 28, 2011 Marie Wolf rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Fast-paced inventive new take on a children's story.
I am not much into science fiction, but I loved the world Ella Drake created.
This was a great read!

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Jan 14, 2012 Kat Duncan rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story is fast-paced, the characters are fascinating and the story world is amazing! Ms Drake did a great job of making these characters come fully alive in a short time. I was sorry when the story ended because the story world was so fascinating I wanted to know more about it. The tension builds from the first page and never lets up until the end. I felt sorry for Jaq as she seemed so lonely plus she never really understood why Harp left her. Happily he realizes his departure was a mistake,...more

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Jan 06, 2012 J.L. Hilton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fun read with a unique, futuristic twist on the old fairy tale.

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Apr 22, 2011 Natasha A. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

review to come

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Feb 15, 2013 ★Rachael ★ rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this twist on the Fairy Tale Jack and the beanstalk!

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May 16, 2013 Leah marked it as to-read

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Apr 17, 2013 Heather Massey added it

Apr 07, 2013 T Rosenberger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mar 01, 2013 ♥ Lily (The Novel Nerd) marked it as to-read

Feb 28, 2013 Yvonne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Feb 25, 2013 Abby marked it as to-read

Feb 24, 2013 Jodi marked it as to-read

Shelves: sci-fi

Feb 15, 2013 Nika **~OhMyShelves~** marked it as wishlist

Feb 15, 2013 Soo marked it as to-read

Feb 15, 2013 Mrs. Bella Cullen 4ever marked it as to-read

Feb 12, 2013 Cattfish rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audible

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About Ella Drake

As a child Ella read books under the covers with a flashlight. There she found a special love of elves, dragons, and knights. Now that she's found her own knight in shining armor and happily ever after, she loves to write tales of fantasy, hot enough to scorch the sheets. No flashlight needed.

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