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Jack Jetstark's Intergalactic FreakShow
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?
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?
Unknown Binding
First published December 4, 2018
6 people are currently reading
384 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Lee Rossman
78 books47 followersI am a sci-fi geek from upstate New York, where I crochet, watch Doctor Who, and threaten to run over people in my wheelchair. My work has been featured in several anthologies and my debut novella Anachronism is now available.
I write weird and hopeful sci-fi and fantasy full of LGBTQIA+ characters, disabled characters, and the occasional Jurassic Park references. I hope my stories can be a safe and welcoming place no matter your gender, ability, race, religion, or orientation.
I write stories I want my grandma to read without blushing - sex may be mentioned (I do love a good innuendo) but will never happen on the page, violence is handled with care and is not gory, and most stories do not contain swear words (the ones that do are used sparingly and only when appropriate to the character).
I'm that nerd who can recite the periodic table backwards, can talk about dinosaurs for hours, and has a betta fish named Fincess Leia.
My debut novel, JACK JETSTARK'S INTERGALACTIC FREAKSHOW, will be published by World Weaver Press in 2019.
Find my work here.
I'm on the Twitter and I have a blog.
I write weird and hopeful sci-fi and fantasy full of LGBTQIA+ characters, disabled characters, and the occasional Jurassic Park references. I hope my stories can be a safe and welcoming place no matter your gender, ability, race, religion, or orientation.
I write stories I want my grandma to read without blushing - sex may be mentioned (I do love a good innuendo) but will never happen on the page, violence is handled with care and is not gory, and most stories do not contain swear words (the ones that do are used sparingly and only when appropriate to the character).
I'm that nerd who can recite the periodic table backwards, can talk about dinosaurs for hours, and has a betta fish named Fincess Leia.
My debut novel, JACK JETSTARK'S INTERGALACTIC FREAKSHOW, will be published by World Weaver Press in 2019.
Find my work here.
I'm on the Twitter and I have a blog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 5, 2018
Rating: 2.2/5
Review: This was sometimes compelling, consistently erratic and disappointing in delivery.
This needed a heavy dose of editing to winnow out the wandering chaff, create a cogent story line and imbue a semblance of logical progression where/when needed. Not that you can’t follow the story line as it is not very complex, it just leaves you to fill in the gaps or accept that things have changed without explanation. Not incredibly intrusive but just enough to leave you scratching your head. Take for instance Jack’s sudden turn at being a revolutionary leader making grandiose speeches when moments ago he was a carnival ring leader. Or that his revolutionary love just can’t stop loving power more, but is self-aware enough to know it but does nothing about it. Just begs someone else to kill her. Huh?
The idea of varying genetic constructs that exist in the Universe is truly compelling. These abilities are showcased in full yet lack a sense of poignancy as they are left drifting among base emotions on a back drop of patterned hero noir. Yes, ol’ Jack is a reluctant hero with shades of moral ambiguity, alienated from society and a generally poor outlook. But boy does he rise from the ashes of self-pity only to find regret, betrayal and recrimination. Ho hum.
At the end of the day I could not decide if this was SciFi or Fantasy. The SciFi aspect was not rendered in enough detail to make you say “Wow, this Universe is plausible.”? There is just a high level of reader acceptance built in. “Hey, don’t go asking questions….just have some fun.” Yeah who cares if a whole city can float, or that fuel? is used for inter-galactic travel or that moons have habitable atmospheres or that people can teleport if so genetically inclined. Right?
For a first novel this is pretty good and shows some creative talent. Someone just needed to have a honest conversation with this author about why this novel needs some in-depth editing to make a salable and cogent read. The turning point that took this novel into average-ville is when Jack takes on a demeanor that really doesn’t fit well or match what we know about the man. These shifts in story line from purveying freaks to grungy locals for a dime, to Dudley Doorite, just seemed a bit too easy of an out. What Jack and his cohorts lacked was depth and sadly, I just didn’t care what happened to them.
Review: This was sometimes compelling, consistently erratic and disappointing in delivery.
This needed a heavy dose of editing to winnow out the wandering chaff, create a cogent story line and imbue a semblance of logical progression where/when needed. Not that you can’t follow the story line as it is not very complex, it just leaves you to fill in the gaps or accept that things have changed without explanation. Not incredibly intrusive but just enough to leave you scratching your head. Take for instance Jack’s sudden turn at being a revolutionary leader making grandiose speeches when moments ago he was a carnival ring leader. Or that his revolutionary love just can’t stop loving power more, but is self-aware enough to know it but does nothing about it. Just begs someone else to kill her. Huh?
The idea of varying genetic constructs that exist in the Universe is truly compelling. These abilities are showcased in full yet lack a sense of poignancy as they are left drifting among base emotions on a back drop of patterned hero noir. Yes, ol’ Jack is a reluctant hero with shades of moral ambiguity, alienated from society and a generally poor outlook. But boy does he rise from the ashes of self-pity only to find regret, betrayal and recrimination. Ho hum.
At the end of the day I could not decide if this was SciFi or Fantasy. The SciFi aspect was not rendered in enough detail to make you say “Wow, this Universe is plausible.”? There is just a high level of reader acceptance built in. “Hey, don’t go asking questions….just have some fun.” Yeah who cares if a whole city can float, or that fuel? is used for inter-galactic travel or that moons have habitable atmospheres or that people can teleport if so genetically inclined. Right?
For a first novel this is pretty good and shows some creative talent. Someone just needed to have a honest conversation with this author about why this novel needs some in-depth editing to make a salable and cogent read. The turning point that took this novel into average-ville is when Jack takes on a demeanor that really doesn’t fit well or match what we know about the man. These shifts in story line from purveying freaks to grungy locals for a dime, to Dudley Doorite, just seemed a bit too easy of an out. What Jack and his cohorts lacked was depth and sadly, I just didn’t care what happened to them.
October 20, 2018
As I read Jack Jetstark's Intergalactic Freakshow (my brain keeps trying to type Jett Jackson) and it's ridiculously long name, it kept reminding me of something. It drove me crazy because I couldn't figure it out. But suddenly, at 75% (I checked), it came to me.
Do y'all remember the Fox show Dark Angel that starred Jessica Alba? That's it. It was my favorite show for years. Sadly, it only had two seasons. And it was before its time before scifi started becoming more popular.
Anyways...
☆ VesCorp = Manticore
☆ Jack = Max (Max was bi. Fight me.)
☆ Diantha = Lydecker
☆ the whole freak thing is similar
I liked the book and even though it's plot also reminded me of Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's scifi Starbound Trilogy, I love how Jennifer Rossman added the fantasy element. As far as I know there aren't any other carnivals set in space stories.
While the story is plot driven, the characters are diverse and well-rounded. Jack is a complicated flawed character but he is also very honest, kind, loyal, and real. I would love a sequel and to learn more about Lily. 🌌💔💕📚
THAT PLOTWIST THO. 😭
The cover is gorgous! 😍
*I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.*
Do y'all remember the Fox show Dark Angel that starred Jessica Alba? That's it. It was my favorite show for years. Sadly, it only had two seasons. And it was before its time before scifi started becoming more popular.
Anyways...
☆ VesCorp = Manticore
☆ Jack = Max (Max was bi. Fight me.)
☆ Diantha = Lydecker
☆ the whole freak thing is similar
"First thing you’ve got to know, is that we’re all freaks. Everyone in the whole universe, for one reason or another. Most try to hide this fact. A few of us embrace it, not so much because we want to but because there’s nothing else for us."
I liked the book and even though it's plot also reminded me of Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's scifi Starbound Trilogy, I love how Jennifer Rossman added the fantasy element. As far as I know there aren't any other carnivals set in space stories.
While the story is plot driven, the characters are diverse and well-rounded. Jack is a complicated flawed character but he is also very honest, kind, loyal, and real. I would love a sequel and to learn more about Lily. 🌌💔💕📚
THAT PLOTWIST THO. 😭
Maybe no one would ever accept us, but so what? We found the few people in all the universe who did, and sometimes that’s all that matters.
The cover is gorgous! 😍
*I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.*
December 11, 2018
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed in this book. It had a lot of promise, but really, really needed looking at by a better editor. The writing was all over the place. There were sections that were well-written and seemed to work well within the plot, but there were oh-so many tangents that led nowhere and pieces of sloppy writing that the editor should have picked up on.
The worst part for me, was an early segment in which the main character was talking with a market trader. During this segment - a few pages - the author point blank refused to assign a gender and corresponding pronoun to said trader. The result was that this person was referred to as "they" the entire time.
Now I am fully aware that the assuming of people's gender thing is a big issue at the moment, and possibly the author was trying to comment on that in some way, but the result was the most irritating few pages I have ever forced myself to read. There is a reason we use gender and pronouns. It makes reading/speaking easier, for both parties involved. Without them, the text does not flow, the mental images will not form, and the story falls flat. Dead. Kaput.
It took a lot for me to continue reading after that.
But all that aside, the ideas are definitely there, and there were definite signs of writing talent amongst the chaff, so hopefully, with more experience and a better editor, future books by this author will be well worth reading.
1.5 stars.
I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed in this book. It had a lot of promise, but really, really needed looking at by a better editor. The writing was all over the place. There were sections that were well-written and seemed to work well within the plot, but there were oh-so many tangents that led nowhere and pieces of sloppy writing that the editor should have picked up on.
The worst part for me, was an early segment in which the main character was talking with a market trader. During this segment - a few pages - the author point blank refused to assign a gender and corresponding pronoun to said trader. The result was that this person was referred to as "they" the entire time.
Now I am fully aware that the assuming of people's gender thing is a big issue at the moment, and possibly the author was trying to comment on that in some way, but the result was the most irritating few pages I have ever forced myself to read. There is a reason we use gender and pronouns. It makes reading/speaking easier, for both parties involved. Without them, the text does not flow, the mental images will not form, and the story falls flat. Dead. Kaput.
It took a lot for me to continue reading after that.
But all that aside, the ideas are definitely there, and there were definite signs of writing talent amongst the chaff, so hopefully, with more experience and a better editor, future books by this author will be well worth reading.
1.5 stars.
March 31, 2019
The title and very pretty cover drew me to this one. I loved the show Carnivàle when it was on, loved the movie The Greatest Showman, figured this book would be in those same veins. And it was, sort of. I found it odd that the people are normal, but then a song played and they transformed into the freaks, yet no one knew why or how, just that it happened. Even when that was revealed to a new comer, it was just ho hum, very boring, which sadly was the tone of the book. I wanted fantastical, wanted the magic, not meh.... In the end this one wasn't for me.
February 17, 2019
I picked this book up on a whim from the new SF shelf at my library. This novel didn’t start out very good, but it got better along the way. It’s not boring; I read it through in a weekend. It seems a bit disjointed however, as if a few necessary parts were carelessly edited out, and I think the story just doesn’t gel. I am glad to see more SF from diverse authors, but I guess this story turned out to be not quite my cup of tea.
October 12, 2018
Review to come.
December 9, 2018
This book was a disappointment. The cover and the description sounded so promising, a group of freaks performing in a carnival and taking on saving the galaxy is something a lot of us would love to read. However, this book was confusing in the manner it was told, as well as the characters themselves. Keeping track of flashbacks, new characters that sprouted up disappeared from chapter to chapter, and overall the motivation was confusing. A child pops up that might belong to a main character, but then it is just an assumed fact after a while with no real explanation. Finally, I did finish the book in hopes that something would change but the ending was evasive as well. What really happened? What will have to the remaining characters next? There are no answers and for a book that was seeking resolution to those two things throughout, it was disappointing.
Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2024
Excellent, imaginative sci fi adventure
But the title is deceptive. Freakshow isn't a romp; it's a serious story filled with greed, evil, rebellion, found family, a horrifically high body count, romance, hope, and grief. Jack is a great narrator and a fascinating, conflicted character. The worldbuilding is dark and complicated, and the characters are memorable.
But the title is deceptive. Freakshow isn't a romp; it's a serious story filled with greed, evil, rebellion, found family, a horrifically high body count, romance, hope, and grief. Jack is a great narrator and a fascinating, conflicted character. The worldbuilding is dark and complicated, and the characters are memorable.
May 1, 2022
A hidden gem I absolutely loved. I, like most of twitter, learned of Rossman's existence through the "we're disabled, not werewolves" perfect retort, and I'm happy to report Rossman's writing is just as sassy, and endearing and fun in this book!
November 19, 2018
This review was originally posted on
I loved carnivals growing up.
Still do.
Who doesn’t?
But imagine a carnival in OUTER SPACE?!! With an odd motley performing crew made up of beings from far flung planets?!!!
Excuse me, where can I buy the tickets?
This seemingly inconceivable carnival exists, in Jack Jetstark’s space ship named Rubeno Mardo that travels across the universe putting up shows on different planets.
But the carnivals are just an excuse because Jack and his crew have a mission.
The crew of Rubeno Mardo may look completely ordinary until they hear a specific song that plays on Jack’s receptor every night. The vibrations encoded in this song transforms him and his crew into
A Fire Breather
A winged angel
Conjoined triplets consisting of a wildman, a telepath and a transmutator.
And that is when…
The Carnival begins
The reason Jack Jetstark and his crew go through this dramatic transformation that might make you want to run for the hills, is that they are the descendants of genetically-mutated superpowered humans who did not quite turn out to be what they were supposed to be.
Thus, their creators i.e. scientists of VesCorp, an all powerful organization did what people do when things are not what they want them to be….discard them.
Anyone who has any experience of living in the society would understand how welcome anything other than ‘normal’ is. Ergo, they were called ‘Freaks’.
And now Jack Jetstark is searching the universe for other freak descendants to include in his crew.
It was all working out smoothly (Except for the occasional problems of intergalactic space travel. You know how it is.) until one night the song ended differently transforming Jack and his whole crew permanently. You might think- Oh, That’s not good!
True but there’s more. And it’s not good either!
The song was sung every night by the woman Jack loves enough to travel across universes for. And this abrupt change is interpreted by Jack as a signal that she might be in trouble.
How would Jack and his crew, in there present state, find that woman and what would Jack find at the end of his search?
(Nothing Spock approved, i’ll tell you that! Had to make a Star Trek reference.. just…had to.)
Always a sci-fi fan, I knew I was going to love this but what I did not know was that ‘Jack Jetstark’s intergalactic freakshow’ would be infinitely larger than a sci-fi adventure. This is a story of accepting your uniqueness and wearing it like a badge. Being proud of who you are and where you came from. A story of love in all its transformations and ugliness. I adored every second of reading this and would not want any of my bookworm friends to miss this experience.
I loved carnivals growing up.
Still do.
Who doesn’t?
But imagine a carnival in OUTER SPACE?!! With an odd motley performing crew made up of beings from far flung planets?!!!
Excuse me, where can I buy the tickets?
This seemingly inconceivable carnival exists, in Jack Jetstark’s space ship named Rubeno Mardo that travels across the universe putting up shows on different planets.
But the carnivals are just an excuse because Jack and his crew have a mission.
The crew of Rubeno Mardo may look completely ordinary until they hear a specific song that plays on Jack’s receptor every night. The vibrations encoded in this song transforms him and his crew into
A Fire Breather
A winged angel
Conjoined triplets consisting of a wildman, a telepath and a transmutator.
And that is when…
The Carnival begins
The reason Jack Jetstark and his crew go through this dramatic transformation that might make you want to run for the hills, is that they are the descendants of genetically-mutated superpowered humans who did not quite turn out to be what they were supposed to be.
Thus, their creators i.e. scientists of VesCorp, an all powerful organization did what people do when things are not what they want them to be….discard them.
Anyone who has any experience of living in the society would understand how welcome anything other than ‘normal’ is. Ergo, they were called ‘Freaks’.
And now Jack Jetstark is searching the universe for other freak descendants to include in his crew.
It was all working out smoothly (Except for the occasional problems of intergalactic space travel. You know how it is.) until one night the song ended differently transforming Jack and his whole crew permanently. You might think- Oh, That’s not good!
True but there’s more. And it’s not good either!
The song was sung every night by the woman Jack loves enough to travel across universes for. And this abrupt change is interpreted by Jack as a signal that she might be in trouble.
How would Jack and his crew, in there present state, find that woman and what would Jack find at the end of his search?
(Nothing Spock approved, i’ll tell you that! Had to make a Star Trek reference.. just…had to.)
Always a sci-fi fan, I knew I was going to love this but what I did not know was that ‘Jack Jetstark’s intergalactic freakshow’ would be infinitely larger than a sci-fi adventure. This is a story of accepting your uniqueness and wearing it like a badge. Being proud of who you are and where you came from. A story of love in all its transformations and ugliness. I adored every second of reading this and would not want any of my bookworm friends to miss this experience.
January 22, 2019
There was a lot about this book that I loved. First, the idea: space carnival with people with actual superpower abilities who take on a giant exploitative corporation? YES PLEASE. And a special song that activates their powers? Yes! A diverse cast of characters that are all awkward and adorable? Sign me up!
Jack's voice as the narrator was great (although I will admit that his sentence fragment speech pattern occasionally bugged me) but overall it worked because it was definitely his voice, and it was solid all the way through.
My main complaints come with the editing, which I think led to most of my confusion about certain plot points.
SPOILERS BELOW
Jack went from "Ruby Marta could potentially be my daughter the timing is close" to "YES SHE IS" with no explanation. I'm unclear whether this was just him adopting her and accepting her in the found family theme, or if there was some concrete evidence that I missed that she was his.
However, I did LOVE the twist involving Ruby. That was excellent!
Second, I was confident after the big battle where Lily went up in flames that she was dead. Totally confident. And then I was super confused when she appeared in the next chapter seemingly unscathed.
Finally, Diantha. I love the idea of a complex female villain, of course. And I kept waiting for the twist where it was revealed how she came to be running VesCorp instead of taking it down... and I was halfway expecting her to have been on their side all along, but sadly, that didn't happen. I finished this book having no idea what Diantha's motivation really was.
SPOILERS OVER
Most of my issues come from the editing, which I think could have used another pass, but overall, this was an absolutely enjoyable ride and if there is a sequel (I feel like there's room), I want it immediately :)
Jack's voice as the narrator was great (although I will admit that his sentence fragment speech pattern occasionally bugged me) but overall it worked because it was definitely his voice, and it was solid all the way through.
My main complaints come with the editing, which I think led to most of my confusion about certain plot points.
SPOILERS BELOW
Jack went from "Ruby Marta could potentially be my daughter the timing is close" to "YES SHE IS" with no explanation. I'm unclear whether this was just him adopting her and accepting her in the found family theme, or if there was some concrete evidence that I missed that she was his.
However, I did LOVE the twist involving Ruby. That was excellent!
Second, I was confident after the big battle where Lily went up in flames that she was dead. Totally confident. And then I was super confused when she appeared in the next chapter seemingly unscathed.
Finally, Diantha. I love the idea of a complex female villain, of course. And I kept waiting for the twist where it was revealed how she came to be running VesCorp instead of taking it down... and I was halfway expecting her to have been on their side all along, but sadly, that didn't happen. I finished this book having no idea what Diantha's motivation really was.
SPOILERS OVER
Most of my issues come from the editing, which I think could have used another pass, but overall, this was an absolutely enjoyable ride and if there is a sequel (I feel like there's room), I want it immediately :)
March 20, 2025
Cool idea I swear but it definitely felt like a draft of those ideas. The writing was mostly fine but occasionally juvenile sounding—it included a lot of cliche metaphors and phrases (VERY tumblr) that were meant to sound cool and sarcastic but sounded more like dean winchester talk (who I DO love). Which was also a part of the tone and voice issue—it felt very much like someone was just relating this story to me rather than an immersive experience; like 70% exposition, and their wanna-be chill tone just eradicated the stakes.
But the worst part was def the characters; they are literally NOTHING. Like names on a page level nothing. No personalities, nothing unique, no consistency; and yet I’m told over and over that they care about each other and that they’re a family that definitely loves each other so much and would die for each other and it’s a bond stronger than blood even tho they hardly interact have zero chemistry and barely give a shit over betrayals and deaths but also trust me they’re totally are a found family cuz the author said so.
But the main character?? Go king, give us nothing? Who even are you? Why do I care? I feel like maybe the author forgot that they knew a lot more about the characters than we did, so just forgot to showcase it in world.
But props to keeping a big plot condensed to like 250 pages, very impressive and not horribly done, but I felt like we were just time jumping between plot events, like now we’re here and then we go there because why not idk. It’s definitely not cuz of the characters, as they couldn’t drive a plot to save their lives
Edit: OH also the lack of explanations??? Like so many things are brushed off, or brought up as mysteries but then assumed as if it were always true (aka the daughter thing). Honestly maybe it SHOULD have been a little longer
But the worst part was def the characters; they are literally NOTHING. Like names on a page level nothing. No personalities, nothing unique, no consistency; and yet I’m told over and over that they care about each other and that they’re a family that definitely loves each other so much and would die for each other and it’s a bond stronger than blood even tho they hardly interact have zero chemistry and barely give a shit over betrayals and deaths but also trust me they’re totally are a found family cuz the author said so.
But the main character?? Go king, give us nothing? Who even are you? Why do I care? I feel like maybe the author forgot that they knew a lot more about the characters than we did, so just forgot to showcase it in world.
But props to keeping a big plot condensed to like 250 pages, very impressive and not horribly done, but I felt like we were just time jumping between plot events, like now we’re here and then we go there because why not idk. It’s definitely not cuz of the characters, as they couldn’t drive a plot to save their lives
Edit: OH also the lack of explanations??? Like so many things are brushed off, or brought up as mysteries but then assumed as if it were always true (aka the daughter thing). Honestly maybe it SHOULD have been a little longer
November 22, 2018
Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow has an interesting premise and when I read the book description I was intrigued.
Jack Jetstark has travelled the universe to locate descendants of individuals who were altered by VesCorp scientists. These self-proclaimed freaks have superpowers that are not realized until they hear a particular song which is played every night through a receptor Jack was given by the woman he loves. There is something about the song that transforms the freaks into their true forms. With the group Jack has gathered, they have created a travelling carnival on his spaceship and have been using their powers during the duration of the song to create a show to entertain the crowd. Their carnival show has been going on for years, until one night the song is different and causes the superpowers to become permanent. The following night the song does not play at all and Jack believes that it is a signal from the woman he loves that she is in danger and she needs his protection. He and his group decide to find out.
This book was enjoyable to read however it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I’m not sure if it was the book description or the cover itself but I thought that the travelling carnival would have been more of a focus in the story. Overall, the plot moved along at a good pace and it was an interesting book. I would say that a battle against an oppressive government, agency or in this case corporation isn’t new but there was plenty of action to keep me interested in the story. Also, one of the themes was about feeling like you don’t belong and finding a place where you can fit in. I loved that message but for some reason I didn’t find myself connecting with the characters fully and it left me wanting a bit more.
Jack Jetstark has travelled the universe to locate descendants of individuals who were altered by VesCorp scientists. These self-proclaimed freaks have superpowers that are not realized until they hear a particular song which is played every night through a receptor Jack was given by the woman he loves. There is something about the song that transforms the freaks into their true forms. With the group Jack has gathered, they have created a travelling carnival on his spaceship and have been using their powers during the duration of the song to create a show to entertain the crowd. Their carnival show has been going on for years, until one night the song is different and causes the superpowers to become permanent. The following night the song does not play at all and Jack believes that it is a signal from the woman he loves that she is in danger and she needs his protection. He and his group decide to find out.
This book was enjoyable to read however it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I’m not sure if it was the book description or the cover itself but I thought that the travelling carnival would have been more of a focus in the story. Overall, the plot moved along at a good pace and it was an interesting book. I would say that a battle against an oppressive government, agency or in this case corporation isn’t new but there was plenty of action to keep me interested in the story. Also, one of the themes was about feeling like you don’t belong and finding a place where you can fit in. I loved that message but for some reason I didn’t find myself connecting with the characters fully and it left me wanting a bit more.
October 29, 2018
Jack Jetstark's Intergalactic Freakshow is a fun little story about about a group of circus freaks who travel the universe entertaining people. Every day, a song plays, and while the song plays, this ordinary group of people transforms into strange creatures that fascinate onlookers. This life would have continued indefinitely... until something changes.
Jack's former lover, Diantha, is in trouble, and when the song changes, he realizes that he needs to go help her. Instead of being the leader of a traveling carnival, he finds himself a leader of a military rebellion that spreads into a full-on war. In the meantime, his friends that used to only transform into circus freaks during the song transform one final time and won't return to normal.
This is a story with betrayal, war, and genetic engineering. Jack finds out that the events of his past and the people in them weren't quite what he thought they were. This is also a story where the people that are a little different triumph... but not without their own struggles.
The story was written in an entertaining style. I thought that the traveling intergalactic freak show was an interesting idea, and the characters were good people.
While I enjoyed the story, I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the other stories that I've read this year. Occasionally the plot was difficult to follow. I wasn't sucked into the plot as much as I have been with some other novels. It's a cute story, but it isn't one of the best that I've read recently.
Jack's former lover, Diantha, is in trouble, and when the song changes, he realizes that he needs to go help her. Instead of being the leader of a traveling carnival, he finds himself a leader of a military rebellion that spreads into a full-on war. In the meantime, his friends that used to only transform into circus freaks during the song transform one final time and won't return to normal.
This is a story with betrayal, war, and genetic engineering. Jack finds out that the events of his past and the people in them weren't quite what he thought they were. This is also a story where the people that are a little different triumph... but not without their own struggles.
The story was written in an entertaining style. I thought that the traveling intergalactic freak show was an interesting idea, and the characters were good people.
While I enjoyed the story, I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the other stories that I've read this year. Occasionally the plot was difficult to follow. I wasn't sucked into the plot as much as I have been with some other novels. It's a cute story, but it isn't one of the best that I've read recently.
July 15, 2019
This entertaining read is something of a mash-up – one of those where the science fiction explanation works well, but nonetheless has more than a slight fantasy feel. I thoroughly enjoyed the first person protagonist, Jack Jetstark, who is a sympathetic character with a lethal skillset, but nonetheless comes across as emotionally vulnerable. I enjoyed his steadfast love for his childhood sweetheart that could come across as naïve, but because of the pledge they’d made – he completely trusted her. I also like the care he demonstrates for the disparate family of genetic ‘freaks’ he travels with.
However, their constant journeying from one backward planet to another, putting on their small show comes to an abrupt end when the music changes and with it, so does everything else. From that moment on, this adventure changes gear and the pace picks up whirling us into an action adventure that buckets forward full tilt.
At this stage it would have been easy for the characters to become thinner as they become caught up in events, but Lee Rossman keeps a firm grip on the pacing and her main players, to the extent that I found that my thoughts were often with the antagonist and her motivations. Is she necessarily wrong in her approach? Will Jetstark’s intervention make a bad situation worse? I think this is the mark of an accomplished writer to be able to raise those important questions while all the mayhem is kicking off.
Highly recommended for fans of space opera adventure featuring strong characters.
9/10
However, their constant journeying from one backward planet to another, putting on their small show comes to an abrupt end when the music changes and with it, so does everything else. From that moment on, this adventure changes gear and the pace picks up whirling us into an action adventure that buckets forward full tilt.
At this stage it would have been easy for the characters to become thinner as they become caught up in events, but Lee Rossman keeps a firm grip on the pacing and her main players, to the extent that I found that my thoughts were often with the antagonist and her motivations. Is she necessarily wrong in her approach? Will Jetstark’s intervention make a bad situation worse? I think this is the mark of an accomplished writer to be able to raise those important questions while all the mayhem is kicking off.
Highly recommended for fans of space opera adventure featuring strong characters.
9/10
August 12, 2019
(This review originally appeared at Mad Scientist Journal.)
Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow by Jennifer Lee Rossman is a great novel that blends superheroes and sci-fi in a delightful way, with a carnival freak show thrown in for good measure. These aren’t heroes in costumes, but powered individuals who use their abilities for the good of the universe. It’s full of twists and turns, betrayals and unlikely alliances, and an overall message of chosen family being one of the most powerful forces in the universe.
Jack Jetstark and his crew are “freaks” whose abilities are unleashed when a song plays each day at the same time. Jack breathes fire and gains a way with words, while Merulo becomes more beast than man. Theon, Pneuman, and Parthen come together as conjoined psychic triplets, and Lily becomes a bird woman that they bill as an angel. When the song changes, so do Jack and his crew–their powers don’t fade with the end of the song, leading to a number of complications. And then the universe explodes into civil war.
Though Firefly and Heroes are named as the primary inspiration for Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow, I also saw some shades of Guardians of the Galaxy, particularly in the team that doesn’t always get along, but always cares about the other members. This book is dark in places, with no shortage of character death, but there’s a persistence of the spirits of those who are lost that softens that blow.
The publisher provided us with a free copy of this novel in exchange for review consideration.
Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow by Jennifer Lee Rossman is a great novel that blends superheroes and sci-fi in a delightful way, with a carnival freak show thrown in for good measure. These aren’t heroes in costumes, but powered individuals who use their abilities for the good of the universe. It’s full of twists and turns, betrayals and unlikely alliances, and an overall message of chosen family being one of the most powerful forces in the universe.
Jack Jetstark and his crew are “freaks” whose abilities are unleashed when a song plays each day at the same time. Jack breathes fire and gains a way with words, while Merulo becomes more beast than man. Theon, Pneuman, and Parthen come together as conjoined psychic triplets, and Lily becomes a bird woman that they bill as an angel. When the song changes, so do Jack and his crew–their powers don’t fade with the end of the song, leading to a number of complications. And then the universe explodes into civil war.
Though Firefly and Heroes are named as the primary inspiration for Jack Jetstark’s Intergalactic Freakshow, I also saw some shades of Guardians of the Galaxy, particularly in the team that doesn’t always get along, but always cares about the other members. This book is dark in places, with no shortage of character death, but there’s a persistence of the spirits of those who are lost that softens that blow.
The publisher provided us with a free copy of this novel in exchange for review consideration.
January 8, 2019
I really enjoyed a lot of parts of this book and other parts I really disliked.
Likes-
*creative premise and interesting characters- The characters are so original and I loved finding out about their talents and skills. I was totally surprised by a couple of revelations about a few characters towards the end.
Dislikes-
*uneven pacing- Some parts I was very into and then suddenly I find myself in a new setting and I don't know how they got there or when it is. For example, I'm reading about the MC being on a certain planet and then a new scene starts and they are now on the MC's home planet with no lead in to why, how, or when they got there. I think it just needs some more editing.
*random discussions or comments about character's gender and sexual orientation and habits. It wasn't worked into the storyline but rather felt like the parts were just inserted to be politically correct. These references could have been removed and the plot wouldn't have been affected at all.
(I received a free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.)
Likes-
*creative premise and interesting characters- The characters are so original and I loved finding out about their talents and skills. I was totally surprised by a couple of revelations about a few characters towards the end.
Dislikes-
*uneven pacing- Some parts I was very into and then suddenly I find myself in a new setting and I don't know how they got there or when it is. For example, I'm reading about the MC being on a certain planet and then a new scene starts and they are now on the MC's home planet with no lead in to why, how, or when they got there. I think it just needs some more editing.
*random discussions or comments about character's gender and sexual orientation and habits. It wasn't worked into the storyline but rather felt like the parts were just inserted to be politically correct. These references could have been removed and the plot wouldn't have been affected at all.
(I received a free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.)
January 13, 2022
It’s a charming little quick read, with some issues that could have been tweaked easily with better editing.
The entire bad gal/love plot just makes no sense. Frankly could have been skipped entirely and the book would have gone on just fine with only a mysterious radio playing some long lost signal and then finally tracking it down when it abruptly stops.
For the first chunk of the book the person YOU are is just not well described or fleshed out. Which means every time they meet someone new you just want to scream “I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHO AM I!!!”
At the end she credits some inspiration to Firefly, which makes a lot of sense. But her ‘verse lacked the color and tone of a space western. There was the big bad corporation, the little guys fighting hopeless rebellions, the backwater , and an accent? That came and went at random…but they were still all just perfectly normal Future people. There was no vibe to really give it the texture that made Firefly so loved.
The entire bad gal/love plot just makes no sense. Frankly could have been skipped entirely and the book would have gone on just fine with only a mysterious radio playing some long lost signal and then finally tracking it down when it abruptly stops.
For the first chunk of the book the person YOU are is just not well described or fleshed out. Which means every time they meet someone new you just want to scream “I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHO AM I!!!”
At the end she credits some inspiration to Firefly, which makes a lot of sense. But her ‘verse lacked the color and tone of a space western. There was the big bad corporation, the little guys fighting hopeless rebellions, the backwater , and an accent? That came and went at random…but they were still all just perfectly normal Future people. There was no vibe to really give it the texture that made Firefly so loved.
January 30, 2023
Just a fun, quirky read. I think by the end of the book I understood what was actually happening but it took me a bit. A captain and his crew travel through space with a freak show which features people who have been modified to be "freaks". There's a song they all sing/listen to every night...always omitting the ending...in order to keep their freakiness enabled. One day, when the entire song is finally heard their various attributes become permanent. About this time, it comes to their attention that many more individuals are being modified, enduring painful procedures, in order to make more freaks. The captain and his crew decide to make an effort to rescue these folks and hope to end the modifications altogether. I think my favorite take away from the book was the fact that the folks who were already part of the intergalactic freak show felt very much like family and did everything they could to take part in the rescue, despite their enormous differences.
December 31, 2018
I enjoyed this book. It begins with a carnival that travels from planet to planet and asteroids to put on a show at a prescribed time each night as a specific song is broadcast. During the song the performers morph into very different characters -the beautiful girl morphs into a creature with wings - an angel or is she a harpy; mild mannered man turns into a wild hairy beast and show barker breathes fire. One night the troops music completes the song and they suddenly are unable to change back but this means that the love of Jack's life is in trouble and needs their help. They are drawn into a war against the evil company that rules the universe -Can they survive???
Thoroughly enjoyable!!!!!!
Thoroughly enjoyable!!!!!!
March 28, 2025
More of a space fantasy than space opera. The distinction there being that of sophistication. The author's choice of what happens more on the dramatic needs rather than plausibility. By the author's own description:
Heroes meets Firefly with a magical song that gives people superpowers, but the actual plot fizzled out somewhere after the orphan girl with the mysterious past joined the space carnival.
Heroes meets Firefly with a magical song that gives people superpowers, but the actual plot fizzled out somewhere after the orphan girl with the mysterious past joined the space carnival.
November 5, 2018
#NetGalley #Edelweiss
What a fun novel! Tweens will enjoy the scientific aspects, but everyone will love Jack. The band of circus performers is delightful and defiantly full of amazing characters. The story is what really pushes this novel along though. I hope to see another book!
What a fun novel! Tweens will enjoy the scientific aspects, but everyone will love Jack. The band of circus performers is delightful and defiantly full of amazing characters. The story is what really pushes this novel along though. I hope to see another book!
June 25, 2019
Not in my usual genre, but I was intrigued by the title and book cover. Thought about giving up on it more than once; glad I didn't. Wish I could have a better appreciation for it. I would be interested in seeing how this would be adapted to the big screen.
February 18, 2021
This book was phenomenal. A real page turner. Usually I don't fall so deeply into science fiction books but this one was amazing. A little romance, a bit of warfare, and a healthy dose of intergalactic freaks. Such a fun read!
October 19, 2018
An epic space adventure full of fascinating characters, pulse-pounding action, and wicked twists. I'm ready to run away with this circus!
Full review coming soon!
Full review coming soon!
January 28, 2019
Wonderful story! It starts out as a space circus, but becomes so much more.
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August 14, 2022🍑🎙️ "How Do You Do, Fellow Chosen Ones?"
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December 6, 2022
X-Men gone space, spiced with romance and intriguing twists
April 23, 2023
Interesting author and a unique story. Worth a read if you like sci-fi
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews