Such a great book, with an interesting concept. I've been seeing a lot of praise for this book, and rightfully so! This redemption story is an absolute must read- especially for sci fi lovers!

I wanted to read this book, because I read a few fabulous reviews about it, and the publisher`s description grabbed my attention too.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be a disappointing read. I don´t know why I carried on and finished it instead of ditching it halfway through. The writing is not the best, the story is ridiculous, the characters are terrible, the espionage part is even worse. I don`t want to go into details, because I feel I might not be able to hold my horses, and I don´t like to write badly about someone else's work. So let me just politely say this: I don`t recommend it.

I'm not quite sure why space opera seems to be out of vogue at the moment, but new fantasy (including admittedly romantasy) outweighs spaceship-slinging ten to one it seems at the moment. Coming in sight unseen to this one I was a little wary of its near future question of ethics around children born in artificial wombs in space (not that this isn't a pretty standard part of future stories, and indeed the Vorkosigan Saga has it as a key plot point). I was equally surprised therefore that it took almost a third of the novel to get those babies born, with no suggest in the family, business and economic saga that was built around it that it might happen.

We meet the mother / egg donor when she is a small child having visions of a floaty godlike octopus. We know this is significant because the book is fond of ending its over 100 chapters with closers like "she didn't realise how significant that would turn out to be", or "the entire future of mankind would depend on it". Not all of these tags are paid off. Anyway her mum works for an evil git in space, who is sort of in the pocket of the Chinese, but also has his own agenda, as does the mad scientist and the group of freelance evil mercenaries all orbiting around developing drugs to make people docile, some sort of alien crystal and latterly a whole alien civilization living on the backside of the moon that never seems to be discovered even when its discovered. So a lot is happening around the seven babies getting born, not least an eighth baby that might have alien DNA all of which upsets the octopus girl (she has a pet octopus called Tentikle that thwarted a home invasion when she was a teenager) so she tries to steal a baby, gets exiled, becomes the rich dudes concubine, falls in love with a sculptor murders her home invader, goes to space prison, gets busted out and then gets worshiped by the aliens because she has an octopus tattoo and they worship octopussies even though they just short arses with antennae.

If that's your bag, have at it: it was admittedly breathlessly exciting nonsense, thin as a tissue and made very little narrative sense, but if you like incident this will be very much your thing.

Born in Space is a thrilling sci-fi adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The author masterfully weaves together elements of space exploration, intrigue, and family drama into a captivating narrative that's impossible to put down. I was particularly drawn to Teagan Ward, whose journey of sacrifice and redemption resonated deeply with me. This book is a great read for anyone who loves gripping storytelling and thought-provoking sci-fi.

"Born in Space: Unlocking Destiny" by Jeremy Clift is a captivating sci-fi adventure that combines elements of sacrifice, redemption, and ambition. The story follows Teagan Ward, who claims seven children conceived from her donated eggs as her own, sparking a battle against an unscrupulous doctor and a power-mad general.

Clift weaves an engaging tale set against the backdrop of interstellar mining and futuristic space colonies. The strong female protagonist, moral dilemmas, and a fast-paced plot make this book hard to put down. Fans of speculative fiction and strong character-driven narratives will find much to enjoy in this first installment of the Sci-fi Galaxy series.

Buckle up, space cadets, because Born in Space: Unlocking Destiny is about to take you on a wild ride through the cosmos! Jeremy Clift's electrifying tale of adventure and intrigue has everything you could ever want in a sci-fi epic—sacrifice, redemption, and a kick-ass female character who's not afraid to take on the universe. Trust me, once you start reading, you won't be able to stop! So grab your laser blasters and get ready to blast off into a world of interstellar excitement! 🚀✨

This story is so astounding that I couldn't resist reading page after page. I loved the characters and reading about their journeys. The characters brought up so many feelings, especially the ones that are hard not to hate.

Although I am not a frequent sci-fi reader, I enjoyed this dip into the genre. The story spans decades and focuses around a girl/woman named Teagan, and her family, as they navigate moving to space and the challenges that occur thereafter. I found Teagan likeable from the beginning and interesting as a character.

Chapters are very short, and there are over a hundred. Although this is more than I am used to, it worked for this particular book, incorporating many POVs and frequent switches.

The story is very fast paced and interesting, however I did find some dialogue lacked individuality and depth. Some characters fell a little flat to me because of this. That said, the story is well-written and a good exploration of what life in space could look like. I am sure lovers of the genre will enjoy this!

I rate this novel 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.