Series Review: Chaotic Orbits by Beth Revis

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for Full Speed to a Crash Landing (from Goodreads):

Ada Lamarr may have gotten to the spaceship wreck first, but looter’s rights won’t get her far when she’s got a hole in the side of her ship and her spacesuit is almost out of air. Fortunately for her, help arrives in the form of a government salvage crew—and while they reluctantly rescue her from certain death, they are not pleased to have an unexpected passenger along on their classified mission.

But Ada doesn’t care—all that matters to her is enjoying their fine food and sweet, sweet oxygen—until Rian White, the government agent in charge, starts to suspect that there’s more to Ada than meets the eye. He’s not wrong—but he’s so pretty that Ada is perfectly happy to keep him paying attention to her—at least until she can complete the job she was sent to pull off. But as quick as Ada is, Rian might be quicker—and she may not be entirely sure who’s manipulating who until it’s too late…

A phenomenally fun novella that kicks off a trilogy of sexy space heists and romantic tension, Full Speed to a Crash Landing is packed with great characters and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

Author: Beth Revis
Series: Chaotic Orbits
# of Books: 3 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Thriller
Heat Rating: Warm
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Dates: August 2024 – April 2025
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I stumbled upon this series by accident when I was browsing recent audiobook additions to my library. I thought the titles were fun and then I saw that they were published by Beth Revis! I read (and LOVED) her YA science fiction series Across the Universe years ago; I loved its darker, thrilling vibes. So the idea of this somewhat lighter, peppier scifi heist a la Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty had me very curious to check it out!

The Concept / The World:

This trilogy is a series of 3 novellas but I never really felt like they were missing anything due to their shorter length. Would I have loved one long novel? For sure! I enjoyed the characters, the plot and the overall energy and easily could have read a full length novel. But I think some of the charm of this series comes from its ability to get to the point and move along. It added to the overall suspense of the time-sensitive, cat-and-mouse plotline.

The Plot:

One thing I loved about this series is that I never really knew if I was getting the full story — in a good way! I liked that there were many layers to the plots and characters so it kept me on my toes trying to figure out what was truly going on. Is Ada the good guy? Is Rian? Are they both good and they just don’t know it? Who knows! But I was excited trying to figure it out.

And even with the shorter page length, I felt like the plot was well developed and complex enough to satisfy.

The Characters:

Ada was so much fun to listen to! I loved her wit, her sass and her lust for Rian. I thought she was hilarious and totally on point with some of her comments and observations regarding society and people.

Rian was the perfect compliment to her character. Equally intelligent to match her spar for spar but a reserved enigma who only lets out a touch of his true feelings when Ada breaks through. Perfection!

The Romance:

Again, I thought this was surprisingly well developed despite the page length! Yes, things move fast but I think the tense plotline, the high stakes and the close proximity help amplify and sell the connection between them. I also liked that its relatively tame in the sense that it’s just a few stolen kisses–not numerous passionate sex scenes–so it just keeps the romance at the exploration stage and gives it a “will-they-won’t-they” vibe that had me dying for more!

My Audiobook Experience:

I’m so glad I opted for the audio version! I think I would have missed some of the humour and sass of Ada had I just read the text myself. The narrator, Dara Rosenberg, was fabulous! It just upped the ante on everything Ada did.