Hopper [Book One Complete]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

On a quiet farming microplanet, Tegan works, waits, and tries not to look too far past the dome.The machines are breaking down. Credits are tight. Her partner is stuck in the past.

So when a beautiful stranger on a gravbike arrives, scarred, sharp-eyed, and offering a way off-world, Tegan makes a choice she can’t take back.

Now she’s left everything behind for a crew she doesn’t understand, bound for ports she’s never heard of. The stars are vast, the risks are real, and freedom has a cost no one warned her about.

Found family, complicated relationships, and the danger of getting what you asked for,Hopperis a queer sci-fi escape story with the comfort of Firefly and the casual brutality of Gideon the Ninth.

Book two,Boar, is on the way, so make sure to follow.

If you'd like to hang out, ask questions, yell at me, join myDiscord!Sapphic, slow burn, lesbian MC, queer romance, found family, gay cast, character-drivenReddit Rank Verification

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2025
Author: emwritestoomuch

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 837
Views: 74,518

What readers say about Hopper [Book One Complete]

“Think Firefly meets Six of Crows, except the Crows are all lesbians and also damn fine. STYLE: Lucid, expressive prose keeps the story moving right along and flexes appropriately for particularly intense scenes: fast and agile during action, pensive during…”
AnaktoriaRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“It started with the tree. Yep, the willow on the cover. One look, I and was in her thrall. Then it was the tension. Not the pew! pew! space pistol type of tension which is sprinkled here and there, but the deep tension of woman against environment and woman…”
Ayela ArcanaRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(10)

AnaktoriaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Think Firefly meets Six of Crows, except the Crows are all lesbians and also damn fine.
STYLE: Lucid, expressive prose keeps the story moving right along and flexes appropriately for particularly intense scenes: fast and agile during action, pensive during character moments, and everywhere in between. Always polished and accessible. This author has a background in professional writing, and believe me, it shows!
STORY: Ragtag group of law-dodging space heisters picks up an innocent farm girl and frees her from shackles she didn't know she had. Shenanigans (gay ones) ensue. There're beautiful femme fatales, snarky (also beautiful) hackers (also femme and fatale), a mysterious biker lady who enchants our heroine as much as she confuses her, and Carl, the swamp ox, who, quite frankly, is all you need in the world. Themes range from found family, developing trust and self-respect, and overall coming of age (in a way - Tegan isn't a child, but she's also doing lots of coming into her own and the world around her) to resisting the iron hand of corporatocracy, which is appropriate for both space opera and cyberpunk as genres. Tags check out!
GRAMMAR: Yes.
CHARACTER: This is a character-driven story, and that's very evident from the jump. As such, it's important to nail the nuances and quirks for each of the main cast. I think this is well accomplished; each character feels organic and credible, and I love that our heroine is as relatably flawed as she is - there's a lot of trying and failing and learning from mistakes going on, so expect to feel every stumble in the early plot and cheer for her triumphs later on. My favorite here is Faru, by far the most alien of the main gang (well, he IS an alien, complete with tentacle-hair and amphibian lion features); you're sure to find your own favorites (and ships!) no matter who you relate to most.
TL;DR old-school, traditional sci-fi with a refreshingly modern, authentically sapphic heart. Don't miss out!
Ayela ArcanaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It started with the tree. Yep, the willow on the cover. One look, I and was in her thrall.
Then it was the tension. Not the pew! pew! space pistol type of tension which is sprinkled here and there, but the deep tension of woman against environment and woman against self.
The internal struggle of Tegan’s character is beautifully fleshed out, and her conflict with her inner world is co-mingled with mysterious characters and an intriguing world.
Fans of N.K. Jemisin and the Mandalorian will find a happy home in Hopper. The story-crafting stands head and shoulders above most of what is available on Royal Road where fist is often the focus at the expense of true mastery of form.
"There was no big life without risk. That was the secret."
In my view, that quote summarizes the character arc of Hopper and what you can expect from it’s story. If you enjoy fiction that injects poetry into its phrasing, then you’ll love this one.
But I admit, I’m biased. ‘Cuz the author drugged me with my own personal brand of heroine: this book started in her dreams. Now I’m under her spell, and there’s no escape.
Also worth noting is the flawless grammar and punctuation. I didn’t find a single correction, just well-constructed prose and page-turner characters.
I Followed this one because, what am I to do? I’m hooked now. Tegan, I’ll be scrolling with you.
UPDATE: At Chapter 29, I stand by my five-star review. It gets better and better, though maybe not always for Tegan. Adrenaline. Nonhumans. Ethics. Psychedelic mystery. Betrayal. And always, Tegan’s internal monologue: sometimes funny, often doubting, and forever a friend when you want to escape Earth for a while. Oh, and the cussing's hilarious too.
LizardQueen23Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Hopper is a breath of fresh air! In a short time, I have grown very attached to the characters but most of all I love the world building! Teagan is brave and grows so much in the story. I have never heard anyone described as a lanky ground chicken, but that is how I now identify 🤣 can't wait to read more
SpencerIsWhereNowRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
*Reviewing this at the time of chapter 2 being posted*
The world building that Emily accomplishes in so little number of chapters is something I have come to be astonished by in her other works as well! There is obviously well thought out plots that are unraveling in just this short amount of time and I am excited to be here for it all! After reading chapter 1, Tegan stood out as a strong MC, though chapter 2 showed me that she will have a large journey of discovery, betrayal, growth, or all of the aforementioned items.
Overall, very enticed by this story and excited to see where it goes- another out of the park story for Emily!
Timothy BarilRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I'm loving this so far and can't wait to read more!!
If you enjoy space battles, deadly aliens, laser blasters, and all the best of sci-fi action, you'll be right at home. If you like engineering and mechanics in space, you'll love this. If you like cool, tough-as-nails, beautiful, butt-kicking women (and of course you do), this story is totally for you.
Tegan is in a dead-end relationship on a tiny, dead-end planetoid when she finally finds the courage to change course in life and look for something better. (Sadly, only after her best friend, the cow, is sold off.) A skilled mechanic, she's soon patching up spaceships, wheeling and dealing across the system, and embarking on a mysterious and dangerous heist with a gang of rogues.
I was instantly rooting for her from the start, and I really want to find out about the mysterious substance. The story is fun, mature, and exciting.
Story and Style
Hopper blends action and character-driven dynamics that make it easy to sink into the story and get carried along. The MC, Tegan, is really well written, and there's plenty of drama and potential fireworks to bring people and relationships to life. Large cast of interesting characters and potential relationships/crises.
The story reads like trad-pub, smooth and easy to follow, the use of native terms making you feel fully immersed in the universe. A few small errors here and there because it's a first draft, but nothing that gets in the way of enjoying the story.
aubrey313Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This book is already something special, even just one chapter in. The Author wastes no time dropping you into the every day life in this dome. This setting feels very human and relatable but you can feel that something big is coming—and I’m totally hooked to see how it all unfolds. Can’t wait to read the rest!
buggybonesjonesRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Now, nearing the end of the story, I keep thinking about how it all started. Chaotic and captivating, the mat planet feels like the entire world at first, until you realize just how far you are about to travel, both through this universe and through the MC herself. We start with a lost woman living on a mat farm and follow her as her life and the world around her slowly unravel into something layered, strange, emotionally complex and morally confusing.
The story oozes originality chapter after chapter, and I am simultaneously pissed off by and deeply in love with Tegan, the MC, and almost every other character (sorry, Cameron). The world Tegan lives in does not operate on our usual ideas of right and wrong and I like that the story does not try to force that. It’s refreshing to encounter morally conflicted, often corrupt characters, and to sit with the choices our brave Hoppers make, judging them within the context of their world, its rules (or lack thereof), and the complicated lives they have lived.
From intense combat scenes to deeply introspective, self-conscious, messy moments, we get to see the tough and tender lesbians we are reflected back at us, and that is a true gift. I can’t predict one thing to the next in the best way possible, and I’m fully invested in Tegan (read: Carl) and the Boars for the long haul.
katiescarlett143Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
From the very first chapter, this novel launches readers into a mesmerizing tale of authentically interesting and diverse characters, intergalactic travel, budding personal growth, and the electrifying call of adventure. Each page pulses with energy, as the story masterfully balances high-stakes exploration with deeply human moments of vulnerability and self-discovery.
At the heart of the novel is a protagonist who dares to take a chance—on the universe, on the unknown, and most importantly, on themselves. From what I gather so far, their journey isn't just about navigating star systems or confronting external threats; it's about breaking free from the gravitational pull of fear and self doubt. Nine chapters in, I find myself relating to this character’s quest, becoming fondly connected with side characters
(Bring back Carl please!!)
and waiting on the edge of my seat to see what happens next!
lostirishmanRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I enjoyed the novel concepts applied to recognizable archetypes in the hoppers, cyberpunk styling, and hope among the bleakness. The story is engaging, the characters are interesting, and the development of the main cast is enjoyablely paced. I would recommend this as an engaging read and I hope the author continues this for a well rounded story.
prissiRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
The story left me divided. On the one hand are the great characters and their interaction, the best thing. On the other hand, there is too much crime, and make a murder appear caring is a high storyteller skill. Still not my piece, I followed for the MC. And finally, the science fiction is more like science fantasy, distances and almost everything is more magic than related to something scientific.
The story is in a very close third POV, my most favorite. At a few places, one is confused who is thinking what as most cast is female. But after another sentence, one get it.
So there is violence and rather super soft SF, but the great characters make the story work.