Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Polaris Rising: A Novel
    Polaris Rising: A Novel
    Polaris Rising: A Novel
    Audiobook12 hours

    Polaris Rising: A Novel

    Written by Jessie Mihalik

    Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A space princess on the run and a notorious outlaw soldier become unlikely allies in this imaginative, sexy space opera adventure—the first in an exciting science fiction trilogy.

    In the far distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three High Houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her High House is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.

    Ada eluded her father’s forces for two years, but now her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.

    When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiancé captures her, she’ll become a political prisoner and a liability to her House. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.

    But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive Devil, you may lose more than you bargained for . . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateFeb 5, 2019
    ISBN9780062892294
    Polaris Rising: A Novel
    Author

    Jessie Mihalik

    Jessie Mihalik has a degree in computer science and a love of all things geeky. A software engineer by trade, Jessie now writes full time from her home in Texas. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing co-op video games with her husband, trying out new board games, or reading books pulled from her overflowing bookshelves. Polaris Rising is her debut novel.

    More audiobooks from Jessie Mihalik

    Related to Polaris Rising

    Titles in the series (2)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Science Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Equinox

      May 18, 2022

      In this strange world, where identities change with the rising and setting of the sun, supernatural forces are at work – and they’re causing trouble… St Leonars prison was an appropriately imposing building. It rose out of the surrounding shacks and

      5 min read

    • Article

      Dark Tales

      Dec 2, 2021

      Dark Tales
      6 min read

    • Article

      Not Another scary Sea Story

      Jun 20, 2019

      Not Another scary Sea Story
      9 min read

    • Article

      Into The Black

      Dec 27, 2019

      Into The Black
      11 min read

    • Article

      Book One: Notes Of Origin

      Feb 28, 2023

      Book One: Notes Of Origin
      14 min read

    • Article

      Tuskers

      Jul 1, 2018

      Tuskers
      9 min read

    • Article

      After Australia

      Oct 4, 2020

      The sun is in its place, and in this place the sun is like no other I’ve ever seen. Yesterday, when they brought a man here, when he first felt the sun’s heat, he’d swooned; they had to carry and drag him into the cage. He hasn’t woken yet, I’m told

      10 min read

    • Article

      Intelligent Creatures

      Jul 6, 2023

      Intelligent Creatures
      19 min read

    • Article

      Judges

      Mar 10, 2024

      The doctors assured me the shrapnel in my leg would do no further harm if they “let sleeping dogs lie,” or at least less harm than trying to take it out would cause. “Hey,” I asked them. “What if it decides to cut its way out all on its own?” My grea

      12 min read

    • Article

      Angel Of Death

      Mar 27, 2018

      I could see the wave coming long before it arrived. It looked like a length of rope uncoiling as the swell hit the edge of the reef and spun towards me, a beady eye staring me down in slow motion as it got closer. It was my first time surfing Speedie

      2 min read

    • Article

      THE FIRST FIVE PAGES: KJ Maitland

      Apr 1, 2021

      Writing historical crime thrillers often feels like one of those crazy circus acts where you have to stand on the backs of two galloping horses, with one foot on each, trying to keep your balance. One of the horses is the historical facts, the other

      6 min read

    • Article

      Exploring The Boundaries

      Jul 29, 2019

      JULIA KOETS is the winner of the 2017 Red Hen Press Nonfiction Award, judged by Mark Doty, for her forthcoming book, The Rib Joint: A Memoir in Essays (November 5, 2019). She is a visiting assistant professor of nonfiction at the University of South

      16 min read

    • Article

      Paul Heiney

      Feb 26, 2021

      Paul Heiney
      3 min read

    • Article

      Paul Heiney

      Feb 26, 2021

      Paul Heiney
      3 min read

    • Article

      What’s It Like to Be Me Right Now?

      Nov 6, 2018

      What’s It Like to Be Me Right Now?
      4 min read

    • Article

      Perfect Prose II

      May 15, 2020

      Perfect Prose II
      4 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      May 1, 2019

      We found ourselves to be quite fondof the ad campaignundermining late-stage capitalism: how the sprightly old womankept bursting into private conversationsat the candlelit restaurant and shouting, You can’t eat nickels!!and then doing that little hip

      3 min read

    • Article

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS

      Jun 22, 2023

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS
      7 min read

    • Article

      The longest Night

      Mar 28, 2022

      The longest Night
      13 min read

    • Article

      SCARS On The SOUL

      Jan 12, 2020

      I’m standing in a fiercely lit changing room, waiting for Joao-from-Portugal to bring me smaller jeans and a bigger top. I used to think ‘Joao’ was a totally exotic name until I visited Lisbon and realised that every second man in Portugal is called

      2 min read

    • Article

      Enforcing Capitalism In The Outer Worlds

      Feb 25, 2020

      1 Never do your own 2 Cut costs and turn a profit for the company. 3 Live by the company’s values Phineas Welles’ last day as a free man began with a handful of caffenoids—all the punch of a morning coffee and none of the warmth. Then breakfast: a cr

      6 min read

    • Article

      Vietnam My Son, The Soldier

      Sep 1, 2021

      Vietnam My Son, The Soldier
      9 min read

    • Article

      A Marine At Guadalcanal

      Nov 6, 2018

      A Marine At Guadalcanal
      8 min read

    • Article

      Trapped In Paradise

      Nov 28, 2021

      There are 10 or so permanent residents in the blocks about Tony. Most of them live off-grid in half-finished houses, sheds, and caravans, and there are also a handful of holiday shacks and vacant blocks scattered about. On one of those vacant block

      7 min read

    • Article

      Song Of The Woods

      May 23, 2022

      Song Of The Woods
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Polaris Rising

    4/5

    225 ratings17 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      The story was fun, but I couldn’t stand the narrator. She made everything feel so awkward!
    • 4/5
      A really fun, light, space opera with a delightful kick-ass space princess protagonist and a nice solid romantic subplot. I could complain a bit about some plot holes and uneven future technological development, but what would be the fun in that? I was able to sustain disbelief mostly and that was all I needed. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      Polaris Rising is the first book in the “Consortium Rebellion” series and its a science fiction romance and what a BOOK!!! Wow…..I had no idea this book would fascinate me so and with the space opera feel to it this story worked for me in EVERY way. I have no clue why I waited so long to grab this up, I think I wasn’t sure about the level of romance but seriously….you never need to worry on that score, because this story has romance galore and I loved every moment of it. This author is going on my watchlist from now on because her writing is stellar.This story begins with Ada von Hasenberg who is a royal princess, but when she decided she wants to craft her own destiny, she decided to be proactive and find her own path and so she has been on the run for over two years from her father and fiancee, who really only want her as a pawn to use in their political chess game. But her luck as failed her and now she has been captured and is thrown into a cell with the infamous and highly dangerous super soldier Marcus Loch, but they form an alliance to work together to escape. But as they join forces they find something more empowering than a simple alliance in striving for freedom….but love and finding their own happy destiny but they will both have to climb some difficult mountains of challenge and adversity and politics before reaching their HEAPolaris Rising was such a pure delight and I had such a blast with this book from beginning to end. It was such a delight to read this book and honestly, if you love science fiction romance, I honestly couldn’t recommend a book enough because every romance reader needs “Polaris Rising” in their lives. This space odyssey was packed with many elements that worked for me in every way. Lets first discuss the plot….whew….the plot was so engaging and there were so many elements combined within this plot that made it so “on the edge of the seat” feeling. It’s packed with plenty of surprises to delight in. There were so many things going on from the hero being a military man on the run to our runaway princess forging her own journey in desiring freedom, to the friends they form along the way, the battles, the suspense, the adventure and the complex political game that forms…..you will never be bored in reading this book.The romance was delicious in every way, from the first chapter, I knew the romance would be stellar amazing and it surely was. The connection that Ada and Marcus form together is powerful even from the start, you see how drawn they are together. But they are from two different universes and backgrounds but they are both fighters, both passionate and both on the run. They have much more in common than they realize, and their differences only complement each other in all the right ways that brings balance in their relationship. I truly loved how Marcus and Ada both are willing to fight for each other even when they have disagreements …..in the end, their relationship only thrives in this story.Overall I found Polaris Rising to be a space filled gem of a story that lifts the reader to new heights and delights, its a book that will charm and thrill you from beginning to end…..AN EXHILIRATING RIDE
    • 4/5
      Really fun book, with completely kick-ass characters. I love the sass, I love the smarts, I love the confident negotiations. Can't wait to see what happens next in this epic space adventure! BTW, it is mostly space adventure, but there are also steamy romance scenes, so if that's not your vibe, this isn't for you. I'm really hopeful that the series will continue the excellent storytelling.

      Advanced Readers Copy provided by Edelweiss.
    • 4/5
      This is really not my usual fare. I'm not a huge scifi fan at all. But this book caught my attention so much that between the cover and the blurb I preordered it. And it was really good. The action was fast paced and intense. The plot was interesting enough to keep my attention. I liked all the characters and I loved Ada and Loch. The setting is usually not really my thing but I enjoyed the space opera with the futuristic tech. Nanobots to heal, identity chips embedded into arms. It was fascinating and I loved it. Especially stealing a spaceship. Total badass.Ada was awesome. She was a strong female protagonist - likable, competent and fierce. But she also knew her limits and was able to stand back and say I can't go further, I need help. The relationship between her and Loch is intense, but aside from a small miscommunication they are probably one of the most straightforward and honest couples I've seen. While Ada is a shark when it comes to playing the political game she is very open and willing to express her thoughts. Loch is reluctant to speak but he also doesn't tend to hold back when he does open up. I liked the way their relationship developed and how they backed one another. Although it was definitely a romantic suspense relationship development than contemporary. And he was so sweet to her. The dress. Aww.I loved how Ada manoeuvres and manipulates the figures in the political arena. That was definitely one of the best bits. Blackmail and revenge at its finest. I also really loved Veronica and her own circumstances. She was very creative and self sufficient and it was fun to read. I liked Bianca but I don't know that I'm invested enough to read the next one in the series. I've never really been a fan of the he broke my heart and now he's back type stories. But if it comes up cheap, who knows. So overall, great strong story with creative tech and interesting characters. Loved it. 4 stars.
    • 3/5
      3.5-ish. The hacking and technology was mostly realistic. I was largely a fan of Ada (and I appreciated her name given the author's blurb).

      I am super duper not into domineering male love interests, though. And that's what every guy in a potential couple was.

      It could have been way worse - the woman was in a position of more sociopolitical power in each of the cases. That's way better than those regency romance things where he's a prince or whatever, but a lot of people were still lying to their love interests (for everybody's benefit, but they could instead take the time to talk about things some more). I think it was improving at the end.

      A lot of people spent a lot of time getting captured, that got a bit old.

      The world-building was a bit fast-and-breezy, especially stuff to do with politics. But I think that's a trademark of the genre...

      Eh. I wouldn't hate reading the second book, but I'm not in a hurry.
    • 3/5
      My expectations on picking up this book were only that I was looking for some light entertainment, and that was a case of mission accomplished, in this tale of space opera and romance and elite intrigue. The plot moved along smartly, the dialogue was snappy, and I might even give the second book a try; call this a case of giving an unfamiliar author a try, just on general principle. I do tend to agree with the comments that while the female protagonist is fine, her male partner in the ensuing adventure is a little too good to be true; maybe that's just the expectation in a romance novel.
    • 4/5
      I think of this book, the first of a trilogy, like a Stromboli or calzone. On the outside you have a space opera featuring not only a runaway princess but secretly created X-Men. And on the inside, you have a hot, gooey romance, full of rock-hard throbbing action.A Royal Consortium made up of three top houses rules the universe, or “verse” as it is known. The most powerful of the houses is that of Albrecht von Hasenberg, and it is his 23-year-old daughter Ada who is the protagonist of this saga.Ada is the fifth of sixth children, so she is considered “expendable” and therefore suitable for using for political alliances. She was assigned to marry Richard Rockhurst of the second most powerful house. Not only did she not love Richard, but he was a Very Bad Person. Thus, using her considerable intelligence and physical prowess, she managed to run away before the wedding and was on the run for two years.As this book begins, however, she has been captured, because, after all, there is a very high bounty on her. But there is an even higher bounty on a mercenary named Marcus Loch, and she is thrown into a prison cell with him on the very same bounty-hunting ship. Marcus, only a few years older than Ada, is, needless to add, hot hot hot, and turns out to be one of the X-Men we learn about as the story progresses.Ada doesn’t know much about Marcus at first, except that she wants to escape, and he “was a deserter, a killer, and a traitor to the Consortium. And he was just the man I needed.” Soon enough, however, she discovers “Marcus Loch was dangerous for more reasons than I’d initially thought.” In other words, he was drop-dead sexy and irresistible. There are other non-romance aspects to the story, such as the rivalry between the houses for a better FTL (Faster Than Light) way to jump around the universe, the secret behind the creation of the X-Men, and Ada’s striving to make her own path in the world. But so far, in the first installment of the series, the focus is on the attraction between Ada and Marcus, and what they do about it.Evaluation: I would have liked a little more nuance to the romance, and in fact, fewer standard romance tropes with the detailed descriptions of out-of-this-universe sex. But that’s my bias toward the sci-fi aspects speaking. Romance readers, on the other hand, may feel there is a little too much about how to travel through space and the spaceships in which it is done. I will probably soldier on, however, and check out the next in the series.
    • 4/5
      Very exciting tale. Lots of action and suspense. Great hero and heroine and well-drawn romance. What's not to like?
    • 3/5
      Really 3.5— I wanted a bit more world building, but otherwise a totally solid, kickass space cowboy romance.
    • 3/5
      This one was not quite to my tastes. The writing was fine (although a tendency to spell out contractions was a distracting), and the story moved at a good clip. But the conventional romance plot and the conventional space opera world building added up to a whole lot of convention and not a lot for me to get excited about.

      Some of this is about my disinterest in alpha heroes - although to be fair, in this book the saving of lives went in both directions. But the romance plot felt generic to me, with a shovel speech and all. The space opera plot let us see lots of action among the (mostly white) elites and their military forces, and very little about everyday people and everyday life. There's no reflection on the messed up class system that put the elites in power to begin with, or about the way power in this future seems to be just as tied to whiteness as it is in our contemporary world.

      All in all, not for me.
    • 4/5
      This is a SF novel that end up having romantic thread in the storyline as well. Ada has been captured after being on the run for two years from her powerful family. Once a pampered younger daughter of one of the three ruling houses in the Consortium she has survived by her wits after refusing a political marriage. Tossed in a cell with the very dangerous Marcus Loch they band together to break out after she promised him a large amount of money. A shot term team up because a bit of a longer one due to having mutual enemies. The book ends on a good note and the second book in the series will have a different POV character that you are introduced to in this one.


      Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss.
    • 3/5
      2.5 starsThis definitely had a The League series by Sherrilyn Kenyon vibe, scifi/space opera/warring factions, if you liked that series, you'll want to give this one a go.This was a debut and I felt like I could tell with how the overall story needed to be tightened up more. This was first person pov by the heroine Ada and while I enjoyed her voice and character, there was too much talk of going through the motions of menial tasks. 20-50% and around the 70% mark, my eyes glazed over a couple times. I just thought the fat needed to be trimmed and the story tightened up.This was very much a first in the series with the world building and setting up of plot threads, like I said, I enjoyed Ada's character but her love interest, Loch, was only a pencil sketch to me. Not having his pov probably added to this but only hinting at and introducing the Genesis Project plot, instead of investing some time on it, kept me from fully knowing his character.Ada and Loch spend a lot of time together and their attraction is very much a part of the story but at the same time, not really the focus. Their attraction and relationship never matured enough for me to feel it was solid and therefore wasn't very emotionally investing for me.The strength here was the setting up of plot threads, warring Houses, modifying human DNA, faked death, political intrigue, teasing of future romance couples, and what, I'll intelligently, call space stuff/atmosphere.The writing has a smoothness and, like I said, there are some intriguing threads set-up, that I'm on board for reading the second in the series.
    • 5/5
      This space opera adventure is an absolute gem. I loved it! Fast-paced action, intergalactic political intrigue combined with a touch of steamy romance makes this a perfect gateway for someone interested in trying Science Fiction or a breezy read for a seasoned enthusiast. While Mihalik offers some fantastic world-building, this book doesn't get weighed down by techno-jargon and begs you to read at lightning speed until reaching its satisfying conclusion and new beginning of The Consortium Rebellion series.
    • 2/5
      Polaris RisingAuthor: Jessie MihalikPublisher: Harper VoyagerPublishing Date: 2019Pgs: 431Dewey: F MIHDisposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX_________________________________________________REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERSSummary:The High Houses of the Consortium exists in an uneasy peace. Open warfare is always just a gesture, an offense, an incident away. A princess promised in marriage to another house has run away from her obligation. They’ve put a bounty on her head to have her brought back and given over to her betrothed. She has other ideas.The most wanted criminal in the known galaxy has been captured. His bounty is huge. He’s being transported back to Earth for his trial and execution. The Devil of Fornax Zero killed his entire chain of command and disappeared. Now he hangs in chains in a prison hold of a mercenary ship.The mercenaries throw them together in a cell to teach the little princess a lesson. Dynamite. TNT. All they need now is a spark._________________________________________________Genre:ActionAdventureRomanceSpace MarinesScience FictionCourt IntrigueAristocracyWhy this book:I’m on a palace intrigue kick. Riddick-like, yeah, I’m in._________________________________________________The Feel:Kind of a mix of Jupiter Ascending and Riddick.Favorite Character:I do like the princess being more of a streetwise Leia than a damsel in distress.Plot Holes/Out of Character:Through the early book, the villains are all faceless cookie cutters. Hope that Locke isn’t a betrayal. I like the character...stereotype and all.Hmm Moments:Is Rhys cannon fodder? Is Veronica? Or is one of them a traitor? The backstories are good and it would be shocking if they were in Rockhurst’s pocket.That feeling that the other shoe is about to drop permeates the last quarter of this book. Meh / PFFT Moments:My cliche meter clicked a lot in the first 25 pages. I almost put the book down.Loch didn’t need more depth, but that’s what the relationship subplot seems to be designed to do. Can’t decide if Ada or Loch or both of them are Mary Sues.I like this story. Like the flow and the pacing but stopping down for relationship drama...meh.If one more person goes to talk to Ada about her feelings as she’s searching for the answer to the mystery that is making the Great Houses contemplate war...argghhh.She shoulda told Yamado. A tricorner with them caught betwixt and between would be better than a straight up tug-of-war.The Sigh:Okay...we get it...they’re in LUVVVVVVV...is that enough V’s?Lotta “FEELINGS” in this book. The Unexpected:Is Ian secretly one of them? Would go a long way toward explaining some things._________________________________________________Last Page Sound:Liked it well enough to look at more by this author.As I called it, a mix of Jupiter Ascending and Riddick. Coulda done with a bit more Riddick.Questions I’m Left With:I don’t get them leaving without the Polaris. That’s a hole, a big hole. Hell, it’s the title character, sorta.Still left a very highly placed spy in House Von Hassenberg. Lotta dangling plot threads.And what’s up with Bianca? Computer in her head? Borg-like infection? Did her ex’s family put something in her head? Hmmm?_________________________________________________
    • 2/5
      There are times when some lighter reading is exactly what the doctor ordered: after happily losing myself in any number of books dealing with end-of-the world scenarios, galaxy-spanning conflicts or epic battles in ancient realms, a palate cleanser, so to speak, is not only desirable but required, so that books like Polaris Rising always seem like the right choice for the occasion.What this novel promises is the kind of uncomplicated adventure, combined with some humor, which is exactly was I was looking for: I knew there was some romance added to the mix, but given the overall premise I hoped it would not prove too intrusive. Moreover, the story ticks all the boxes I was looking for in an entertaining, light read: a plucky heroine, a darkly mysterious male counterpart, a galaxy ruled by family corporations in constant economic and political warfare, and a mystery to be solved.Ada von Hasenberg is the scion of one of the influential families at the top of the feeding chain, but since she’s only a fifth child her usefulness to the clan can only come from marriage to some other aristocrat, in that endless game of political give-and-take that’s been going on since the dawn of time. Not being very sanguine about that kind of fate, Ada escaped and for the past two years managed to keep ahead of the “hunters” sent by her family to bring her back into the fold – and she manages that until the beginning of the novel where we meet her as she fights the mercenaries who just captured her with the promise of a rich bounty set by the von Hasenbergs. Thrown into the brig of the mercs’ ship, she finds herself in the company of another prisoner, Marcus Loch, best known as the “Devil of Fornax Zero” and one of the most wanted men in the galaxy - a very dangerous cellmate indeed, but in these circumstances a very useful ally for the escape plan Ada is already concocting and which becomes even more urgent once she learns that her prospective fiancé is about to rendezvous with her captors to retrieve her.From here on, the novel takes a path that could certainly be defined as predictable, if still entertaining: the tentative alliance between Ada and Loch is based on uneasy trust, charged silences and a smoldering mutual attraction that at times borders on comical absurdity, yet the author manages all of that with the kind of panache that helps to overlook the blatant (and in my opinion often unnecessary) deviations into a territory more suited to ‘bodice rippers’ than SF adventure. Luckily there is enough of a main plot as to offer a reasonably solid background, and even though it looks somewhat thin in places or prone to lengthy infodumps, it might be enough to counterbalance the main characters’ passionate interludes. That is, if it weren’t for some glaring pitfalls that become more evident – and less bearable – as the story progresses.For starters, Ada and Loch are quite over the top, as far as characters go: she all too often skirts into Mary Sue territory, what with her fighting abilities and physical prowess, the handy gadgets she can produce at the drop of a hat when the situation requires, or the easy way she meets any mechanical or navigational challenge – it’s all credited to her training as a major House heir, of course, but still it sounds like far too much for a single individual. For his part, Loch fits perfectly the cliché of the Brooding Guy With A Past, a man with a gruff exterior and an honorable soul – and of course he’s shaped like a Greek god cast in bronze, circumstance that causes Ada to lose her hard-gained cool in more than one occasionThe addition of some secondary characters, who should have offered an interesting balance, seems however more a nod to the necessity of peopling the story with someone besides the two protagonists, rather than anything else: these figures – Veronica, the backwater planet fence who turns into a precious ally; Rhys, the arms dealer with ties to Loch’s past; Bianca, Ada’s older and very supportive sister – look more like stage props than flesh-and-blood people, and they are not given enough room to grow and become more defined, smothered as they are by the overwhelming presence of Ada and Loch.Something I noticed, as I kept reading, was a sort of repetitive pattern that became stale after the second or third instance: the two protagonists keep being taken captive, one at a time, to allow the other to rescue them, and the wounds received in such rescue operations give way to another dreaded trope, that of the “hurt/comfort syndrome”: you can understand how my initial enthusiasm might have cooled considerably by then…It would not have mattered much in the general economy of the novel, however, if Ada’s characterization had not sent such mixed signals: on one side we are told she’s strong, independent, capable and quite bold – at some point she goes on a dangerous solo mission to infiltrate a mining operation where a momentous secret might be held – so that we are led to expect a personality more suited to our modern sensibilities, not to mention the genre chosen to tell this story. On the other, she both shows a great deal of “girly” inclinations, like the meticulous description of the clothes she wears, that run contrary to the image the author wanted to present. Nonetheless, these are minor quibbles if compared to her sudden about face once the relationship with Loch becomes a thing: she turns to putty in his hands, and ultimately bows to his domineering attitude – as if she had been waiting all her life to find the kind of man who would sweep her off her feet and become the center of her world. It would have annoyed me if I had been reading about a character set in Victorian England, but at least that would have been justified by the chosen time frame – not so for a story set in a distant future, and certainly not so for a character that until that moment had made of her freedom and independence the founding pillars of her life.What do you do when you need a palate cleanser after the potential palate cleanser?
    • 4/5
      It's the far future, and the Royal Consortium rules the universe. Okay, that's a bit over the top even for space opera, but bear with me. The three High Councilors, the heads of the Houses of von Hasenberg, Rockhurst, and Yamado are the ultimate powers. Ada von Hasenberg, as the fifth of six children of High Councilor Albrecht von Hasenberg, has no authority, and no real value except to be married for the advantage of her house.Unfortunately for Albrecht, he raised his children to be smart, tough, resourceful, and strong, Ada has refused to marry Richard Rockhurst, and made careful, effective plans before leaving before Richard even officially proposed, and has been on the run under a variety of false names for two years.When she finally gets captured by a mercenary determined to collect the bounty on her, she doesn't stop plotting. And when the mercs stash her in their only cell, along with their other high-bounty prize, Marcus Loch--well, it takes a while for them to get to not-quite-trusting each other enough to at least escape. We quickly learn that they are both genuinely smart, tough people with their own high standards of behavior that don't necessarily align with the standards they were taught.That this Consortium is said to rule the universe, rather than the more normal overreach of merely ruling the galaxy did make me cautious at first. What I found when I persisted was a really solid, rollicking space opera where the heroes are complex and interesting, and the villains are smart and complex enough to pose a decent challenge. Ada and Marcus find events have been moving forward around them while they were separately on the run, and that there is conspiracy and treachery more than they already knew to expect. Along the way, they acquire more friends and enemies, and some nifty new toys that are part of why they have some of the new enemies.First of a series, but this installment comes to a satisfying interim conclusion. Recommended.I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher, and am reviewing it voluntarily.