In "Polaris Rising" by Jessie Mihalik, Ada, a runaway princess from one of the ruling houses in the Consortium, finds herself captured and thrown into a cell with Marcus Loch, a dangerous mercenary. Despite their initial distrust, they team up to break out, forming a temporary alliance due to mutual enemies. The book combines elements of space opera, romance, and elite intrigue, with a fast-paced plot, snappy dialogue, and a satisfying conclusion setting the stage for the next book in the series. The world-building is a mix of intergalactic political intrigue, action, and a touch of steamy romance, making it an engaging read for both Science Fiction enthusiasts and those new to the genre.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book features themes of violence and captivity, along with instances of character injury, which may require content warnings for sensitive readers.
Has Romance?
The romance is a prominent aspect of the narrative, central to character motivations and developments.
From The Publisher:
"Polaris Rising is space opera at its best, intense and addictive, a story of honor, courage, betrayal, and love. Jessie Mihalik is an author to watch."-Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author
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 . . .
Ratings (37)
Incredible (5) | |
Loved It (16) | |
Liked It (8) | |
It Was OK (8) |
Reader Stats (79):
Read It (38) | |
Want To Read (31) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (8) |
4 comment(s)
Something felt a bit off in this book...maybe it’s the fact that love interest of the MC is supposedly a hard-ass guy that people have been trying to catch for years but he keeps getting caught in this book and rescued by MC. It was ok. Good writing. Storyline as expected for light summer reading.
LIKE: *Ada (smart and tough) *food synthesizers *spaceship thievery *girl got her own super cool ship *blasters *he takes care of her when she's unwell *but also she saves him more than once
DISLIKE: *The phrase "public persona" repeated 17 times
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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.
There's a whole lot of lust in this book. Lots of physically intimate scenes. Not much love and emotionally intimate scenes.
I do like the fighter space princess trope though.
The couple dynamic reminded me of Hidden Legacy: Burn For Me
What can you read after
Polaris Rising?
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