Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik

Polaris Rising (The Consortium Rebellion, #1)

by Jessie Mihalik

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 . . .

Reviewed by funstm on

4 of 5 stars

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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.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 15 March, 2020: Finished reading
  • 15 March, 2020: Reviewed