Starbreaker (Nightchaser, #2)

by Amanda Bouchet

[EBookObsessed]

My big complaint in Book 1 was that I had been looking for a scifi adventure and most of book 1 took place on one planet focusing on the romance between Tess and Shade. Well, Book 2 takes off into the galaxy with all thrusters on full.

You would think that stealing the Galantic Overseer’s entire laboratory filled with his super soldier serum and giving it to the rebellion should have earned them a parade, or a medal or at least a day off, but Tess Bailey, Shade Ganavan and the crew of the Endeavor have been tasked by the rebellion to break a scientist out of one of the Galactic Overseer’s most guarded prisons. This scientist was trying to clean the toxic air of her homeworld after the Overseer poisoned it killing most of the population and leaving the survivors scattered on the nearly barren moons surrounding it. Tess can’t imagine why the rebellion would toss her and her crew into such a dangerous situation with little to no plan or even information, but when she finds out that one of her lost friends is also being held in the same prison, she no longer cares about the why and wants to figure out how quickly they can get there.

Before they can work out the details for that near impossible task, Tess and Shade need to fulfill the deal they made with Tess’s uncle. General Nathaniel Bridgebane, the Overseerer’s second in command, and hope that he hasn’t led them into a trap. Tess becomes more and more confused about her Uncle the more their paths cross, first because every time their paths cross, he seems more willing to help her rather than capture her and turn her over to the Overseerer, and each time she begins to see the Uncle Nate who cared for her as a child. And when he begins orchestrating things to help Tess and the rebels, Tess begins to wonder if she has misunderstood her Uncle all these years. She was so angry that he abandoned her as a child after her mother died but was leaving at the orphanage, somewhere she was safe and loved, his way of giving her a chance at a better life, especially since he didn’t kill her outright like he was ordered to do?

Just when Tess thinks things might be working out for her and her crew, it seems that stealing the Overseer’s serum has started a chain reaction that she couldn’t see coming especially since the Overseer has crazier plans than even Bridgebane knew about. His idea is…let’s face it bat-shit crazy, but if he succeeds, he would destroy the galaxy as they know it.

While book 1 lacked the galantic excitement I was looking for from a scifi novel, this one more than makes up for it when Tess, Shade and the gang go from one rebel task to the next. We especially get to see this from Shade’s point of view where he learns just how shaky life is now that he is on this side of the rebel line. Now he is part of an outlaw crew, instead of a bounty hunter for the Overseer, and every job they do could get them killed or thrown into one of the Overseer’s horrific prisons. Seeing it described from Shade’s perspective gives us a real feeling for the danger rather than just enjoying the excitement of being a rebel.

This story really kicked up the excitement and danger especially since we see a little more about how sly and crazy the Overseer is, and there is hope that Bridgebane might be more of a secret ally, but how close can he toe the line between the Overseer’s right hand man and rebel helper before he loses his balance? It is getting very interesting.

We are also introduced to new characters and whether or not they can truly be trusted, we will have to wait and hope.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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