“Makes an early bid for one of the best titles of the year.”—Entertainment WeeklyTess Bailey: the galaxy’s Most Wanted.Captain Tess Bailey is in deep trouble. She and her crew are on the run, pursued by a tyrant who’ll take them dead or alive. Tess’s best hope is a tall, dark, and much-too-appealing stranger, Shade Ganavan, who says he can help her. But his motivations are far from clear…Shade … motivations are far from clear…
Shade Ganavan: arrogance, charm…and that special something that makes you want to kick him.
With the dreaded Dark Watch closing in, what Tess and Shade don’t know about each other might get them killed…unless they can set aside their differences and learn to trust each other before it’s too late.
Nightchaser Series:
Nightchaser (Book 1)
Starbreaker (Book 2)
Dawnmaker (Book 3)
Praise for the Kingmaker Chronicles:
An NPR Best Book of 2016
A Kirkus Best Book of 2016, 2017, and 2018
An Amazon Best Book of 2016 and 2017
A Washington Post Best Romance of the Month
A Bustle Best Romance of 2016
Everyone is raving about Amanda Bouchet’s Kingmaker Chronicles:
“Amanda Bouchet blasts off with a series that’s full of heart, humor, romance, and action.”—JENNIFER ESTEP, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Kill the Queen
“A heart-pounding and joyous romantic adventure. Amanda Bouchet’s talent is striking.”—NALINI SINGH, New York Times bestseller
“Simply brilliant.”—Kirkus STARRED Review
“Utterly breathtaking!”—DARYNDA JONES, New York Times bestseller
“I love these books!”—CHLOE NEILL, New York Times bestseller
“A sparkling read.”—Washington Post
“Absolutely fabulous.”—C.L. WILSON, New York Times bestseller
“I cannot remember the last time I wanted to both savor and devour a book.”—Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
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Bouchet has created an interesting dystopian existence amongst the stars in Nightchaser. Dictatorship complete with an evil book-burning overlord, rebels fighting the good fight from a mysterious location, a ragtag crew of Robin Hoods stealing from the overlord and giving to orphanages, and several other delicious tropes that make Nightchaser a combination that reads like Star Wars and Robin Hood. The beginning of the book is downright exciting and exactly what I expected. It all went a bit wrong for me when Shade was introduced.
I enjoyed Shade’s complexity and wish his background was fleshed out a bit more. We know his general motivations but more time could have been spent exploring his past. I think it would have made it easier to like him as a romantic interest. As it stands, and this may be a bit sacrilegious as a romance reader, we could have used less of the forced chemistry between Tess and Shade to urge the story-line along. I love romance in my books, just look at my Goodreads, but I would rather sacrifice a stilted romance and have an exciting read with well-crafted flawed characters that fit authentically within the story.
Unfortunately, I had a few things that didn’t work for me, the biggest being character consistency with Tess. For being a “street smart” captain whose crew members are loyal to a fault, Tess makes so many decisions that highlight her incompetence. She trusts Shade to do his job without even considering how SHADY the man and his business is. I mean, I get distracted by handsome men occasionally, but if I’m running for my life… If written as someone new to this Robin Hood-esque lifestyle then I can see how naivety and what not can contribute to her tendency to abandon all sense of self-preservation and giving sensitive information to a virtual stranger and not question their motives at a deeper level.
Ultimately, I don’t think Amanda Bouchet’s writing is for me. It wasn’t a terrible book (I finished it after all) but as someone that reads a lot of space operas and sci-fi romance, this one had a level of cheese, inconsistencies, and suspension of belief that I couldn’t handle. I’m sure this book will work for others and Bouchet has this set up for an explosive finish in Starbreaker, but I think Tess and I will part ways.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next. I couldn’t put it down. My first “space” book.
If you love Firefly you will love this book. It is an amazing space opera.
I have never read this particular author before so wasn’t quite sure what I was in for.
Got to say I am really impressed with this, Nightchaser the first book in the endeavour trilogy and it really managed to capture my imagination.
So in terms of genre, I would say this is predominantly a romance.
It’s a sci-fi space opera and I really did adore just how different this was in terms of setting.
I loved the fact it was set in space it really leaves so much open in terms of plot expansion.
This wasn’t perfect by any means but it really did have just so much to recommend picking this up and giving it a chance.
Tess has a bounty on her head, she’s captain of her own rebel ship and along with her crew is on a mission to stay one step ahead of the Black Watch.
Her enemies now they suspect she may still be alive will stop at nothing to capture her alive or dead and she needs to stay one step ahead and evade capture.
Tess also has secrets which are yet another reason for her lying low.
Shades past actions have cost him everything he thinks matter to him and he will do anything to put things back the way they once were.
Even if that means working for people he doesn’t really want to and doing things that fly against his own conscience.
Collecting a bounty that will put him back on top should be easy pickings even if his heart and head are constantly at war with what he should do over what he really wants to do.
So the beginning of this was great really pulling me into the story.
The middle of this for me let it down slightly, even though the story itself was well written and intense I found it did drag slightly and we were very much in one spot for a lengthy time.
I myself would have preferred a tad more space action.
But when this did finally rev up again for the final stretch it more than made up for it.
Then Nightchaser then went from zero to a hundred in ten seconds flat and I was practically on the edge of my seat with the sheer anticipation.
This was very much slow-burn which I did think fit the narrative nicely here and I liked both Slade and Tess very much.
They were great central characters both with some fab strengths and weaknesses.
This also had an interesting side cast as well.
Finally, though this is part of a trilogy this doesn’t really end on a cliffhanger this is more a HFN.
So your not left hanging anxiously chewing your nails for the next part of the story.
There are obviously still questions to be answered but nothing that you’re going to lose any major sleep over so that was definitely a big plus for me in this book’s favour.
I will most certainly be reading the next one in this series which I believe is due out next year.
This was a well written interesting read that I am happy to give a thumbs up to.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Friends with Benefits Nightchaser (Endeavour, #1).
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
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Ok read, standard fair
With a female Robin Hood intermixed with a Guardians of the Galaxy type theme, I was sucked right into deep space danger, intrigue, and romance thanks to this space fantasy release by Amanda Bouchet. Not being my usual genre didn’t seem to matter at all, folks. I absolutely loved this sassy, resilient, takes charge leader and how she single handedly fights for the oppressed and most vulnerable, no matter the personal cost to herself. With a small crew of devoted, determined misfits, they often are running for their very lives but trying to save others in the process.
There is a complicated past connected to Tess, the heroine, but, overall, it was easy to connect the dots. The writing flowed seamlessly, and there were some twists and turns in the story line. Not surprisingly, relationship angst rears its head when this couple gets caught up in a web of betrayal and uncertainty.
Shade was a conflicted character who was fighting his own battle when Tess strolled into his life out of the deep dark yonder. He has to make a tough choice that throws him completely off course from his game plan. It all becomes worth it though, since this rogue, lady robber has also stolen his heart.
Ending with a “to be continued” wrap-up, you can bet Starbreaker (book 2), due to release in spring 2020, is going to set new heights for this main couple as they battle their enemies and try to maintain some balance/control in their feuding part of the universe. They likely are going to be caught in the cross hairs again, and I simply cannot wait to see what happens next.
Title: Nightchaser, Series: Endeavor (Book 1), Author: Amanda Bouchet, Pages: 416, to be continued in book 2, space fantasy, sassy/resilient/takes charge leader type heroine, bounty hunter hero, only a few very steamy/smexy scenes towards the end, some bloodshed, on the run backdrop, no love triangle, no OW/OM drama, no cheating.
Book 1 – Nightchaser
Book 2 – Starbreaker (spring 2020)
(These comments are based on a library edition. This is not a detailed ARC review.)
This is the first book I’ve ever read by Amanda Bouchet, and I’m regretting that I haven’t read her books sooner. This author knows how to engage a reader in the story and keep the reader turning the pages (flipping through pages on a Kindle in this case.)
Nightchaser is what I would describe as a sci-fi romance story with some Star Wars elements to it. I’m a HUGE Star Wars fan, so believe me I enjoyed reading this book by Amanda Bouchet.
Nightchaser starts with a dramatic scene to it, which is why I mentioned in the beginning that this book is a page-turner. You’ll need to read the rest of the book to find out what is happening. There also involves one kick-butt female character. I’m a HUGE fan of female characters that can hold their own and Captain Tess Bailey is just that plus more in the story.
Captain Tess Bailey and her crew onboard the Endeavor are trying to avoid capture by a vicious dark General who is out to get Tess, especially since she stole something significant. She’s not willing to give up that easy though. She’s on a mission, and she will not let some General ruined those plans.
She ends up avoiding capture barely at the beginning of the story, and now she has to trust Shade Ganavan on fixing her ship so that she can continue on her mission. Shade though may have his own agenda after he finds out how much Tess is worth to capture.
Amanda did a fantastic job keeping me engaged in the story, especially since this is the first book for her new series. I loved how all the characters on the Endeavor came together. Each has their own story to tell, but definitely, Tess’s is the most fascinating at the moment. The ending of the story is what had me in shock. It was a, ‘What happened kind of shock and what is going on here?” I’m interested in where Amanda takes it next in her 2nd book in the series. I need more of Tess and Shade though after this book.
If you are looking for a book that has an action-packed storyline, sci-fi elements and some romance to it, then you’ll need to check out Nightchaser. This is one of my 2019 highly recommended books at the moment, and I’m anxiously waiting for the second book now. I give this book 4.5 stars and now have Amanda Bouchet as an auto-buy author. Now, I need to find time to read her other books she has written that I’ve read reviews on that is just as addicting as Nightchaser.
Capt. Tess Bailey is stealing from the more fortunate by providing for those who have less. A Robin Hood type heroine with a big heart and small pockets. She is running from the Dark Watch and has a price on her head with her identity a secret even from her own crew. When she comes face to face with the commander of the Dark Watch, someone she knows from her past. she makes the decision to jump into a black hole to what she and her crew thinks is certain death, to find they’ve landed close to a planet where they can recoup and hopefully get their ship repaired. She meets Shade Ganavan, a man she thinks is a mechanic, but who is really a bounty hunter. As he fixes their ship they grow close and we see a different side of Tess. One that is shy and sweet rather than direct and take charge. As Shade gets to know her, he can’t imagine that she is the type of criminal deserving of the price on her head and is forced to make a difficult decision, turn her in for the reward or let her walk away from him forever.
Amanda Bouchet proves again that she knows how to write a novel. This world was interesting and the characters grew on me, but it was hard not to compare Nightchaser with her Kingmaker series. They are completely different, one a science fiction romp while the other is a Greek mythology action adventure. Tess, like Cat, wasn’t sure exactly who she was and what powers she held and watching her explore and understand who she was and I’m sure in future novels, her personality and powers will unfold a bit more, but I found myself to be impatient for a big reveal that when uncovered was a little light on impact. I couldn’t quite figure out why this novel wasn’t a home run for me. I enjoyed it, but wanted more than what I got.
Shade was a scoundrel which fit this space adventure very well. Even though Tess was uncertain of his feelings, we knew from his POV that he’d fallen for her which took a little of the air out of his more impactful scenes. I have high hopes for the future novels in this series where we can get some epic adventures out of Tess, Shade and their crew.
A word to the wise, don’t do what I did by comparing this to the Kingmaker series. It’s completely different! I think I did myself a disservice, but in my own defense, I had really enjoyed the last series and wanted to escape into a book that good again. I didn’t get that but I still got a story that was good and characters that had a lot of heart and were interesting. They have room to grow and I have faith that this author will make this series another epic ride.
I was given an ARC of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.
I figured this book would be a ok read but Nightchaser was MORE than an ok read! It really surpassed all of my expectations. The story was so easy to get into, and the characters were amazing! There is a wide array of characters and it was a little confusing at first sorting them all out but once I got it, I was hooked! The plot is HUGE and Amanda Bouchet made it work! It is suspenseful, full of action/adventure, and surprises. This is the first book I have read by this author and I absolutely enjoyed her writing style. Just an all around great read that flows nicely and I am excited to read what will happen next.
Loved how the story started an the journey it took me on. The unexpected twist and turns kept me reading all night. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. 2020 seems so far away to wait on Starbreaker just saying
I bought Nightchaser because Amanda Bouchet’s Kingmaker Chronicles were one of my favorite trilogies ever. I devoured Nightchaser, and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve already pre-ordered the second in the series.
It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a space-themed romance. To be honest, its been Sherrilyn Kenyon or Gena Showalter universes that have held my interest. But I;m so glad I took a chance on Amanda Bouchet’s new series with Nightchaser. Not only does it remind me of Robin Hood but for an other nerds out there, it reminds me a lot of Serenity/firefly. Space pirates out there, somewhat reluctantly seeking justice and righteousness for those less fortunate. Tess and her crew are welcome among those groups but her tale comes with a side order or espionage.
Not only does Tess take risks, she’s not afraid to face authority. But when it comes down to revealing her #1 secret, Tess has to reveal her true identity in order for them to make an almost kamikaze choice. But when the risk pays off and spits her into a new Sector of space, her refuge leads her to one charming rogue by the name of Shade. He knows the planet like no one else and their attraction sparks immediately. But before Tess can escape to the reaches of space again with her crew, Shade has to help her repair her ship. With close calls of the Overseer’s (our villain) goons; Shade poses a danger Tess has no idea about. He may be a rogue, but her picture has landed in his lap as the largest bounty he’s ever been given to collect. Enough for him to repair the past he’s been chasing for years.
I would almost categorize this is an action/suspense romance because while Tess and her crew may be avoiding capture, it’s a slow paced evasion. Their essentially hiding out on a planet which has it’s own dangers. Tess and her crew face them every day before their week of repairs are up. Meanwhile Shade is falling for Tess while trying to decide if her bounty is worth sacrificing a woman he’s connected with for the first time in a long time. A new battle in space determines their fate and I’m excited to see where Tess, Shade, and her crew go!
This book was fantastic. I wasn’t planning on reading it right away (because of other books I was looking forward to reading) but I read the first chapter to check it out and I was completely hooked. Bouchet immediately puts you right in the middle of an exhilarating set of circumstances that could’ve been the climax, except – oh wait – it’s just the beginning.
It’s not nonstop action, but it is nonstop “omg-I’m-loving-this-this-book-is-so-good-I-can’t-stop-reading!”
The characters were all wonderful, they were all complex, and they all jumped to life off the page. The romance was fantastic. There was a nice amount of will-they-won’t-they without ever sacrificing the heat and attraction between the main characters.
The biggest (and really only) letdown of Nightchaser is that the next book is more than a year away from release! What on earth am I supposed to do until then?
Another absolutely fantastic read from Amanda Bouchet. The Endeavor series is set in space and follows Captain Tess Bailey and her rebel crew, fighting against the dictatorial Overseer. After stealing something the Overseer is desperate to get back, a ruthless general is on their tail, willing to do anything to capture her. When Tess hires Shade Ganavan to repair her damaged ship, she decides to trust him, even though that may not be her best move, since Shade has motivations she’s not aware of. Neither one can deny the irresistible attraction between them, but Shade is going to have to decide what is most important to him before they both get killed. What an awesome couple, and what an amazing ride of an adventure. I can’t believe the next book in the series isn’t coming out until next year, I want more of these rebels and their adventures.
It is always good to discover a new author to read. This one is that for me with it also being in a category I do adore. Captain Tess will intrigue you along with catching your attention with this one. It also has injected in it drama with the thrills to keep you on your toes and on the edge. Shade is easy on the eyes with also having us follow him to see what is up his sleeve so to speak. The story will keep your attention with its elements that are needed to do that. Even though a sci-fi I tend to forget that with being into the characters. I will look for more from this author in the future.
I was so extremely excited to be able to pick up the first book in Amanda Bouchet’s new trilogy. And since I love a great science fiction novel, I couldn’t wait to start reading.
This book had everything that belongs into a fantastic read.
A strong, kick-ass heroine. A heroic male lead that is destined to help his female counterpart, and a supporting cast that showed promise.
Unfortunately all in all the novel didn’t reach its potential. At least not for me.
I truly loved the author’s first trilogy. The banter, the energy and the action – I loved EVERYTHING!!!
This time around it felt like the banter between the characters was missing. And the entire love story felt more like an afterthought, more like a slow burn, which isn’t bad at all, but it didn’t add any excitement to the story either.
I think my main issue was that nothing was truly memorable, unique or fascinating about Nightchaser. I wanted to be WOWed and that just didn’t happen. The story was missing something and I’m still trying to figure out what it was exactly. Maybe I needed more dialogues between the characters, and for a space adventure it was definitely low on action, but also the characters weren’t as unique as you would imagine in a sci-fi novel.
Now I’m not saying I won’t read the next book, because I definitely will pick it up. The story has promise and I’m looking forward to see how Tess and Shade manage to deal with certain events, but Nightchaser was nothing like A Promise of Fire. And I must admit I’m a little disappointed. I had high hopes, maybe they were too high.
I haven’t read the first series by Amanda Bouchet, but I heard great things about it. So I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read an ARC of this new series, even though I don’t read much science fiction. And I absolutely loved it! I’d read more sci-fi if there were more books like this.
Tess and her crew were thieves, but they gave the stolen goods to those who were desperately in need of them…things such as vaccines. Think of Robin Hood crossed with Star Wars. They captured a science lab which they believed held vaccines that were needed at the orphanage where Tess once lived. They were pursued by the Overlord’s forces, and her ship Endeavor was badly damaged. The escaped and landed on a planet where they could get repairs. There she meets Shade. Shade is very attracted to Tess, but he is extremely conflicted. Should be follow his heart or his brain?
Tess was an awesome heroine; she was very strong and smart, but also had a huge heart. I just loved Shade. He was a strong alpha male, but he struggled between what he needed to do and what he wanted to do. Their chemistry was off the charts, and their physical time together was beyond steamy. The supporting characters were interesting, especially Jax. The parts of the story I loved best, though, dealt with books and cats. Both are extremely important parts of my life. I snickered and cried throughout the story. There was nothing I didn’t like about this book. I can’t wait for the next one!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
I can honestly say I’ve never read a book like this one before. This is so sci-fi but with romance and written in such a way that I was totally absorbed into the story from the first page. There is plenty of adventure, drama and action as well as a wonderful chemistry between the hero and heroine. I worried what type of decision Shade was going to make and how Tess would respond to his actions. It was the perfect amount of angst to keep the romance part of the story moving even while Tess is leading a group of rebels and keeping some pretty deep secrets to herself.
Tess is a strong, independent heroine with a deep drive to protect those that she considers family. I loved her character in every way possible. Shade was protective and alpha enough to keep an eye on her but smart enough to know she led her own life and he couldn’t dictate to her.
This is a lengthier book but it never felt bogged down or wordy. The secondary characters are awesome and the twists had me reading wide-eyed and transfixed. The steam factor didn’t even register to me because it was all about Tess, Shade and their gang and the danger that hovered dangerously close to them. The ending is a cliffhanger but it has a happy for now quality to it even as the future for these characters is uncertain.
And now the wait for book 2…
I loved Amanda Bouchet’s Kingmaker Chronicles and was looking forward to reading Nightchaser, her new book in a new series. And I am happy to say it is as good as her previous books even if it’s quite different from Kingmaker’s Chronicles. It’s a captivating, action-packed, and fast-pasted adventure you would expect from her. I can’t wait for the second book because I can’t get enough of Tess and her motley space crew. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long!
*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
Whoa. I don’t really know what I was expecting from this, but I definitely didn’t get it. And I mean that in the best possible way! Normally I’m not a huge sci-fi person, but this book was such a fun read and I got completely sucked in from the very beginning.
This is my first time reading anything by Amanda Bouchet and I think from the description I was expecting this to be more of a classic, cliched romance novel set in space. But I’m so happy to be proved wrong! If Firefly and Robin Hood came together to have a romance book love child, it would be Nightchaser. So basically all of my favorite things together in one place.
We’re dropped right in the action at the the tail end of a high-speed space getaway, almost as if there’s a beginning chapter missing. Normally it bothers me when books do this because I find it jarring, but I really loved the way Bouchet framed it! It made me really engage with the story and want to know more about what was going on. Over the course of the story, we get little bits and pieces that slowly form a bigger picture and it was great watching it all unfold.
Plus, the characters are GREAT!! I got so attached to everyone, even Bonk the cat. Jax was a sweetie, Miko and Shiori gave me all the feels, and Fiona’s spunky attitude always made me laugh. And Shade and Tess. UGH. I loved it.
And that ending was SO CRAAAAAAAZY!!! I was NOT prepared for the utter insanity I was slapped with. It was GREAT.
↬ FINAL WORD
This was such a fun sci-fi romance and I’m TOTALLY on board for the next one!