“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 … 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 . . .
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I got an ecopy of this book for review from the publisher through Edelweiss. I didn’t get around to reading it and ended up listening to audiobook version that I listened through a subscription service eventually.
After enjoying the first two books in Jessie Mihalik’s Rogue Queen series I decided to finally give Polaris Rising a try. The weird thing is that I got a review copy of this back when it wasn’t released yet and then somehow forgot about it until I listened to the Rogue Queen last year and decided to finally check out Polaris Rising too. As I listened to the Rogue Queen series I decided to give this one a try in audio as well. This book was off to a rough start for me, but slowly I got more invested in story got to know the characters and got used to the narrator and then suddenly I was hooked and I wanted to keep listening.
First let me start with the start of the book. I thought the start was quite slow, especially compared to the Rogue Queen series which is quite fast paced, this was quite the adjustment as I mistakenly thought it would have the same pacing as the other series. I didn’t find the opening scenes as interesting, although looking back I can definitely see why the author started the book there. It just wasn’t gripping me. Add in a new to me narrator that I couldn’t seem to get used to and I struggled through the first few hours.
And then once I got through those first few hours I suddenly was hooked. The plot was picking up, I got used to the narrator (or maybe her style really did change as the book progressed?), I was more familiar with the characters and started caring about them, the romance started blossoming, interesting side character joined the field and then there was some interesting political intrigue as well. It was great. definitely worth pushing through the first hour or so to get there.
Polaris Rising follow the story of Ada who ran away from her family. Her family is one of the three big houses who rule the galaxy. She didn’t want to marry someone she didn’t love and wants to make her own way instead, but at the start of this book she gets captured by a group of mercs who want the money her father promises to those who find her. She’s put in the brig with a notorious criminal Marcus Loch. He wants to escape and she wants to escape, they’re both prisoners, but can they trust each other? Marcus is rumored to have killed his whole squad of soldiers and is a wanted criminal, but he might be her only chance at escape.
Just like Jessie Mihalik’s other series this series has that blend of different factors that make it a great read. A compelling story, but also enough focus on the characters and the development. The romance is a big part of the plot, but doesn’t overshadow the plot. It’s an awesome balance with enough romance and enough plot. I also really like the politic intrigue, with the different factions and how they rule the galaxy and all the political scheming and how Ada plays that game as well as anyone who grow up in the high houses.
Ada is a great main character, she’s capable both in combat and in social and political situations. I have to admit it took me a bit of time to warm up to her because at first she came across as less than capable and a bit dramatic and led by fear, but I think that’s also how the narrator made her seem and she was locked in a cell with the galaxy’s most wanted criminal at the start of the book. But once she has some space to do her own thing, she really shows what’s she capable of. I also like how caring she is, she cares about her friends and her family and even though Loch is this creepy criminal she still feels bad for how the merc treat him and is a bit nice to him even while scared out of mind. And later in the book it becomes even more obvious how far she goes for those she cares about. I liked seeing that.
I also really liked the romance, it’s a bit of a slow burn and they aren’t sure they can trust each other for a long while, but there is this simmering attraction. And slowly they grow closer and it was awesome seeing them let each other in. There was some drama and miscommunication that frustrated me a bit when it happened, but it was realistically done in a way that made sense for these characters. And they actually realized what was going on and I liked how Ada basically told him that they had to communicate better. I really liked the two together and even more the further I got the book. They really are good together.
The main plot line of the series is a bit slow to build, but there is this part when things fall on their place and start making sense and is getting connected that was great to see. This book resolved the romance of Ada and Loch and their main part in the bigger plot I think, but it leaves the main plot line open for the next books, which will each follow another sibling. I am really curious to see how that works and how the focus will shift and which part Ada and Loch will still play.
This was a new to me narrator and at first I had some trouble getting used to her style, I didn’t like the vibe she gave Ada and how dramatic and over emotional some things sounded. And then as the book progressed I got used to her style or maybe she toned down the over-dramatic parts and by then I was really liking the narration. I thought her voices for Ada and Loch were well done and I especially like Reese his voice as well. There were a few side character that sounded a bit similar, but all the main character had their own voice. And she did a good job with different intonations and showing the emotions in their voices as well.
To summarize: This was a really great read. I struggled a bit to get into the book at first, the plot took some time to grip me, I had to warm up to the characters and get used to the narrator. And then suddenly I was totally invested and started really enjoying the book. I really liked Ada as main character, how capable she is in both combat and social and political situation. And also how caring she is and how far she goes for those she cares about. The romance was well done, the build up started out slow and it progressed in a way that felt realistic. Their mutual attraction slow builds into something more and I really liked these two together. I also liked the plot and the bit of politics and political intrigue that’s going on. The romance and Ada and Loch’s main part in the plot gets wrapped up, but the main plot is left open and will continue in the later books. It took me some time to get used to the narrator, I thought she sounded a bit too dramatic at first, but I slowly got used to her style or maybe she toned that down a bit and ended up really liking her style and the different voices for the characters. All in I had a great time listening to this book and look forward to later books in the series.
This was a great change of pace. I loved the sci fi setting. I’m now on book 2 and love it too!
I love a good SF tale with romance in it. This book had action, strong female heroine and a great hero who balanced the heroine nicely. The dialogue was great, the romance well done as a slow burn, and the plot was excellent. I loved this story and it kept me engrossed until the end. Looking forward to the next one!
This book is unexpectantly sexy. Maybe, I didn’t read the blurb well enough, but the R rated smut became more and more prevalent as the story progressed.
Now, I am a fan of smut. Smut is a beautiful thing, but I’m not a fan of reading smut. Not for me. By the time Mihalik mentioned the guys nipple for the 4th time I was done.
I did not finish the book. The story was engaging. The narrator was excellent, playing many characters perfectly. I am just not a romance type of person.
If you like a little action with your sci-fi then Polaris Rising is a series you should check out.
Space Crazy Get-Away Crime Heist turned fantastic Romantic Thriller in 450 pages. Simply amazing!
I love a good Sci Fi romance, and this book hits all the marks!
I borrowed Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik from my local library, and I had a hard time putting down this book. I loved every minute of reading this heart-pounding action-packed book. I also bought the audiobook version of this book, so I could listen to it when I was cleaning.
Polaris Rising is set in the future, and it’s all about a space princess, Ada von Hasenberg, who has been missing for two years now in outer space away from her family. She didn’t want to marry the guy that her father had tried to set her up within the story. The whole marriage was going to be a sham due to her father wanting to be a spy on her future husband. She never wanted to be a spy and wasn’t into the political parts of the arrangement. Now, two years’s later, she’s been caught and is being taken back to her home planet to face the consequences and finally marry the man she was supposed to in the beginning. Fortunately, she gets locked away in the same area as Marcus Loch. Marcus Loch is known as the Devil of Fornax Zero since he was rumored to have killed his entire change of command during the Fornax Rebellion. He has a massive bounty on his head, and the captives that caught him are taking him back to the Consortium to face his death. Ada will trust Marcus if he helps her escape, but of course, he may be too dangerous to trust, but he is one sexy creature in this book.
The two unlikely characters end up sticking with each other and helping each other. They get into certain situations though and end up getting help from others to assist in evading Richard Rockhurst, who is the man that Ada was supposed to marry. He wants her now for something else and Ada and finds out the truth about he wants to do with her.
This book had me on the edge of my seat wondering if Ada would ever get a chance to relax without having someone around the corner trying to get her. There was also the issue of Marcus getting captured too. I loved how Jessie Mihalik had me wanting more after I finished this book.
I’ve found a new genre that I love since I haven’t read much of Science Fiction Romance. If you are a fan of Sci-Fi romance or have never read the genre before and are looking for a book to break you into the genre, then this is the book for you. Jessie Mihalik is going on my auto-buy list now, and I’m counting down to the second book in the series that releases this Autumn. I can’t wait for Ian and Bianca’s story.
Story Rating: 4.5 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3 stars
Standalone or part of series: Part of series.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, most definitely.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes. I can’t wait until the next book in the series.
Tropes/Elements: Bad Boy; Royalty
Hero: Dangerous; Alpha; Ex-Con
Heroine: Space Princess; Runaway Bride; Kick-butt
Meh, a romance novel dressed up as a sci-fi adventure. The thin veneer of science fiction that wraps this romance novel is weak and largely unrelated to the story.
Bad science, total misunderstanding of how vast a galaxy is, hero is clearly Vin Diesel from Chronicles of Riddick, poor understanding of how difficult it is to keep track of an empire: three families rule the entire galaxy? Three? Really? Never forget: space is vast and the emperor is far away. Heroine had loads of magical, action girl skills far beyond the ken of mortal man, even an enhanced one.
Great characters and story line. Couldn’t put it down.
I liked the characters. It was a pretty fast read, and though kind of predictable, it was still fun. Reminded me a lot of Lindsay Buroker, but with a male protagonist that is more approachable/animated/friendly right from the start. And the sexual tension gets broken in the first novel in the series (rather discriptively, I might add). If you like strong female lead characters, you’ll like this story. I’m looking forward to the next novel.
A space princess on the run? Count me in! This book has all the things I love: a competent, smart, I-know-how-to-fight heroine; a sexy warrior who’s appears to have gone to the dark side; awesome world-building. Can’t wait for the next one!
Fantastic space opera adventure. I loved everything about this from the first page. I can’t wait to get back to this universe and these characters. Jessie is now a must-buy author for me.
For readers who like science fiction with romance, this book hits all the right buttons. A princess who kicks butt and takes names, a hero who’s capable and has her back, well drawn secondary characters, good plot and excellent world building. There’s also a set-up for future Consortium Rebellion novels that’s integrated without being heavy-handed. I liked it very much and it was a great whiz-bang, action filled, hot and heavy weekend read.
Great book! Highly recommend if you enjoy SFR.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
In the future, the universe is controlled by a group called The Consortium. It’s made up of the three most powerful families. Ada is on the run. Her father wants her to marry someone from a rival house, and he didn’t take her seriously when she said she would not marry the man he’d picked. So she ran. She lived as a mercenary and it wasn’t until her father put the universe’s biggest bounty ever on her head, that she was finally captured. But when she’s captured, she doesn’t go quietly. They toss her in a cell with another bounty they’ve captured. Marcus Loch had previously held the honor of highest bounty in the universe until Ada. The two, Ada and Loch immediately distrust each other, but they realize that their only hope of getting off the ship before they reach Earth is to work together. When Ada discovers that the Rockhurst family is hiding a huge secret weapon, one that could possibly start a war, Ada knows she must use her knowledge to help clear Loch’s name and get her own freedom back.
Polaris Rising, the first book in The Consortium Series by Jessie Mihalik, is a fantastic space adventure set in a futuristic world where certain families, or Houses, rule. Ada von Hasenberg is a member of one of the Houses but doesn’t want to be a political pawn.
Ada lives on the run from her family or at least she does until she is captured and imprisoned with the most dangerous criminal, Marcus Loch, the Devil of Fornax Zero. Fortunately, Marcus makes for a great prison-break companion.
For much of the book, Ada and Marcus are on the run, trying to outwit her family and the house of the man she is supposed to marry. The political machinations in Polaris Rising are intense, complicated and all-consuming.
Ada is without a doubt a political pawn that her family wants to use to strengthen their political reach – and the same is true for the people of the house into which she is supposed to marry. Ada, however, is having nothing to do with her family’s plan.
The good news is that Ada has learned the lessons of politics well and has no problem taking charge of her life, her relationships and her future. Marcus fits her well. He is indeed an enigmatic personality and we aren’t quite sure about him in the beginning.
However, Marcus, as alpha as he is, has no problem supporting Ada in her bit to outmaneuver her family and gain her freedom. And of course, the rumors about his criminal activities are not what they seem.
I am fairly late to the science fiction romance game. I haven’t read too many books in this genre. Many trusted friends on twitter were talking about Polaris Rising and convinced me to read it. I am glad they did as expanding my reading is important.
Polaris Rising had me hooked from the beginning. I admit that I kind of wanted to be Ada, who is one of the most kick-ass romance heroines ever. Marcus is a fantastic hero who complemented Ada almost to perfection.
I cannot recommend Polaris Rising enough to readers. This story is jam-packed with adventure, manipulations, political machinations, romance and triumph. Next books in the series will feature Ada’s siblings – and I can’t wait.
Book Disclosure: An ebook was provided by the publisher via edelweiss.
A ton of my Book Twitter friends recommended this book to me and I can tell you now, it absolutely lives up to the hype. I love a good sci-fi romance set in space and this one hit all the high notes. A fierce, loyal, and capable heroine. A gruff, powerful, and mysterious hero. Fantastic world building… great plotting and action… and a cast of secondary characters that have me chomping at the bit for more.
Ada is a princess in one of three royal/ruling houses of the galaxy. But she isn’t the kind of princess who dreams of marrying the prince. In fact, she has been on the run for the past two years, just to avoid an arranged marriage with a prince of a rival house. Her own father has put a bounty on her head to get her back home, but her royal training has served her too well. To be the daughter of a High House, she has been well schooled in every skill she would need to be an ideal spy and it’s helped her evade capture… until now. As the story begins, she’s been nabbed by mercenaries and she has to enlist the help of a fellow prisoner to help her escape before she is shipped back home.
That prisoner is Marcus Loch. He is well known as a killer, and Ada has no doubt he’s capable of it. But she sees something more to him. They bust out just as her betrothed breaks in, intent on forcing the marriage. They must jump through hoops, making one escape after the next to evade him, all while trying to figure out why he is so desperate to make the marriage happen.
I don’t want to spoil too much. But I loved, loved, loved the dynamic between Ada and Loch. They start out so wary of each other, and for good reason, but in forced proximity, they spark and eventually flame. Loch is such a great love interest. His secrets are peeled back like the layers of an onion, at the same time his defenses against Ada slowly break down. (His moments of jealousy, by the way, pushed my happy buttons.) Ada was phenomenal too. She would never ask anyone to take a risk she’s not willing to take herself. And though she looks out for her interests, she works hard not to cause undue harm to those around her.
Jessie Mihalik’s writing is so easy to sink into. She makes it feel so effortless. From setting up the political dynamics of the world to the space science to character histories. It all flows so well, allowing you to just sink into the action. I am a little sad to say goodbye to the Ada and Loch romance, but the author has planted a good seed to pique my interest in Bianca and Ian’s story. (Bring on book 2!)
Would definitely recommend for fans of sci-fi romance or space opera. Or really, romance fans in general.
Rating: A
Heart-pounding futuristic action and scorching chemistry make Polaris Rising a thrilling ride. A gripping and sexy space adventure!