“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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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.
The badass space princess adventure we deserve.
I heard about Polaris Rising when Ilona Andrews mentioned it on her blog. She recommends it, so of course it has to be good, right? I read the first chapter a while back and was definitely interested.
Ada is one of the daughters of one of the three most powerful families in the universe. In order to avoid a forced marriage, she takes off and goes into hiding. It’s been two years, and mercenaries finally catch up with her. The imprison her with Loch, supersoldier extraordinaire! He is everything I love in a hero.
Ada is everything I love in a heroine. Resourceful, brave, and real. She knows her limitations. She’s afraid when she should be afraid but that doesn’t stop her. She’s cautious when she should be cautious but does dangerous things when it’s required.
Loch and Ada escape together, shenanigans happen, we meet other fantastic characters and have a Happily Ever After. It was perrrrrfect!
One of the things I really enjoyed was the mash-up of Regency Romance with Science Fiction. I don’t know if that was intentional, but I totally got the vibe of the Regency social scene complete with seasons and formalities and such. Loved that!
Devoured this book in twenty-four hours. And, why yes, I did notice that the author has another book out and, yes, I did one-click purchase it, although I probably shouldn’t because I need to get stuff done!
And BOOM, my first new to me author read of 2019 and I’m an absolute fan after reading Polaris Rising. This book had everything that I look for in a sci-fi romance; a strong heroine, a sexy (yet stubborn) hero, and suspense that keeps you engaged the entire time. OH, and we can’t forget the love! Jessie Mihalik, I’m your newest fan and can’t wait to add this amazing book to my shelf for all to see!
I’m not sure when my last sci-fi book was, and a non-YA one might I add. When it comes to sci-fi, if they don’t start of strong, it tends to my lose my interest pretty quickly. I was so thankful that it wasn’t the case at all. Mihalik woven such an engaging tale that I was pretty lost in Ada’s story. I couldn’t put this one down.
Like I mentioned earlier, I love when we have a strong heroine and Ada is just that. My connection to her was instant and I was eager to learn more about her and the world and life she was born into. Being such a high status and on the run, she’s forced to cover all of her tracks and to trust no one. She’s clearly no damsel in the distress, but being on the run for so long will eventually go it’s course. She’s definitely not the life that she was born into and I really loved that about her. It really shone in her personality and I held onto to all the scenes with her siblings. And I’m hoping that we see/hear more about them in the rest of the series. With all of that being said, she’s a badass and definitely perfectly matched for Loch.
I’ll quickly comment on Loch because he is truly a treasure for you to discover on your own. I connected with him as soon as he was introduced. I don’t know how she did it, but Jessie was able to write a hero and had me rooting for the guy before we even knew his story. How does that even happen?! Little by little, his past is revealed and that just added to the suspense a bit of Ada’s journey. Many are commenting on his alpha-ness, it’s definitely there, but to me it was just the right amount to the point where he wasn’t overbearing. He knew and recognized Ada’s strength, and didn’t want to hold her back, even though I’m sure he would have just loved if she stayed put indefinitely.
These two had to learn to trust each other quickly, Ada has her obvious barriers holding her back from doing so. But with being together on this insane venture, they’re forced into working together, which eventually brings them closer and has them questioning their feelings for one another. But that’s just the least of their worries since they have so much to face going forward.
I truly loved everything about the both of them, the story and the world-building. Jessie did a phenomenal job with writing enough of details about this world, it’s like you’re walking alongside them shadowing everything. And I’m dying to know what’s to come of the Consortium, a storm is definitely on the horizon.
Polaris Rising is such a solid foundation to this new series and I’m excited for Book 2, I’ll definitely be counting down the days until I can get my hands on that book!
**I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED WITH MY HONEST OPINION FOR AN ADVANCED READER’S COPY**
Jessie Mihalik
Wow. I loved this book from beginning to end. A strong and capable heroine who’s been on the run for a long time, put in intense situations, and then a fantastic romantic storyline too. I loved all the intrigue with the Houses, the witty banter, and the fact that Ada always had a plan, even if she knew the plan would fail. This was everything I loved in a good sci-fi romance, and if you enjoy my books, you’ll love this one too.
I loved this action-packed space opera with its kick-butt heroine. I immediately snapped up the next book in the series. Just awesome!
I got my grubby paws on an advanced copy of this book and I absolutely loved it. A very cool world, lots of action, great pacing. Even if you’re not big into to Sci-fi, give this one a try. The writing is really solid and the characters a whole lot of fun.
This book was everything I’d ever want in a sci-fi romance. Amazing world building, a badass heroine who’s wicked smart, a brooding hero who’s more than what he seems. Highly recommend!
I had high hopes for this book and it didn’t disappoint! Such a fun ride.
SFR at it’s very best! I loved everything about this story: the capable, regal, kickass heroine and spaceship pilot; the muscular, dangerous and enigmatic escaped war criminal hero; the well-realized universe and secondary characters; and the the fast-paced plot that kept me turning pages. I had a serious book hangover when I finished and the story left me craving more of this world and characters. Highly recommend!
Loved it! Read it on my Nook from the Cloud Library then bought my own copy!
Great story
Light quick read with snarky comments and romance. Perfect for when burned out from work and want a distraction.
Strong female character and a supportive male. Great world building. Likable characters. Smooth.
Great world building. I read the series pretty quickly and wanted more!
Loved this book! I can’t wait to read the whole series!
A space princess on the run and kicking ass. Loved this!
Polaris Rising combines Pirates of the Caribbean-styled adventure, interesting characters, and high stakes danger into one increasingly dynamic and unlikely romantic story. Also, if that wasn’t enough to catch your attention, it happens in frickin space. That’s right, for the price of one book you get adventure, romance, AND space. Jessie Mihalik weaves a new and vibrant tale of Ada von Hasenberg, Marcus Loch, and their group of friends in the alluring backdrop of the Consortium’s political minefield. Almost immediately the ball begins rolling with our daring, on-the-run heroine’s capture and coincidental meeting with outlaw, murder extraordinaire Marcus Loch. Faced with limited options and little time, Ada strikes a deal with the Devil himself and plunges both Loch and herself into a whirlwind of chaos, secrets, and some serious chemistry.
Polaris Rising was a fun read. It offers some of the wild action that made the Pirates of the Caribbean movies so popular while also providing deeper political motivations and secrecy. What made this story unique amongst all the other space odysseys that are gaining popularity is the interesting political dynamic that Ada and Loch find themselves apart of. Ada isn’t simply running away from all the political subterfuge, instead, she actively seeks to help her family and their goals while also thwarting her father’s martial wishes for her. Her interactions with Loch are filled with chemistry and partnership that quickly attracts the reader who wants to see where they develop. Mihalik does a great job balancing this romance with the demands and problems of the political world Ada is so entrenched in.
Amidst all the cowboy action that makes this book so much fun to read, there is (as with all books) a downside: the story is slightly rushed. The characters could be fleshed out or explained in greater detail. The interactions between Ada and Loch were absolutely stellar for the first half of the book, but quickly became rushed to focus on the overall chaos and action. By the end of the book, the main characters faced kidnapping and rescuing accounts multiple times, which might be a positive for those wanting an action packed story or a negative for those wanting more of a detailed, varied plot. The side characters that are later introduced waver between dynamic and static despite being interesting and worth pursuing deeper insights into. As the series develops, these characters might be focused on or explored in more depth, but I would have loved to have seen more sides to the more essential side characters.
All in all, this book was an engaging and enjoyable read. For the first book in this series, it sets the stage quite nicely and leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next. Mihalik’s attention to detail and the underlying purpose behind each character’s action transforms this story from another cowboy space story into something truly worth giving a shot. If you enjoyed T.A. White’s Firebird Chronicles, Amanda Bouchet’s Endeavor series, or Ilona Andrew’s Hidden Legacy series then Polaris Rising should be the next book on your most likely enormous reading list.
Absolutely loved this action/adventure/sci-fi/romance mash-up! A kickass heroine who’s not afraid to be vulnerable, a hot hero who’s not so alpha that he tries to protect the heroine from being her strong self, and a plot that never quits or lags. And the handful of steamy scenes were really, REALLY good 🙂 Looking forward to reading the companion novel!
A member of one of three High Houses, Ada van Hasenberg has been on the run for two years, after refusing to accept an arranged marriage to a noble from House Rockhurst. Ada is captured for the bounty on her head and ends up sharing a cell with Marcus Loch, the man with the highest bounty in the universe. Marcus is known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, and is accused of killing his chain of command and his entire squad. Naturally, they join forces to escape and thus starts a thrilling adventure with lots of action, intrigue, political maneuvering, villains and heroes, and romance. Ada is accomplished in navigating the treacherous Royal Consortium, skilled in protecting herself, and has picked up other handy skills in the years on the run. I love a young woman who can take care of herself, and takes care of others as well, and of course the big, strong Marcus is a softy underneath all the brawn and toughness, which makes him such a wonderful partner for Ada. They both do their share of saving the day, which made this story so fun to read, and they’re on equal footing with each other, even though they come from such different backgrounds. I always love a fantastic Science Fiction Romantic Adventure, and this one certainly delivered. I look forward to reading the next story, Aurora Blazing, which features Ada’s sister Bianca.