Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1)
Jessie Mihalik
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 . . .
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This was a long book but it felt fast paced because it was mostly action packed and full of scenes that were tense and had plans. There are vibes of Dungeons & Dragons and of heist movies-- I think there were more than three rescues in this book?
Ada was a fun, smart, brave, moral main character, and I liked how much she cared about her siblings and those she felt responsible for. I liked how she had an interesting and layered backstory that was both helpful and relevant. As one reviewer put it: "the dichotomy of her privilege and her chains"
Loch was a bit more mysterious and less well-drawn, maybe I felt that way because this was a single point of view story? It was harder to believe how amazing and badass he was when he kept getting captured and needing rescued... I believed in his skills but not in his personality?
There was good chemistry and tension between the two main characters, the lust was there even if the sex scenes weren't as smutty as I wanted. I definitely wanted more communication and development earlier-- it felt a little adrenaline inspired
I enjoyed that there was some complexity and moving parts to the story, but also I was on the edge of being confused, and it felt like there was a lot to keep track of. I think part of this was because of its fast pace. In my vlog I was enjoying it a lot, especially the pacing and the adventurous tone. I appreciated how the two main characters respected each other and saw each other's strengths and value.
I am intrigued with the world setup and how this book ends so dramatically. I would continue the series in the future, though I am afraid I will have forgotten too much of this book's plot.
Other reviewers point out that the setting and futuristic technology was very cool to read about, which I agree with. I liked that I slowly began to like Marcus as Ada does, and I enjoyed the trust that built between them, and the acceptance that came along with that. A couple of reviewers point out how many characters have blonde hair and there seemed to be no described Black people? This wasn't something that I noticed, but my mental imagery ability isn't great.
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