Polaris Rising
A Novel
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4.3 • 172 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“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 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 . . .
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Packed full of immersive futuristic worldbuilding, wildly exciting space adventures and a hefty dose of sexy interstellar romance, the first book in Jessie Mahilik's Consortium Rebellion trilogy is everything we want in a sci-fi novel. Ada von Hasenberg is a badass princess from the universe's Royal Consortium. She's on the run from an arranged marriage, and the toughest bounty hunters in the galaxy are vying to collect the steep reward promised for her return. But when she finds herself trapped on a merchant ship next to Marcus Loch, the ‘Verse’s most wanted (and most muscular) rebel, things take an unexpected—and at times, delightfully steamy—turn. Even on top of the white-hot romance, we loved stepping into Mahilik’s vivid future landscapes and the pulse-pounding battles, captures and escapes that came with them. Everything about this future world is imaginative and flat-out fun, right down to Mahilik's clever take on long-distance space travel. A racy, spacey odyssey like nothing we've read before, Polaris Rising had us biting our lip in anticipation… of the sequel.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The opener to Mihalik's debut trilogy, a simplistic space opera with a side of erotica, starts far too slowly and fails to build dramatic tension even in its most frantic escape scenes, while both character and plot development lean toward the bland and stereotyped. Ada von Hasenberg, fifth child of one of the three High Houses of the Consortium, has spent two years running from her father's forces in order to avoid a political marriage. As she eludes pursuit by her undesired betrothed, Richard Rockhurst, she finds an unlikely ally: fugitive Marcus Loch, considered one of the universe's most dangerous criminals. After a bit of hopping planets, manipulating connections, and killing people who are in the way, Ada and Marcus end up with a stolen House Rockhurst ship with a new kind of faster-than-light travel technology, an understanding that the failure of Ada and Richard's union means inter-House war, and a sexual connection too strong to ignore. Mihalik s storytelling leaves an impression of having checked off plot requirements and never draws readers into Ada's world, leaving them bored well before the end.
Customer Reviews
Excellent space opera, however
The sexual themes are really unnecessary.
Besides, both characters are too perfect to be good protagonists.
Great potential nonetheless.
Refreshing
This is the first “romance” sci-if I’ve read. Normally I read books like ancillary justice, altered carbon, foundation, exfor. In my opinion, the writing is better then exfor and way more immersive. Spent the last 5h reading this, not finished yet, but wow. I appreciate how she balances the romantic elements with the main story, not to heavy handed. Good word building, not to detailed in specifics, and allowing for imagination.
pleasantly surprised
i don’t normally enjoy space travel type of stories, but this really sucked me in! couldn’t put this book down! totally loved the characters & their banter back & forth. so good!