Review: Aurora Blazing - Jessie Mihalik

To save her brother and protect her family’s future, a powerful princess must join forces with a dashing man from her past in this thrilling space adventure, the second novel in the Consortium Rebellion trilogy.

As the dutiful daughter of High House von Hasenberg, Bianca set aside her personal feelings and agreed to a political match arranged by her family, only to end up trapped in a loveless, miserable marriage. When her husband unexpectedly dies, Bianca vows never to wed again. Newly independent, she secretly uses her wealth and influence to save other women stuck in dire circumstances. Information is power and Bianca has a network of allies and spies that would be the envy of the ’verse—if anyone knew about it.

When her family’s House is mysteriously attacked, Bianca’s oldest brother, the heir to House von Hasenberg, disappears. Fearful for her brother’s life, the headstrong Bianca defies her father and leaves Earth to save him. Ian Bishop, the director of House von Hasenberg security—and Bianca’s first love—is ordered to find and retrieve the rebellious woman.

Ian is the last man Bianca wants to see. To evade capture, she leads him on a merry chase across the universe. But when their paths finally collide, she knows she must persuade him to help her. Bianca will do anything to save her sibling, even if it means spending time alone on a small ship with the handsome, infuriating man who once broke her heart.

As the search takes them deep into rival House Rockhurst territory, Bianca must decide if she can trust Ian with the one piece of information that could destroy her completely . . .

Consortium Rebellion Series:
Polaris Rising
Aurora Blazing
Chaos Reigning (May 2020)

Visit Jessie Mihalik's website for more information

Review:
As the oldest daughter of House von Hasenberg Bianca did her duty and married a man she didn't love to help her father build political alliances. It wasn't a happy marriage, especially since her husband was a mad scientist who liked to experiment on her, so after she is unexpectedly widowed Bianca vows to never marry again. Instead she uses her newfound independence, and her own secret network of spies, to help other women trapped in difficult situations.

When the House is attacked and her oldest brother Ferdinand is taken prisoner, Bianca decides to put her network to even better use as she sets out to bring him home. Her father sends the House head of security to bring Bianca back home but she will do whatever it takes to convince Ian that the best chance of bringing Ferdinand home alive is by working together to find him.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I realised that each book in this series was about a different couple just because I liked Ada and Loch so much in the first book and wanted to spend more time with them. The change in narrators ended up working really well though and I found Bianca was just as enjoyable to read about as her sister. Bianca is older than Ada and sees herself as the protector of her siblings, she has always gone along with her father's wishes so that the younger ones don't have to but when Ferdinand is in danger she can't just sit back and let someone else take control of his rescue. She has unique resources that Ian and the rest of the security team don't have access to and nothing is going to stop her from using them.

Bianca and Ian have a difficult relationship because they both have feelings for each other that they know they can't act on for various reasons. There is no way her father would ever have approved a match between them but that never stopped Bianca from dreaming, right up until her wedding. Now she has sworn off of relationships but it doesn't make it any easier to hide her attraction to Ian when they're working so closely together. I loved the slow build romance between them and the way Bianca was so brave to open her heart again after being betrayed so badly by her husband. Both Bianca and Ian have plenty of secrets but they're really well matched and I enjoyed watching them work together.

This story had just as much action as the first book and we learn a bit more about the rivalry and building war between House von Hassenberg and House Rockhurst. Revelations towards the end of the book left me desperately waiting for the final book in the trilogy, Chaos Reigning, so I'm glad I don't have to wait too much longer to get hold of a copy.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Queen's Advantage - Jessie Mihalik

When Queen Samara Rani fulfills the promise she made to Emperor Valentin Kos to visit his court and meet with his advisors, she knows they won’t welcome her with open arms, especially when she’s been tasked with discovering the traitors within their ranks—traitors she tricked out of five million credits.

As soon as Samara begins her investigation it becomes clear that Valentin’s advisors want her gone and they aren’t picky about how. After their tactics turn violent, Samara and Valentin race to unravel the web of treachery and lies before the next attack ends in tragedy.

When the conflict escalates in ferocity and rumors start blaming Samara, she is forced to continue her hunt alone. Uncovering traitors is difficult when courtiers learn to lie before they learn to walk, and one misstep could cost her life. However, Rogue Queens aren’t easy to kill and Samara has more than a few tricks of her own.

Rogue Queen:
The Queen's Gambit
The Queen's Ambition

Visit Jessie Mihalik's website for more information

Review:
I first read The Queen’s Advantage when it was available on Jessie Mihalik’s blog as a free online serial and I enjoyed it enough that I purchased the final, edited version when it went on sale. The story was officially edited and expanded upon before official publication and I enjoyed the story as much, if not more, the second time around.

Queen Samara Rami promised to help Emperor Valentin Kos figure out the traitors in his court who are trying to have him killed. To fulfil that promise she's travelled to his home planet and plans to spend at least two weeks living at the palace pushing buttons trying to get the traitors to betray themselves. It quickly becomes clear that someone doesn't want her there and that they're willing to use her, and the rest of her people, as scapegoats for the continuing attacks on Valentin.

I think this story had a little less action than the first book, there were still some great fight scenes but there was also a lot of political intrigue as Samara tried to figure out who was targeting Valentin. It was interesting to meet some of the people closest to him but I have to admit I missed Samara's loyal people who had remained behind to hold the Rogue Coalition together while she was gone. I'm still really enjoying the developing romance between Samara and Valentin, it's still very slow build (come on just give into temptation already!) but I think that works for them as a couple since they both have good reason to be wary of outsiders.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next when Jessie Mihalik starts posting book 3 on her blog.

Source: Originally read as an online serial on Jessie Mihalik's blog but I then purchased a copy once it had been edited and published

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Polaris Rising - 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 . . .

Consortium Rebellion Series:
Polaris Rising
Aurora Blazing
Chaos Reigning (May 2020)

Visit Jessie Mihalik's website for more information

Review:
As the fifth of six children Ada's main purpose in life was always to marry into one of the other prominent houses so that her father, the head of the von Hasenberg, could place a spy in an enemy camp. Her father doesn't care that it would be a loveless marriage and that she'd be miserable, he just sees it as her duty to her family. Ada isn't quite so willing to go along with his plans though and she's spent the last couple of years on the run, hiding as a mercenary and taking whatever jobs she can just to survive.

Now her father has lost patience with her though and placing a huge bounty on her head left her vulnerable to any lowlife who just wants to collect the cash. Taken prisoner she is thrown in a cell with another notorious and high value prisoner Marcus Loch. Ada will do whatever it takes to escape before she's taken back to her father and if that means allying herself with another prisoner then that's what she'll do. She doesn't trust Loch but neither of them stand a chance of escaping alone so they'll have to work together in the short term at least.

Polaris Rising was such a fun read and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was the perfect blend of sci-fi world building and romance with plenty of action, great characters and hot chemistry. Ada is a brilliant character who is both smart and fierce, she has no intention of getting caught by her father or her unwanted fiancé and she will do whatever it takes to figure out why House Rockhurst are so eager for the marriage to go through. Loch is the kind of mysterious alpha who I find it very hard to resist, it's obvious he has secrets and I enjoyed unravelling some of the layers to find out more about his past. Ada and Loch fit together really well, they balance each other out as a couple and even when they have a big misunderstanding they're both adult enough to talk things through rather than just act without thinking.

This is a romance so that is a large focus of the story but there was plenty of other things going on too. The romance is fairly slow build and completely believable and the action and mystery kept me on my toes while I was reading. I'd be very happy to read more books with Ada and Loch as the main characters but I'm also excited that the next book stars Ada's sister Bianca. The next book is definitely at the top of my wish list and Jessie Mihalik is an author to watch out for.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Queen's Gambit - Jessie Mihalik

When the Quint Confederacy and the Kos Empire went to war—again—Queen Samara wisely kept her Rogue Coalition out of the conflict. But staying neutral in a galactic war doesn’t pay the bills, not when both sides refuse to trade with neutral sectors.

With her people on the brink of starvation, Samara hatches a daring plan to snatch the kidnapped Kos Emperor from the Quint mercenaries holding him. The Kos Empire will pay a fortune for their emperor’s return, enough to feed the Coalition’s citizens while they wait for the return to a begrudging peace.

But when her plan goes sideways, Samara finds herself evading Quint mercenaries with the very man she intends to capture. And the more time she spends with Valentin Kos, the more she realizes that he’s not the coldly indifferent villain she imagined. Torn between duty and desire, Samara must decide if saving her people is worth giving up the one thing she’s always wanted.

Rogue Queen:
The Queen's Gambit
The Queen's Ambition

Visit Jessie Mihalik's website for more information

Review:
I first read The Queen’s Gambit when it was available on Jessie Mihalik’s blog as a free online serial and I enjoyed it enough that I purchased the final, edited version when it went on sale. The story was officially edited and expanded upon before official publication and I enjoyed the story as much, if not more, the second time around.

Samara is a great character, she’s the queen of a ragtag group of refugees and rebels who are living in the outer reaches of the solar system and just trying to get by without drawing attention of two warring factions. The war has made food and other supplies scarce and her people are struggling just to survive on very low rations. Samara has done everything she can think of to get food for her people but desperation has made her a little reckless and now she’s decided to kidnap Valentin, the new Emperor of the Kos Federation hoping to use the ransom for food and supplies. After all Valentin’s war is the reason her people are suffering in the first place so the least he can do is provide the means to save them.

I don’t want to say much more about the story but things with Valentin aren’t all what they first seemed and Samara may have bitten off more than she can chew by abducting him. Now she just has to decide if she can work with him for the good of her people or whether he will stab her in the back at the first chance he gets.

Jessie Mihalik has created a fun futuristic world with lots of interesting technology but even though this is only a novella I never found myself lost or struggling to keep up. There was a nice amount of action, a good selection of side characters and I also enjoyed the developing romance. I’m already looking forward to reading the sequel and luckily I don’t have to wait long because the author has already started posting instalments of The Queen’s Advantage on her blog!

Source: Originally read as an online serial on Jessie Mihalik's blog but I then purchased a copy once it had been edited and published

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle: