Polaris Rising: A Novel

Jessie Mihalik

Feb 2019 · The Consortium Rebellion Book 1 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

“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 . . .

Ratings and reviews

When Ilona Andrews recommends a book I buy it, no questions asked EVER. Ada von Hasenberg is the fifth child of the Head of the Hasenberg House in a future where the galaxy is run by the heads of the three High Houses. When her father tries to marry her off to a sadistic son of the Rockhurst House Ada goes on the run, determined not to be forced into a loveless marriage like her two older sisters. But after two years on the run, with a huge bounty on her head, Ada has finally been caught by a group of mercenaries. Thrown into a cell with the notorious Marcus Loch, the Devil of Formax Zero, Ada discovers that hero erstwhile fiance has intercepted the mercenaries' call to her father and is boarding their ship. Knowing her ex-fiance well, Ada knows she will be forced into marriage and possibly forced into betraying her House if she is captured so she and the Devil make a pact to escape. But as Loch and Ada escape capture they find out that appearances can be deceiving and there may be more to House Rockhurst's actions, motives that could catapult the galaxy into war. I read an ARC of Nightchaser towards the end of last year and I was a bit disappointed, I loved the premise but I felt Amanda Bouchet had skewed the book too much towards the romance and away from plot. This is the book I wanted that one to be. There are space battles, deserted planets, political dynasties, plotting, chases, fights, advanced technology, secret experiments, kidnapping and plot galore. Sure there's some romance but it's of the urban fantasy low-key variety. I absolutely adored it and I can't wait for the second book.

Solid sci fi adventure with a side of romance. Felt a little like Elizabeth Moon's stuff, in the power structure which has been world built.

Already hooked and fell in love with the characters from the early snippets from the author's blog♡

About the author

Jessie Mihalik has a degree in computer science and a love of all things geeky. A software engineer by trade, Jessie now writes full time from her home in Texas. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing co-op video games with her husband, trying out new board games, or reading books pulled from her overflowing bookshelves. Polaris Rising is her debut novel.