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Starlight's Shadow #1
Hunt the Stars
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2022)Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.
With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.
But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line.
The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy.
With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.
But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line.
The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy.
419 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2022
About the author
Jessie Mihalik
11 books1,924 followersJessie 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.
Sample chapters of all of my books are available on my website!
The Consortium Rebellion trilogy: Polaris Rising, Aurora Blazing, Chaos Reigning.
The Rogue Queen novellas: The Queen's Gambit, The Queen's Advantage, The Queen's Triumph.
Sample chapters of all of my books are available on my website!
The Consortium Rebellion trilogy: Polaris Rising, Aurora Blazing, Chaos Reigning.
The Rogue Queen novellas: The Queen's Gambit, The Queen's Advantage, The Queen's Triumph.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,453 reviews
January 18, 2023
ive been craving a fun and easy going sci-fi read and this totally hit the spot.
it reminded me a lot of ‘aurora rising,’ just with adult characters instead of teens - theres a mission in space and a crew forced to work together that becomes a found family. my only critique is the first half of the book is pretty slow paced and primarily exposition. the actual plot itself doesnt pick up until after the 50% mark. but the characters are enjoyable to read about and i liked the world-building/set up.
and even though i did have fun with this, everything ends so nicely that i dont feel an immediate desire to pick up the next book in the series. maybe i will when im craving a sci-fi book again.
↠ 4 stars
it reminded me a lot of ‘aurora rising,’ just with adult characters instead of teens - theres a mission in space and a crew forced to work together that becomes a found family. my only critique is the first half of the book is pretty slow paced and primarily exposition. the actual plot itself doesnt pick up until after the 50% mark. but the characters are enjoyable to read about and i liked the world-building/set up.
and even though i did have fun with this, everything ends so nicely that i dont feel an immediate desire to pick up the next book in the series. maybe i will when im craving a sci-fi book again.
↠ 4 stars
December 18, 2022
Fun and well-done example of the genre. There’s not a lot of substance to it, but honestly, it met the goal for sheer entertainment.
What makes this one different from other novels I’ve read? Whew. Give me a minute.
We have a female lead who is a former war veteran who escaped service under a cloud after heroic actions (reminds me of You Sexy Thing, as well as Rules of Redemption) who are now working as mercenaries/transporters/etc across the galaxy. Our group of stalwart companions are destitute and need to take a job that they’d normally decline with prejudice to get them ship-shape. Yes, we’ve seen this before.
Mind you, I’m not complaining; I just want it done well and I’d say it is here. In this case, the job is recovering an item stolen from the household of General Torran Fletcher, one of the leaders of the Valovians. The interpersonal challenge is that it’s only been a few years since Octavia Zarola and her crew were fighting the Valovians in a decades-long war between the Federated Human Planets and the Valovians and old grievances don't die easily.
Its quickly apparent that this is a romantic sci-fi adventure and all the stops are out when it comes to building rapport (See romancelibrary's review for a solid but spoilery list of the tropes in play) Torran and Octavia ('Tav') are at odds but find common ground as they travel towards Valovian territory. Scenes bonding over leadership of their respective teams, a shared love of cooking and an adorable cat-like creature feel almost natural in context of a voyage and not at all contrived. It takes more page count that it should from what seems like a McGuffin plot, but it works because it’s all about the bonding.
“Earlier he’d called me udwist. The spelling was trickier, but he’d either called me stubborn or wizard. I kind of hoped it was the latter, but I figured it was the former.”
Eventually the ship--and the plot--get to Valovian space and the actual job, and just as Tav suspected, she and the crew have been kept in the dark about critical details. She continues anyhow, because by this time she’s even more invested in the outcome.
One of the major weakness, I think, is that I had trouble believing the Octavia was anything but a woman in her twenties with limited life experience. She felt like a blend of young adult and mature. War veteran? Squad leader? I don’t know. She was decisive in spots, but also her main skill as a leader apparently was willingness to sacrifice herself. What this really felt like, though it did not contain nosy siblings and wasn’t set on Earth, is an installment of Ilona Andrews Hidden Legacy series. Again, not complaining.
World-building is solid. By ‘solid,’ I mean that I didn’t find myself stopping to question the mechanics; explanations are largely accepted within-the-‘Verse: boilerplate sci-fi of divergent human evolution pathways to explain the psychic skills, wormholes to deal with distance travel. Everything else feels very twenty-first century, right down to a handheld communicators with cracked screens and the lasagna. The first-person narrative voice works well. There’s some nice touches of humor, lending itself to the lighter side of relationship building instead of melodramatic angst:
“‘I’m just offering one hug, freely given. Here.’ I opened my visor and blinked at the resulting darkness. ‘Now I can’t even see who I’m hugging. Could be anyone. Maybe a bear wandered by. No one knows.’”
Cute. Overall, I’d call it a solid genre four stars–I’d even read it again.
What makes this one different from other novels I’ve read? Whew. Give me a minute.
We have a female lead who is a former war veteran who escaped service under a cloud after heroic actions (reminds me of You Sexy Thing, as well as Rules of Redemption) who are now working as mercenaries/transporters/etc across the galaxy. Our group of stalwart companions are destitute and need to take a job that they’d normally decline with prejudice to get them ship-shape. Yes, we’ve seen this before.
Mind you, I’m not complaining; I just want it done well and I’d say it is here. In this case, the job is recovering an item stolen from the household of General Torran Fletcher, one of the leaders of the Valovians. The interpersonal challenge is that it’s only been a few years since Octavia Zarola and her crew were fighting the Valovians in a decades-long war between the Federated Human Planets and the Valovians and old grievances don't die easily.
Its quickly apparent that this is a romantic sci-fi adventure and all the stops are out when it comes to building rapport (See romancelibrary's review for a solid but spoilery list of the tropes in play) Torran and Octavia ('Tav') are at odds but find common ground as they travel towards Valovian territory. Scenes bonding over leadership of their respective teams, a shared love of cooking and an adorable cat-like creature feel almost natural in context of a voyage and not at all contrived. It takes more page count that it should from what seems like a McGuffin plot, but it works because it’s all about the bonding.
“Earlier he’d called me udwist. The spelling was trickier, but he’d either called me stubborn or wizard. I kind of hoped it was the latter, but I figured it was the former.”
Eventually the ship--and the plot--get to Valovian space and the actual job, and just as Tav suspected, she and the crew have been kept in the dark about critical details. She continues anyhow, because by this time she’s even more invested in the outcome.
One of the major weakness, I think, is that I had trouble believing the Octavia was anything but a woman in her twenties with limited life experience. She felt like a blend of young adult and mature. War veteran? Squad leader? I don’t know. She was decisive in spots, but also her main skill as a leader apparently was willingness to sacrifice herself. What this really felt like, though it did not contain nosy siblings and wasn’t set on Earth, is an installment of Ilona Andrews Hidden Legacy series. Again, not complaining.
World-building is solid. By ‘solid,’ I mean that I didn’t find myself stopping to question the mechanics; explanations are largely accepted within-the-‘Verse: boilerplate sci-fi of divergent human evolution pathways to explain the psychic skills, wormholes to deal with distance travel. Everything else feels very twenty-first century, right down to a handheld communicators with cracked screens and the lasagna. The first-person narrative voice works well. There’s some nice touches of humor, lending itself to the lighter side of relationship building instead of melodramatic angst:
“‘I’m just offering one hug, freely given. Here.’ I opened my visor and blinked at the resulting darkness. ‘Now I can’t even see who I’m hugging. Could be anyone. Maybe a bear wandered by. No one knows.’”
Cute. Overall, I’d call it a solid genre four stars–I’d even read it again.
February 9, 2022
Sci-fi romance that is not just alien smut is so hard to find, so I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I will say this book was better than Polaris Rising, the only other book I have read by this author. But I still didn’t really buy into the romance and the driving plot line just didn’t pull me in. In the end, the character I cared most about was the alien pet animal, Luna.
If you’re looking for recommendations in this genre, I suggest Dark Horse (ignore the terrible cover) and Rules of Redemption (though the first book is sadly the best so I would stop at that one). If you have a rec, please let me know!
If you’re looking for recommendations in this genre, I suggest Dark Horse (ignore the terrible cover) and Rules of Redemption (though the first book is sadly the best so I would stop at that one). If you have a rec, please let me know!
August 12, 2022
5 stars!
After the war, Octavia Zarola (Tavi) and her fellow soldiers banded together to run a bounty hunting business. And times can be rough, until a job from General Torran Fletcher of the former enemy offers Tavi a job that can keep her crew comfortable, more so than they’ve ever been. Tavi accepts the job and what comes with it is Torran and his crew on her ship, mixing with her own crew. While it’s awkward for everyone, the two crews start to blend together into an agreeable group. Until they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the peace between their two races.
I was not expecting to love this much as much as I did, space opera is not my usual genre choice. But I would describe this as a mix between the tv series Firefly and the Grace Draven romance novel Radiance and it was wonderful. I listened to the audiobook and was riveted while listening, I was hooked on the story, the characters, the world building. All of it was so beautifully written and I loved getting lost in this world.
And the romantic tension between Tavi and Torran. It was *chefs kiss* perfection! The whole book was a delicious enemies to friends to lovers story and I ate up every single bit of it. All the character dynamics in general between the two crews, I loved all of them and would gladly read more books just to spend more time with them all. Luckily the second book is already out but I need to wait for my library hold to come in. But I am really excited for it and cannot wait to spend more time in this universe.
If you love romance I highly recommend this book. Take it from someone who was skeptical about reading it, it was excellent.
After the war, Octavia Zarola (Tavi) and her fellow soldiers banded together to run a bounty hunting business. And times can be rough, until a job from General Torran Fletcher of the former enemy offers Tavi a job that can keep her crew comfortable, more so than they’ve ever been. Tavi accepts the job and what comes with it is Torran and his crew on her ship, mixing with her own crew. While it’s awkward for everyone, the two crews start to blend together into an agreeable group. Until they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the peace between their two races.
I was not expecting to love this much as much as I did, space opera is not my usual genre choice. But I would describe this as a mix between the tv series Firefly and the Grace Draven romance novel Radiance and it was wonderful. I listened to the audiobook and was riveted while listening, I was hooked on the story, the characters, the world building. All of it was so beautifully written and I loved getting lost in this world.
And the romantic tension between Tavi and Torran. It was *chefs kiss* perfection! The whole book was a delicious enemies to friends to lovers story and I ate up every single bit of it. All the character dynamics in general between the two crews, I loved all of them and would gladly read more books just to spend more time with them all. Luckily the second book is already out but I need to wait for my library hold to come in. But I am really excited for it and cannot wait to spend more time in this universe.
If you love romance I highly recommend this book. Take it from someone who was skeptical about reading it, it was excellent.
January 28, 2022
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Octavia Zarola is a bounty hunter who's fallen on hard times and is forced to accept a job from Torran Fletcher, her sworn enemy. Because the stakes are high, Torran and his team insist on joining the hunt with Tavi and her team. Tension is high between the two teams as they are forced into close proximity on Tavi's ship. Tavi and Torran hate each other, but they are forced to tolerate each other's presence for the sake of the mission.
OMG. This is how I like my enemies to lovers romance. Tavi and Torran are enemies because their people are enemies. There's a lot of history and world-building that explain why they are enemies. The plot, the world building, and the romance are all so well-written. Because Tavi and Torran have always been pitted against each other, it takes time for them to move from enemies to allies to lovers. That transition is not smooth and there are several bumps along the way that Tavi and Torran have to overcome in order to build and maintain trust. And let me tell ya, the sloooooow burn is absolutely delicious 🥵 I honestly lived for the romantic tension between Tavi and Torran. The better they got to know each other, the hotter the tension 🥵
Me at Tavi and Torran
The plot is intricately written, with twists and turns that made me gasp and a climax that kept me at the edge of my seat. Jessie Mihalik is so good at writing space operas. Not only do we get an excellent enemies to lovers romance, but we also get the most deliciously tropetastic scenes, like the following: "Oh no, we must press our bodies together to hide from the guards." 😏 Torran also has telekinesis powers that he definitely puts to use during sexy times 😏 Could I have used more steam? Always. But I am still 💯 satisfied with everything that we got in this book!
I also loved the supporting characters. This book is found family perfection—if you love this trope, then you are going to love this book. The author does a fantastic job setting up the Starlight's Shadow series and I can already see where the next two books are heading (I am pretty sure it is a trilogy). There is an overarching plot that will continue in the rest of the series and OMG I need the next book like I need air. I am absolutely dying for Kee and Varro and their sunshine-and-grump romance!!
To summarize: A++ plot, world building, transition from enemies to allies to lovers, groveling, everything!!
Tropes:
- Ex-military hero and heroine
- Enemies to lovers
- Stoic and controlled hero
- Forced proximity on a spaceship
- Competence porn
- Slow burn
- Telekinesis sexy times
- Found family
- Cooking is my love language
- Oh no, we must press our bodies together to hide from the guards
Octavia Zarola is a bounty hunter who's fallen on hard times and is forced to accept a job from Torran Fletcher, her sworn enemy. Because the stakes are high, Torran and his team insist on joining the hunt with Tavi and her team. Tension is high between the two teams as they are forced into close proximity on Tavi's ship. Tavi and Torran hate each other, but they are forced to tolerate each other's presence for the sake of the mission.
OMG. This is how I like my enemies to lovers romance. Tavi and Torran are enemies because their people are enemies. There's a lot of history and world-building that explain why they are enemies. The plot, the world building, and the romance are all so well-written. Because Tavi and Torran have always been pitted against each other, it takes time for them to move from enemies to allies to lovers. That transition is not smooth and there are several bumps along the way that Tavi and Torran have to overcome in order to build and maintain trust. And let me tell ya, the sloooooow burn is absolutely delicious 🥵 I honestly lived for the romantic tension between Tavi and Torran. The better they got to know each other, the hotter the tension 🥵
Me at Tavi and Torran
The plot is intricately written, with twists and turns that made me gasp and a climax that kept me at the edge of my seat. Jessie Mihalik is so good at writing space operas. Not only do we get an excellent enemies to lovers romance, but we also get the most deliciously tropetastic scenes, like the following: "Oh no, we must press our bodies together to hide from the guards." 😏 Torran also has telekinesis powers that he definitely puts to use during sexy times 😏 Could I have used more steam? Always. But I am still 💯 satisfied with everything that we got in this book!
I also loved the supporting characters. This book is found family perfection—if you love this trope, then you are going to love this book. The author does a fantastic job setting up the Starlight's Shadow series and I can already see where the next two books are heading (I am pretty sure it is a trilogy). There is an overarching plot that will continue in the rest of the series and OMG I need the next book like I need air. I am absolutely dying for Kee and Varro and their sunshine-and-grump romance!!
To summarize: A++ plot, world building, transition from enemies to allies to lovers, groveling, everything!!
Tropes:
- Ex-military hero and heroine
- Enemies to lovers
- Stoic and controlled hero
- Forced proximity on a spaceship
- Competence porn
- Slow burn
- Telekinesis sexy times
- Found family
- Cooking is my love language
- Oh no, we must press our bodies together to hide from the guards
March 2, 2023
This sci-fi space opera was delightful and I had no choice but to devour it in one sitting. The characters were fun and likable and the whole book took me by surprise by how much I enjoyed it. I just about squeed out loud when I realized book two (and a prequel novella) were already out. Captain Octavia Zarola is a bounty hunter who tries to stay on the right side of her moral compass. But she takes keeping her small crew safe seriously and this leads to her reluctantly accepting a lucrative job with General Torran Fletcher who was an enemy to humankind in the not very distant war. Much adventure and sparkage follows as the two small crews work together to complete the dangerous and maybe not even possible mission. Octavia is my perfect heroine full of humor and spice and with an adorable fluffy sidekick.
April 20, 2022
I've really enjoyed a different series by the author and this looked like it was going to be more of the same so I signed right up for more! And it totally is more of the same. It's a bit hard to pin down in genre terms because while the setting is space fantasy the story is very much romance. So there's an action/adventure plot, but the primary story revolves around two characters coming to trust and love one another. It's my catnip, but there aren't a lot of books in this completely made up sub-genre so it's hard to compare.
Anyway, this delivers all the right beats. Octavia is our single PoV character and she's smart and determined and runs a crew of bounty hunters with a bit of a Firefly flavor—i.e. they're scraping by as best they can, avoiding the more questionable jobs and staying true to the crew. Octavia's crew served with her in a war not many years in the past and they have trust and scars and loyalty and shared pain as a result. But they are a bit down on their luck so when a huge job lands in her lap she finds herself making deals with the devil.
Because of the romance aspect, you know that there is more to Torran than there appears at first. After all, we're going to have to buy him as a match and partner with Tavi so you can see his own strength and determination and sense of honor despite them often being at odds. I loved seeing them come to terms with one another and taking on obstacles that get thrown in their way (sometimes finding those obstacles in each other). He has some serious conflicts of interest pulling at him and you can see that he's doing his best to navigate some tough choices. And Tavi doesn't let up on him even a little bit when he's in a hard place that puts them at odds. I loved that she does this and that he has to acknowledge the justice of her accusations even as he tries to mitigate as much damage as he can.
There are a bunch of side characters along the way as both Tavi and Torran have long-standing crew with them, each with their own issues and reasons for their loyalty. So at least half the story is trying to intermesh the crews so that they'll work together to solve the very large problems they'll face. Mihalik does a great job juggling all the different personalities and without letting any of them take center stage away from the main couple. This is amazing in retrospect because it felt natural while reading so kudos to her for making it look easy. And if Tavi's pet, Luna, doesn't steal your heart I can't vouch that you have one.
Anyway, I really liked this. The pace was outstanding. The main couple were everything I love in a romance. And I can't wait to spend some time with the other crew members as they get the spotlight in upcoming stories in the series. I'm calling it five stars, but bear in mind that it's a specific taste and/or tone that carries a lot of the payload so your mileage could certainly vary.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes with some extra fiddling about to add flavor putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. Some of that may be that I mostly skimmed the last, biggest one because it was completely gratuitous by that point in the story. By that point of the story, they were already as intimately committed as you'd like so I felt no need to go there.
Anyway, this delivers all the right beats. Octavia is our single PoV character and she's smart and determined and runs a crew of bounty hunters with a bit of a Firefly flavor—i.e. they're scraping by as best they can, avoiding the more questionable jobs and staying true to the crew. Octavia's crew served with her in a war not many years in the past and they have trust and scars and loyalty and shared pain as a result. But they are a bit down on their luck so when a huge job lands in her lap she finds herself making deals with the devil.
Because of the romance aspect, you know that there is more to Torran than there appears at first. After all, we're going to have to buy him as a match and partner with Tavi so you can see his own strength and determination and sense of honor despite them often being at odds. I loved seeing them come to terms with one another and taking on obstacles that get thrown in their way (sometimes finding those obstacles in each other). He has some serious conflicts of interest pulling at him and you can see that he's doing his best to navigate some tough choices. And Tavi doesn't let up on him even a little bit when he's in a hard place that puts them at odds. I loved that she does this and that he has to acknowledge the justice of her accusations even as he tries to mitigate as much damage as he can.
There are a bunch of side characters along the way as both Tavi and Torran have long-standing crew with them, each with their own issues and reasons for their loyalty. So at least half the story is trying to intermesh the crews so that they'll work together to solve the very large problems they'll face. Mihalik does a great job juggling all the different personalities and without letting any of them take center stage away from the main couple. This is amazing in retrospect because it felt natural while reading so kudos to her for making it look easy. And if Tavi's pet, Luna, doesn't steal your heart I can't vouch that you have one.
Anyway, I really liked this. The pace was outstanding. The main couple were everything I love in a romance. And I can't wait to spend some time with the other crew members as they get the spotlight in upcoming stories in the series. I'm calling it five stars, but bear in mind that it's a specific taste and/or tone that carries a lot of the payload so your mileage could certainly vary.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes with some extra fiddling about to add flavor putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. Some of that may be that I mostly skimmed the last, biggest one because it was completely gratuitous by that point in the story. By that point of the story, they were already as intimately committed as you'd like so I felt no need to go there.
February 2, 2022
Color me impressed. This author's plots keep getting twistier and more delightful and I LOVE IT. Plus, all the found family feels and a fun romance.
Full review to come once I've calmed down.
----
I have basically two responses to a book I absolutely, ridiculously love. I either make tons of highlights because I just love every single line of prose, or I highlight almost nothing because I’m too caught up in the story. This book is definitely of the second variety. It also hits all of the right notes for me, with a focus on found family, a twisty plot, and just enough romance to keep my HEA-loving heart interested.
In the few years since the decades-spanning war between the Valovians and the Federated Human Planets ended, Tavi and the remainder of her squad have made a life as bounty hunters. Considering they’re not willing to take the morally grey missions, it keeps them fed – barely – so when a Valovian general offers a ridiculous amount of money for them to recover a missing item, they agree, despite having to enter Valovian space to find it. And while things get off to a rocky start, Torran and his crew seem like generally good people. But Tavi isn’t a fool, and she knows that Torran isn’t telling them the whole story. When the reality turns out to be even worse than they anticipated, will the consequences of their actions lead to a new war?
Hunting down the item is the focus of much of the twisty plot, but it takes about half of the book before Tavi and crew are able to start the job they’re hired for in earnest. Those pages aren’t wasted, though. They’re used to build the relationship between Tavi’s crew and the Volvians, to show us what kind of people Tavi and Torran are and all the rough edges the war has left on all of them. And while this book is full of enough action to warm my scifi-battle-loving heart, where it really excels is these character relationships. Through chores, binge-watching shows and communal meals, the two crews bond and figure out that while cultural differences can still trip them up, they’re a lot more similar than they thought. I especially loved the focus on food as a source of community, on how cooking is a form of care and how that care can form the basis of trust and (just maybe) love.
As for the individual characters, I especially loved Tavi’s crew. Kee and Eli are polar opposites, with Kee being a rainbow-haired ray of sunshine while Eli’s the smoldering pessimist, but there’s no doubt they care deeply for each other even if they disagree. As for Luna, the fourth member of the crew? Well, Kee beat her out as my favorite, but just barely. Torran’s crew also had some interesting characters, but as the story is told solely from Tavi’s first person POV, we don’t get the same depth of familiarity with them as with her crew.
As for the romance, like the recovery plot, it’s extremely slow burn. After all, at the start of the book, they’re essentially mortal enemies, as both are considered heroes by their people and war criminals (at best) by the other’s. It takes a lot of work to build up the level of trust necessary to turn that into a believable HEA, and the author did that phenomenally well. Valovian culture has an interesting take on apologies, one that forces Tavi to confront some of her own issues, and there’s also a focus on consent that was seamless and quite sweet.
Overall, I adored this book, and I am beyond glad that the next in the series is coming out this year. This author gets better with every book and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
Content notes:
Full review to come once I've calmed down.
----
I have basically two responses to a book I absolutely, ridiculously love. I either make tons of highlights because I just love every single line of prose, or I highlight almost nothing because I’m too caught up in the story. This book is definitely of the second variety. It also hits all of the right notes for me, with a focus on found family, a twisty plot, and just enough romance to keep my HEA-loving heart interested.
“I’m a bounty hunter. I hunt criminals and murderers; I don’t work for them.”
In the few years since the decades-spanning war between the Valovians and the Federated Human Planets ended, Tavi and the remainder of her squad have made a life as bounty hunters. Considering they’re not willing to take the morally grey missions, it keeps them fed – barely – so when a Valovian general offers a ridiculous amount of money for them to recover a missing item, they agree, despite having to enter Valovian space to find it. And while things get off to a rocky start, Torran and his crew seem like generally good people. But Tavi isn’t a fool, and she knows that Torran isn’t telling them the whole story. When the reality turns out to be even worse than they anticipated, will the consequences of their actions lead to a new war?
Hunting down the item is the focus of much of the twisty plot, but it takes about half of the book before Tavi and crew are able to start the job they’re hired for in earnest. Those pages aren’t wasted, though. They’re used to build the relationship between Tavi’s crew and the Volvians, to show us what kind of people Tavi and Torran are and all the rough edges the war has left on all of them. And while this book is full of enough action to warm my scifi-battle-loving heart, where it really excels is these character relationships. Through chores, binge-watching shows and communal meals, the two crews bond and figure out that while cultural differences can still trip them up, they’re a lot more similar than they thought. I especially loved the focus on food as a source of community, on how cooking is a form of care and how that care can form the basis of trust and (just maybe) love.
“If I needed help burying a body, Eli would silently grab a shovel and start digging while Kee erased all evidence of the crime.
I would do the same for them.”
As for the individual characters, I especially loved Tavi’s crew. Kee and Eli are polar opposites, with Kee being a rainbow-haired ray of sunshine while Eli’s the smoldering pessimist, but there’s no doubt they care deeply for each other even if they disagree. As for Luna, the fourth member of the crew? Well, Kee beat her out as my favorite, but just barely. Torran’s crew also had some interesting characters, but as the story is told solely from Tavi’s first person POV, we don’t get the same depth of familiarity with them as with her crew.
As for the romance, like the recovery plot, it’s extremely slow burn. After all, at the start of the book, they’re essentially mortal enemies, as both are considered heroes by their people and war criminals (at best) by the other’s. It takes a lot of work to build up the level of trust necessary to turn that into a believable HEA, and the author did that phenomenally well. Valovian culture has an interesting take on apologies, one that forces Tavi to confront some of her own issues, and there’s also a focus on consent that was seamless and quite sweet.
Overall, I adored this book, and I am beyond glad that the next in the series is coming out this year. This author gets better with every book and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
Content notes:
January 28, 2024
2022 Free Range Reading
3.75 stars. A book chosen for fun, not part of any project, plan, or list. And oh so worth it!
I have evolved over the last number of years, from someone who sneered at romance novels, to tolerating romance elements in a story, to enjoying a mystery or fantasy novel with a strong romance element, to a woman who actually has a favourite romance trope. Yup, I am a fan of the enemies-to-lovers scenario, so this novel was ideal for my taste. Octavia Zarola is human, Torran Fletcher is Valovian and they were both well known on their respective sides of an interstellar war, currently at peace.
The book was recommended by one of my favourite authors (Ilona Andrews), who use this set up a lot and I adore their books. And there are a lot of similarities to the Andrews' writing. Torran Fletcher is an extremely powerful telekinetic, much like a certain Mad Rogan from the Hidden Legacy series. He has similar intimate talents too, and the couple find themselves very tempted to hit the sheets before they have established a fully trusting working relationship. Like Nevada Baylor and Mad Rogan, Tavi and Torran are trying to work together platonically, with varying degrees of success. If you're familiar with the Andrews' Kate Daniels series, you will also identify a certain hot tub scene as another overlap.
What is different here is that Mihalik doesn't keep the tension going for more than one book. For me, things moved along much more quickly than I would have chosen. I very much believe in delayed gratification in order to maintain plot tension. But I note that the next book concentrates on another woman, Kee, the information specialist on Tavi's crew. Naturally, it is a Valovian man on Fletcher's team who will be her opposite number. Their friendship gets a rocky start here in book one, but I don't think there's any doubt where they are heading. I think that's one of the most frustrating thing about romance novels for me: there's no question of what the end point will be, even though they will concurrently be trying to avert another war.
So don't go into this book expecting the romance to take a back seat to the political plot—it doesn't. The relationships overwhelm all other concerns like a tsunami. If you can live with that, you will enjoy this novel as much as I did. For the record, I want to read book two.
3.75 stars. A book chosen for fun, not part of any project, plan, or list. And oh so worth it!
I have evolved over the last number of years, from someone who sneered at romance novels, to tolerating romance elements in a story, to enjoying a mystery or fantasy novel with a strong romance element, to a woman who actually has a favourite romance trope. Yup, I am a fan of the enemies-to-lovers scenario, so this novel was ideal for my taste. Octavia Zarola is human, Torran Fletcher is Valovian and they were both well known on their respective sides of an interstellar war, currently at peace.
The book was recommended by one of my favourite authors (Ilona Andrews), who use this set up a lot and I adore their books. And there are a lot of similarities to the Andrews' writing. Torran Fletcher is an extremely powerful telekinetic, much like a certain Mad Rogan from the Hidden Legacy series. He has similar intimate talents too, and the couple find themselves very tempted to hit the sheets before they have established a fully trusting working relationship. Like Nevada Baylor and Mad Rogan, Tavi and Torran are trying to work together platonically, with varying degrees of success. If you're familiar with the Andrews' Kate Daniels series, you will also identify a certain hot tub scene as another overlap.
What is different here is that Mihalik doesn't keep the tension going for more than one book. For me, things moved along much more quickly than I would have chosen. I very much believe in delayed gratification in order to maintain plot tension. But I note that the next book concentrates on another woman, Kee, the information specialist on Tavi's crew. Naturally, it is a Valovian man on Fletcher's team who will be her opposite number. Their friendship gets a rocky start here in book one, but I don't think there's any doubt where they are heading. I think that's one of the most frustrating thing about romance novels for me: there's no question of what the end point will be, even though they will concurrently be trying to avert another war.
So don't go into this book expecting the romance to take a back seat to the political plot—it doesn't. The relationships overwhelm all other concerns like a tsunami. If you can live with that, you will enjoy this novel as much as I did. For the record, I want to read book two.
March 2, 2022
2.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It was an impossible task, and one I didn't relish tackling while a Valovian general breathed down my neck.
Captain Octavia Zarola feels there's trouble on the horizon when top Valovian General Torran Fletcher approaches her with a job. It's been three years of peace between humans and Valovians but Tavi is known as the Hero of Rodeni for her efforts in the war and knows there's still a bounty on her in Valovian space. Why would a Valoff want to hire her as a bounty hunter? Told in all first person point-of-view from Tavi, Hunt the Stars, starts off the new science fiction series Starlight's Shadow about human and Valovian relations and politics. Torran claims that a very valuable family heirloom was stolen from his home and he needs bounty hunter Tavi and her team to search for it. Money has been extremely tight and while Tavi doesn't trust Torran is being completely honest with her, her ship needs repairs and updates and decides to take the contract.
Torran was a payday and nothing else. Anything more was far too dangerous.
Told all from Tavi's pov, the reader gets to know her and the humans very well but it left Torran and his crew more in the shadows. I never really felt like I knew Torran and therefore, the romance between Tavi and him didn't move past lust and I had a hard time connecting with him. The first half was slow for me as there wasn't much movement on plot, we do get some world setting and building but there were too many kitchen scenes and while I liked Luna, a pet of Tavi and her crew that is a cross between a fox, ferret, and cat, I was done reading how often Luna wanted to be feed, as it was brought up over and over. The first half has Tavi and her crew tentatively interacting with Torran and his crew as they travel to get to Torran's home in Valovian space. I felt this was stretched out for too long as I wanted more movement on story.
My body demanded satisfaction, but my head warned of danger and my heart wanted more.
The second half did deliver on story movement as some of the mystery behind what Torran hired Tavi to find and why gets slowly revealed. The story advances with more political intrigue and we get a deeper look at the world politics. The main plot is that there was a war between the Federated Human Planets (FHP) and the Valovians and even though there is peace right now, it's not completely settled between them. Having Tavi and Torran on different sides had me ready for some great tension but the one pov hurt this for me because I couldn't delve into Torran's character as much. The relationships ended up feeling lighter and surface. There seem to be many hints at future match-ups between Tavi and Torran's crew members that have me interested to see where they go (Kee the sunshine one on Tavi's crew and Varro the grumpy on Torran's is next in the series).
“My life is mine, but my heart is yours.”
I enjoyed the space setting and the author did a pretty good job filling it out with futuristic weapons, travel, space ships, and the Valoff's telekinetic “powers” to create a scifi mood. Very much at the heart though, is the politics and relationships between everyone. Tavi and her found family crew take most of the emotional spotlight but the last part of the second half have Tavi and Torran starting to act on their attraction (there is one bedroom scene but it is in the last few pages of the story). The last 20% had more of the pace I was looking for and we get action battle scenes, reveals, and more mysteries that will obviously lead into and connect future books in the series. This was a little too slow moving for me and Tavi and Torran's romance didn't quite reach the depth I wanted but with the world building done in this first book, I'm looking forward to the next in the series having the time to deepen the romance. This was an interesting world to visit and with a plot thread that still needs answers, I'll be looking forward to Kee and Varro's story.
“So, we're decided then?” I asked. Everyone nodded, and Torran squeezed my hand with a smile. I grinned. “Then let's go stop a war.”
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It was an impossible task, and one I didn't relish tackling while a Valovian general breathed down my neck.
Captain Octavia Zarola feels there's trouble on the horizon when top Valovian General Torran Fletcher approaches her with a job. It's been three years of peace between humans and Valovians but Tavi is known as the Hero of Rodeni for her efforts in the war and knows there's still a bounty on her in Valovian space. Why would a Valoff want to hire her as a bounty hunter? Told in all first person point-of-view from Tavi, Hunt the Stars, starts off the new science fiction series Starlight's Shadow about human and Valovian relations and politics. Torran claims that a very valuable family heirloom was stolen from his home and he needs bounty hunter Tavi and her team to search for it. Money has been extremely tight and while Tavi doesn't trust Torran is being completely honest with her, her ship needs repairs and updates and decides to take the contract.
Torran was a payday and nothing else. Anything more was far too dangerous.
Told all from Tavi's pov, the reader gets to know her and the humans very well but it left Torran and his crew more in the shadows. I never really felt like I knew Torran and therefore, the romance between Tavi and him didn't move past lust and I had a hard time connecting with him. The first half was slow for me as there wasn't much movement on plot, we do get some world setting and building but there were too many kitchen scenes and while I liked Luna, a pet of Tavi and her crew that is a cross between a fox, ferret, and cat, I was done reading how often Luna wanted to be feed, as it was brought up over and over. The first half has Tavi and her crew tentatively interacting with Torran and his crew as they travel to get to Torran's home in Valovian space. I felt this was stretched out for too long as I wanted more movement on story.
My body demanded satisfaction, but my head warned of danger and my heart wanted more.
The second half did deliver on story movement as some of the mystery behind what Torran hired Tavi to find and why gets slowly revealed. The story advances with more political intrigue and we get a deeper look at the world politics. The main plot is that there was a war between the Federated Human Planets (FHP) and the Valovians and even though there is peace right now, it's not completely settled between them. Having Tavi and Torran on different sides had me ready for some great tension but the one pov hurt this for me because I couldn't delve into Torran's character as much. The relationships ended up feeling lighter and surface. There seem to be many hints at future match-ups between Tavi and Torran's crew members that have me interested to see where they go (Kee the sunshine one on Tavi's crew and Varro the grumpy on Torran's is next in the series).
“My life is mine, but my heart is yours.”
I enjoyed the space setting and the author did a pretty good job filling it out with futuristic weapons, travel, space ships, and the Valoff's telekinetic “powers” to create a scifi mood. Very much at the heart though, is the politics and relationships between everyone. Tavi and her found family crew take most of the emotional spotlight but the last part of the second half have Tavi and Torran starting to act on their attraction (there is one bedroom scene but it is in the last few pages of the story). The last 20% had more of the pace I was looking for and we get action battle scenes, reveals, and more mysteries that will obviously lead into and connect future books in the series. This was a little too slow moving for me and Tavi and Torran's romance didn't quite reach the depth I wanted but with the world building done in this first book, I'm looking forward to the next in the series having the time to deepen the romance. This was an interesting world to visit and with a plot thread that still needs answers, I'll be looking forward to Kee and Varro's story.
“So, we're decided then?” I asked. Everyone nodded, and Torran squeezed my hand with a smile. I grinned. “Then let's go stop a war.”
February 22, 2022
I hate myself so freaking much, y’all have no idea.
The second book comes out next year.
July.
Of next year.
MY BRAIN?! NOWHERE TO BE BLOODY FOUND.
AND THE SECOND BOOK IS ABOUT A HACKER AND A WEAPONS EXPERT.
OMGJEHJSJSKSKDKD
AND THE GIRL IS ALL SUNSHINE WHILE THE DUDE IS ALL GRUMPY.
STAHHHHHPPPPP
The second book comes out next year.
July.
Of next year.
MY BRAIN?! NOWHERE TO BE BLOODY FOUND.
AND THE SECOND BOOK IS ABOUT A HACKER AND A WEAPONS EXPERT.
OMGJEHJSJSKSKDKD
AND THE GIRL IS ALL SUNSHINE WHILE THE DUDE IS ALL GRUMPY.
STAHHHHHPPPPP
January 19, 2023
I adored this. I stayed up way too late because I needed to read the ending, it made me laugh and swoon and care so much about these characters so very quickly. Normally I prefer dual perspectives but here the singular one helped create a lot of tension and wow, I am just so happy about this book.
November 30, 2022
For all that it's set in space, Hunt the Stars is very much a somewhat generic romance novel relying on common tropes of the genre, and that will probably make it or break it for you. My covid-exhausted self stands firmly in the middle : it was easily readable, the characters didn't make me want to hurl them into a wormhole, and I was decently entertained. So if I definitely rolled my eyes at times and if some scenes felt scripted, at least the romance itself didn't move at a brisk pace and the side-plot didn't bore me. I still can't help but feel that no matter the packaging, all these tall, powerful, protective but ultimately kind dudes are exactly the same. It's so hard not to forget them instantly.
February 6, 2022
Elaborate world-building, likeable characters, twisty plot. I'm waiting for the sequel!
“I believe he may have inadvertently implied that she was unintelligent.”
“How do you accidentally call someone stupid?” I demanded.
“I believe he may have inadvertently implied that she was unintelligent.”
“How do you accidentally call someone stupid?” I demanded.
February 6, 2023
Octavia (Tavi) was a lieutenant in the war between humans and Valovians (an alien people that is closely related to humans but evolved to have mind powers). Now that the war is over, Tavi and her former squad work as bounty hunters. When Torran Fletcher, a high-ranking Valovian, offers her team a large amount of money to find a missing heirloom, they can't afford to turn down the job. Even if it means putting her crew's safety into her former enemy's hands.
I really liked this sci-fi romance. The characters are great, the romance is slow and believable, and the story is interesting.
It would have been a five-star read, but the middle dragged a bit and the writing didn't always flow well.
I really liked this sci-fi romance. The characters are great, the romance is slow and believable, and the story is interesting.
It would have been a five-star read, but the middle dragged a bit and the writing didn't always flow well.
February 4, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
Science fiction romance is one of my favorite genres, and I was so excited to read about a female bounty hunter falling in love with the enemy. To tell the truth, I was getting Killjoys vibes and I couldn't wait to dive in.
Unfortunately, this book was a failure for me. Despite being a crew of former soldiers-turned-bounty hunters, there is very little action in this book. In fact, there's very little action of any kind, whether it was fighting bad guys or sexy times between Octavia and Torran. There were more details about what Octavia will make for breakfast/lunch/dinner, what food she will buy for said meals, and what everyone will eat or likes to eat. I have never read more about food in a non-foodie romance than I did here.
There were two things that tipped me over the edge into really disliking book.
If you want to experience bounty hunters in space, skip this book and just watch Killjoys. Lots of action, sexy times, a great supporting cast, and lots of emotions - all of which was lacking in Hunt the Stars (though I thought Anja had great potential).
Science fiction romance is one of my favorite genres, and I was so excited to read about a female bounty hunter falling in love with the enemy. To tell the truth, I was getting Killjoys vibes and I couldn't wait to dive in.
Unfortunately, this book was a failure for me. Despite being a crew of former soldiers-turned-bounty hunters, there is very little action in this book. In fact, there's very little action of any kind, whether it was fighting bad guys or sexy times between Octavia and Torran. There were more details about what Octavia will make for breakfast/lunch/dinner, what food she will buy for said meals, and what everyone will eat or likes to eat. I have never read more about food in a non-foodie romance than I did here.
There were two things that tipped me over the edge into really disliking book.
If you want to experience bounty hunters in space, skip this book and just watch Killjoys. Lots of action, sexy times, a great supporting cast, and lots of emotions - all of which was lacking in Hunt the Stars (though I thought Anja had great potential).
December 17, 2022
Memories of blood and death and war and betrayal caused my mental shields to falter. Torran's expression went carefully blank - the look of a Valoff using their ability - and once again I felt his mind touch mine. I slammed up my shields and locked away the pain.
I hoped that whatever memories he'd glimpsed gave him the same nightmares they gave me.
My palms itched with the desire to grip a weapon. The enemy stood at my door and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it unless I wanted to cause an interstellar incident - which I did, very much. But the thought of my crew stayed my hand. I couldn't go and get myself killed for a vengeance that was three years too late, not when two people still depended on me.
carol calls this book caramel popcorn, and along with a number of other points, she's spot on again. Hunt the Stars is entertaining, humourous, and cute - great characters and a decent mystery to carry the plot.
I dabble in romance, at most, but when it's done like this I'll happily dip in a toe. Jessie Mihalik goes strongly on the character development, spending a lot of time on the initial journey and making sure we get to know them all, then building the bonds between them in a way that feels organic. It's all very comforting and cosy, and even when conflict arises, it's handled with apologies and food.
The details-oriented part of my brain balked a bit at just how human the alien civilisation is - they have houses, kitchens, vehicles, etc that are human, and it might have been nicer to see something just a bit more alien. But again, I'm willing to do some hefty belief suspending when it's an entertaining story done well, and I'm not only happy I read this but keen to read the next.
I hoped that whatever memories he'd glimpsed gave him the same nightmares they gave me.
My palms itched with the desire to grip a weapon. The enemy stood at my door and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it unless I wanted to cause an interstellar incident - which I did, very much. But the thought of my crew stayed my hand. I couldn't go and get myself killed for a vengeance that was three years too late, not when two people still depended on me.
carol calls this book caramel popcorn, and along with a number of other points, she's spot on again. Hunt the Stars is entertaining, humourous, and cute - great characters and a decent mystery to carry the plot.
I dabble in romance, at most, but when it's done like this I'll happily dip in a toe. Jessie Mihalik goes strongly on the character development, spending a lot of time on the initial journey and making sure we get to know them all, then building the bonds between them in a way that feels organic. It's all very comforting and cosy, and even when conflict arises, it's handled with apologies and food.
The details-oriented part of my brain balked a bit at just how human the alien civilisation is - they have houses, kitchens, vehicles, etc that are human, and it might have been nicer to see something just a bit more alien. But again, I'm willing to do some hefty belief suspending when it's an entertaining story done well, and I'm not only happy I read this but keen to read the next.
February 2, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I had such a good time with this book! I have heard so many great things about Jessie Mihalik’s books so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book which is the start of a new series. This book grabbed my attention right away and never let go. I was completely entertained by this well-done story.
After some intense negotiations, Tavi and the rest of the Starlight crew agree to take a job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff General. It hasn’t been all that long since humans were at war with the Valoffs so tensions are high from the start. Torran and his team join Tavi and hers aboard the Starlight as they make their way to the planet Valovia. I really enjoyed getting to watch these two groups of people learn to get along and eventually become part of a team. Once they land on Valovia, the book does shift gears as they work to fulfill their mission.
I really liked the characters in this book. Tavi and Torran were both very highly principled leaders. It wasn’t long before the spark between them flared to life. I liked that they didn’t act on anything right away but really got to know each other first. The rest of the team were equally well done and each added an important element to the story. Luna was a great addition to the story and I loved that she was such a big part of the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really exciting book filled with great characters and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment in this wonderful series.
I received a review copy of this book from Harper Voyager.
I had such a good time with this book! I have heard so many great things about Jessie Mihalik’s books so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book which is the start of a new series. This book grabbed my attention right away and never let go. I was completely entertained by this well-done story.
After some intense negotiations, Tavi and the rest of the Starlight crew agree to take a job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff General. It hasn’t been all that long since humans were at war with the Valoffs so tensions are high from the start. Torran and his team join Tavi and hers aboard the Starlight as they make their way to the planet Valovia. I really enjoyed getting to watch these two groups of people learn to get along and eventually become part of a team. Once they land on Valovia, the book does shift gears as they work to fulfill their mission.
I really liked the characters in this book. Tavi and Torran were both very highly principled leaders. It wasn’t long before the spark between them flared to life. I liked that they didn’t act on anything right away but really got to know each other first. The rest of the team were equally well done and each added an important element to the story. Luna was a great addition to the story and I loved that she was such a big part of the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really exciting book filled with great characters and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment in this wonderful series.
I received a review copy of this book from Harper Voyager.
April 10, 2022
*** 3.55 ***
This is a romance novel in a Sci-Fi setting. As the author's previous series, she has found a niche in that sub-genre and is doing a great job, as far as I am concerned. I am never completely convinced of how well she does on both fronts, the romantic and the sci-fi, but the combination, even with its flaws, is usually compelling enough for me to keep coming back for more. In the tradition of most recent (and by recent I mean in the last 25 years) romances, there is too much insta-love, too vague sci-fi tech, and just enough political or military intrigue to keep things interesting. Perfect book for a lighter read and with likable characters. I am definitely going to read the next one, when it comes out:) 😎
This is a romance novel in a Sci-Fi setting. As the author's previous series, she has found a niche in that sub-genre and is doing a great job, as far as I am concerned. I am never completely convinced of how well she does on both fronts, the romantic and the sci-fi, but the combination, even with its flaws, is usually compelling enough for me to keep coming back for more. In the tradition of most recent (and by recent I mean in the last 25 years) romances, there is too much insta-love, too vague sci-fi tech, and just enough political or military intrigue to keep things interesting. Perfect book for a lighter read and with likable characters. I am definitely going to read the next one, when it comes out:) 😎
January 2, 2023
LOVE.
Review to come.
I need more Valoffs and found family and sexy tension.
Review to come.
I need more Valoffs and found family and sexy tension.
August 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this one. Sci-fi romance with a fun plot, great characters, and a great narrator.
I haven't read Polaris Rising yet but I hear great things. If it is anything like this one I will be in for a treat!
Octavia is the captain of a starship and she is approached by her wartime enemy Torran, to find something that had been stolen from his family. If she accepts she will have to put up with him for weeks, but it is more money than they had seen in years. So reluctantly she brings his team on board and so starts their adventures.
I loved the slow burn between the characters. There is much more than insta-love. They grow to respect and appreciate each other before anything sexy happens. And when it does, BAM!
It had a good plot, some interesting twists and turns and I loved the narrator of the audio version. I found myself wanting to listen all the time.
Great book!
I haven't read Polaris Rising yet but I hear great things. If it is anything like this one I will be in for a treat!
Octavia is the captain of a starship and she is approached by her wartime enemy Torran, to find something that had been stolen from his family. If she accepts she will have to put up with him for weeks, but it is more money than they had seen in years. So reluctantly she brings his team on board and so starts their adventures.
I loved the slow burn between the characters. There is much more than insta-love. They grow to respect and appreciate each other before anything sexy happens. And when it does, BAM!
It had a good plot, some interesting twists and turns and I loved the narrator of the audio version. I found myself wanting to listen all the time.
Great book!
January 11, 2023
Hunt the Stars is an enjoyable adventure romance set in space – an enemies to lovers trope with defined main and side characters. If you’ve read Polaris Rising and liked it, you’ll likely enjoy this one too.
Here you have MCs from opposite sides of a recently ended war – aliens vs. humans. Tavi is a human bounty hunter flying her ship with a team that served with her in the war. Torran is a general from the enemy side who wishes to hire Tavi’s team to find a stolen object; however, he’s not disclosing all the details, so Tavi doesn’t trust him or his alien teammates, but she desperately needs the fee from this job. The two teams are in forced proximity while enroute to the job location. Tavi’s group make a few shocking discoveries about the object as they piece together the full story, only to find it puts them in a precarious position.
As a sci-fi fan, this had enough explanation about their travel means and the aliens to be satisfying, but it was done with a light hand. I found the writing easily readable, with only enough war drama to set suspense, and the multiple characters simple to keep straight. The side characters were built enough to launch a new couple for future books in this series. The steam level is open door though there are only a couple of scenes near the book’s end. In all, it was a low stress, fast read.
Here you have MCs from opposite sides of a recently ended war – aliens vs. humans. Tavi is a human bounty hunter flying her ship with a team that served with her in the war. Torran is a general from the enemy side who wishes to hire Tavi’s team to find a stolen object; however, he’s not disclosing all the details, so Tavi doesn’t trust him or his alien teammates, but she desperately needs the fee from this job. The two teams are in forced proximity while enroute to the job location. Tavi’s group make a few shocking discoveries about the object as they piece together the full story, only to find it puts them in a precarious position.
As a sci-fi fan, this had enough explanation about their travel means and the aliens to be satisfying, but it was done with a light hand. I found the writing easily readable, with only enough war drama to set suspense, and the multiple characters simple to keep straight. The side characters were built enough to launch a new couple for future books in this series. The steam level is open door though there are only a couple of scenes near the book’s end. In all, it was a low stress, fast read.
March 31, 2022
*sigh* And it was so promising at first too.
This book started out so good! It was giving all these cool Star Trek slash Lunar Chronicles slash Mandalorian vibes and I was so here for it.
Star Trek because of the whole setting and initial character set up, like it totally felt like the original plot line could've been straight out of a Star Trek episode. And if you think about it the alien people (this is so bad, I literally JUST finished it and I can't remember their name, but it started with a V?) are kinda like Klingons and she's Kirk and I could go on. Anyways, loved that. I miss a good Star Trek episode.
Then I was feeling The Lunar Chronicles because of the whole mind control thing, which was very similar to the Lunar bioelectricity thing. Also Kee reminded me of Cress a little.
Then there was just a tad of The Mandalorian thrown in with the technology and then the full body armor. And I LOVE The Mandalorian, so that I thought of it in comparison is a huge compliment.
But then around 150-200 or so pages in it started going downhill. For one, the enemies to lovers thing was way too fast. Also I wish it was just enemies to reluctant allies to eventual friends. I just think it would've worked with the plot better. And then there were too many parts that I ended up skipping. I'm just not a fan of all that and it made me think less of the book.
So overall, I'd say this book started good, could've been better.
This book started out so good! It was giving all these cool Star Trek slash Lunar Chronicles slash Mandalorian vibes and I was so here for it.
Star Trek because of the whole setting and initial character set up, like it totally felt like the original plot line could've been straight out of a Star Trek episode. And if you think about it the alien people (this is so bad, I literally JUST finished it and I can't remember their name, but it started with a V?) are kinda like Klingons and she's Kirk and I could go on. Anyways, loved that. I miss a good Star Trek episode.
Then I was feeling The Lunar Chronicles because of the whole mind control thing, which was very similar to the Lunar bioelectricity thing. Also Kee reminded me of Cress a little.
Then there was just a tad of The Mandalorian thrown in with the technology and then the full body armor. And I LOVE The Mandalorian, so that I thought of it in comparison is a huge compliment.
But then around 150-200 or so pages in it started going downhill. For one, the enemies to lovers thing was way too fast. Also I wish it was just enemies to reluctant allies to eventual friends. I just think it would've worked with the plot better. And then there were too many parts that I ended up skipping. I'm just not a fan of all that and it made me think less of the book.
So overall, I'd say this book started good, could've been better.
March 1, 2023
I like how nearly every scene is both the scifi plot and the love interests in close quarters.
March 20, 2022
4.5 stars
The first in Jessie Mihalik’s brand new series Starlight’s Shadow, Hunt The Stars is a fun, compelling and thoroughly exciting Sci-fi Space Opera with an utterly steamy, enemies to lovers romance you won’t be able to put down.
Captain Octavia ‘Tavi’ Zarola will do just about anything to keep her bounty hunting crew together, even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher a ruthless General and sworn enemy. His offer will keep them afloat and pay for the ships much needed maintenance, and Tavi knows she cannot refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.
But with soo much money on the line Torran and his crew insist of joining the hunt. She reluctantly agrees despite the handsome leader’s talent for pushing her buttons (for both anger and desire), but the money is worth shutting up and learning to deal with it.
But when Tavi’s crew uncovers a deeper plot that threatens the very peace between their two people (Human and Valoffs), Tavi suspects Torran of using her to instigate a new war. With the fate of her crew at stake Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her crew to die on the battlefield…
I found this a really well written and entertaining read that I honestly didn’t want to put down, I don’t often venture into Sci-fi fiction as I usually don’t find it enjoyable, filled with convoluted plot lines or characters I just don’t find enjoyable. Hunt The Stars and it’s incredible blend of romance, action and endearingly badass heroines may just have converted me (or at least convinced me to check out more sci-fi romance.)
The writing was really easy to follow and the technology we encounter was rather self explanatory and easy to grasp (so, thankfully no need to stop and Google any science-y, tech related stuff .)
One of my favourite aspects was how each and every female character we encounter is strong, smart, capable and utterly fierce—even Kee, Tavi’s rainbow haired systems engineer, who at first appearance seems utterly harmless is not someone who’s badside you want to end up on— and I absolutely loved that!
We also get some really great insight into Tavi (and her military career fighting against Tarron’s people) so watching how she navigates (and overcomes) this complex situation—the difficult history and cultural barriers—was absolutely fascinating. Especially when Tavi starts to develop feelings for the handsomely stoic Valoff and her conflicting emotions surrounding her former enemy. And it’s not just Tavi catching feelings either, as the crew members begin to grow friendlier as the book progresses too and honestly, I was all for it!
I also fell in love with the ships’ adorable telepathic mascot, Luna (a Burbu described as looking like a cross between an arctic fox, a cat and a ferret) who’s cheeky antics and constant demand for food or attention was a definitely a one of my favourite highlights of the entire novel.
So, if you love Sci-fi romance, enemies to lovers or the found families trope then I 100% urge to go buy a copy now because it’s satisfyingly superb.
Also, I just wanted to say huge thank you to Harper360YA for the incredible proof.
The first in Jessie Mihalik’s brand new series Starlight’s Shadow, Hunt The Stars is a fun, compelling and thoroughly exciting Sci-fi Space Opera with an utterly steamy, enemies to lovers romance you won’t be able to put down.
Captain Octavia ‘Tavi’ Zarola will do just about anything to keep her bounty hunting crew together, even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher a ruthless General and sworn enemy. His offer will keep them afloat and pay for the ships much needed maintenance, and Tavi knows she cannot refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.
But with soo much money on the line Torran and his crew insist of joining the hunt. She reluctantly agrees despite the handsome leader’s talent for pushing her buttons (for both anger and desire), but the money is worth shutting up and learning to deal with it.
But when Tavi’s crew uncovers a deeper plot that threatens the very peace between their two people (Human and Valoffs), Tavi suspects Torran of using her to instigate a new war. With the fate of her crew at stake Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her crew to die on the battlefield…
I found this a really well written and entertaining read that I honestly didn’t want to put down, I don’t often venture into Sci-fi fiction as I usually don’t find it enjoyable, filled with convoluted plot lines or characters I just don’t find enjoyable. Hunt The Stars and it’s incredible blend of romance, action and endearingly badass heroines may just have converted me (or at least convinced me to check out more sci-fi romance.)
The writing was really easy to follow and the technology we encounter was rather self explanatory and easy to grasp (so, thankfully no need to stop and Google any science-y, tech related stuff .)
One of my favourite aspects was how each and every female character we encounter is strong, smart, capable and utterly fierce—even Kee, Tavi’s rainbow haired systems engineer, who at first appearance seems utterly harmless is not someone who’s badside you want to end up on— and I absolutely loved that!
We also get some really great insight into Tavi (and her military career fighting against Tarron’s people) so watching how she navigates (and overcomes) this complex situation—the difficult history and cultural barriers—was absolutely fascinating. Especially when Tavi starts to develop feelings for the handsomely stoic Valoff and her conflicting emotions surrounding her former enemy. And it’s not just Tavi catching feelings either, as the crew members begin to grow friendlier as the book progresses too and honestly, I was all for it!
I also fell in love with the ships’ adorable telepathic mascot, Luna (a Burbu described as looking like a cross between an arctic fox, a cat and a ferret) who’s cheeky antics and constant demand for food or attention was a definitely a one of my favourite highlights of the entire novel.
So, if you love Sci-fi romance, enemies to lovers or the found families trope then I 100% urge to go buy a copy now because it’s satisfyingly superb.
Also, I just wanted to say huge thank you to Harper360YA for the incredible proof.
February 16, 2022
If you want to go for a positive note, “light” is the description that applies to Hunt The Star. A nice, light romp in space.
A more apt word, though, is superficial. This book wants to deal with the aftermath of war, with sci-fi, and from enemies to lovers, and at the end it fails them all. Because as I said it’s way too superficial to be believable.
J Mihalik is a talented author, but I think she has a long road ahead in both world building and characterisation.
A few hints to explain my stance:
-Romancewise: the only thing she builds is lust, and in this setting it too is simply unbelievable. War has ended a few years ago, in a week they forget it all. I mean he’s a hunk, that’s enough right? Wrong.
The story in itself may be good, but the timing is off and the setting requires a much heavier load. Above all with the betrayals.
-World building: how exactly did we survive a war against such odds? Why were we at war? How was it before? What’s their culture? Their beliefs? Their customs? She goes for an elf like paint and that’s all folks.
Just to frame war: in my teens I was often in Britain and once I was living in with a nice English lady whose husband had been a POW in a Japanese war camp. I never met the guy and I don’t know what he said to her or how he came back. Still 40+ years after she couldn’t stomach the Japanese people. Yes, some of it may be racism, some old age. But these are the aftermath of war. A few panic attacks do not cover them all, sorry.
A more apt word, though, is superficial. This book wants to deal with the aftermath of war, with sci-fi, and from enemies to lovers, and at the end it fails them all. Because as I said it’s way too superficial to be believable.
J Mihalik is a talented author, but I think she has a long road ahead in both world building and characterisation.
A few hints to explain my stance:
-Romancewise: the only thing she builds is lust, and in this setting it too is simply unbelievable. War has ended a few years ago, in a week they forget it all. I mean he’s a hunk, that’s enough right? Wrong.
The story in itself may be good, but the timing is off and the setting requires a much heavier load. Above all with the betrayals.
-World building: how exactly did we survive a war against such odds? Why were we at war? How was it before? What’s their culture? Their beliefs? Their customs? She goes for an elf like paint and that’s all folks.
Just to frame war: in my teens I was often in Britain and once I was living in with a nice English lady whose husband had been a POW in a Japanese war camp. I never met the guy and I don’t know what he said to her or how he came back. Still 40+ years after she couldn’t stomach the Japanese people. Yes, some of it may be racism, some old age. But these are the aftermath of war. A few panic attacks do not cover them all, sorry.
February 18, 2022
A friend of mine described Mihalik’s writing as ‘catnip’ and she is not wrong :O) I’ve read everything from this author and enjoyed it all. Why? Well, Mihalik has the knack of creating really appealing characters, not devoid of depth, somewhat flawed, but also so damn likeable, often forming irresistible 'found families’, and setting them up in entertaining, action-packed, plots, while weaving in an element of romance.
Hunt the Stars doesn’t disappoint. I loved following Octavia Zarola and her crew (shades of Firefly), their relationships and obvious care for each other (the pet, Luna, often stole the limelight). The job they end up accepting forces them to collaborate with former enemies in order to retrieve a stolen item... Compared to Mihalik’s previous series, this novel is ‘simpler' and seems to focus more on the interactions between all the players, learning to live together on the ship and finding out they have more in common than previously believed. I wonder if this in anyway a comment on our current global situation. Whichever it is, this novel was just what I needed - an easy and entertaining read.
Hunt the Stars doesn’t disappoint. I loved following Octavia Zarola and her crew (shades of Firefly), their relationships and obvious care for each other (the pet, Luna, often stole the limelight). The job they end up accepting forces them to collaborate with former enemies in order to retrieve a stolen item... Compared to Mihalik’s previous series, this novel is ‘simpler' and seems to focus more on the interactions between all the players, learning to live together on the ship and finding out they have more in common than previously believed. I wonder if this in anyway a comment on our current global situation. Whichever it is, this novel was just what I needed - an easy and entertaining read.
May 20, 2023
Spice 🌶️: YEP. Phantom Hands.
This reads like fanfiction in the very best way. In fanfic you can get a lot of the domestic/slower side and that’s what this book gives you- But I felt that the slower pace in the first half was actually very necessary to build the relationships that we get in the second half… while also being realistic- I mean space travel is slow did I mention this was Sci-fi? Oh yeah it’s a sci-fi.
- older MCs
- Used to be mortal enemies but now are reluctant allies
- Found family
- Space pet 😭
- Bounty hunter FMC
- Magic
- PHANTOM HANDS 🫠
- I’ll do ANYTHING to make you trust me
I think this book is a really great fantasy romance segue into sci-fi- it’s a great stepping stone for anyone looking to branch out without getting tossed into the deep end of a new gene.
I have an absolute BLAST reading this book- so much so that I’m going out to grab the second one so I can read it before the third one comes out supposedly this June.
I’m in my sci-fi bookish girl era rn and my Mando fangirl heart is just LIVING. There just isn’t enough books like this.
This reads like fanfiction in the very best way. In fanfic you can get a lot of the domestic/slower side and that’s what this book gives you- But I felt that the slower pace in the first half was actually very necessary to build the relationships that we get in the second half… while also being realistic- I mean space travel is slow did I mention this was Sci-fi? Oh yeah it’s a sci-fi.
- older MCs
- Used to be mortal enemies but now are reluctant allies
- Found family
- Space pet 😭
- Bounty hunter FMC
- Magic
- PHANTOM HANDS 🫠
- I’ll do ANYTHING to make you trust me
I think this book is a really great fantasy romance segue into sci-fi- it’s a great stepping stone for anyone looking to branch out without getting tossed into the deep end of a new gene.
I have an absolute BLAST reading this book- so much so that I’m going out to grab the second one so I can read it before the third one comes out supposedly this June.
I’m in my sci-fi bookish girl era rn and my Mando fangirl heart is just LIVING. There just isn’t enough books like this.
May 15, 2022
Like Ilona Andrews, I am enjoying the heck out of Jessie Mihalik’s space opera romances. Hunt for the Stars is the first in the Starlight’s Shadow trilogy, narrated by Frankie Corzo. I loved it all, from the snark to the action.
After some back-and-forth negotiations and pleas from her own crew, Octavia “Tavi” Zarola, and the rest of the Starlight crew agree to take a job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff General. The job requires the General and his security detail to accompany them. Something has been stolen from Valovia. It is imperative that the item in question not be revealed outside of this group.
I loved the rich history that Mihalik seamlessly shared with listeners. It felt natural and not like informational dumps. She cleverly wove it through, revealing what Tavi and her crew endured during the war. I loved her motley crew of bounty hunters and how she managed her crew. Her pet was interesting too.
I loved the dynamics of Tavi’s and Torran’s interaction/relationship. On the surface, they are sworn enemies with war history between them. They are both high-ranking leaders and respect the other’s position with a little one up man ship. They have cultural differences and as with any war, only know one side of it. I adored their banter, snark, and the sizzling chemistry that pinged off of them.
The interactions of between the two crews and their unique abilities were fascinating. Because of the time to travel to Valovia, it allowed them to understand the enemy and friendships formed. I loved how workouts and streaming shows helped forge friendships and bridge trust issues.
The suspenseful action and secrets revealed when they arrived in Valovia kept me listening way past my bedtime. Twists, danger and teamwork pushed us to an exciting conclusion as it lay the groundwork for the next installment. Can I just say I am all in?
Frankie Corzo was perfect as the narrator for Hunt the Stars. She nailed Tavi’s characters, as well as the others. She captured their personalities, the tension, and the subtle differences in their cultures. Her narration enhanced an already delightful tale.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
After some back-and-forth negotiations and pleas from her own crew, Octavia “Tavi” Zarola, and the rest of the Starlight crew agree to take a job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff General. The job requires the General and his security detail to accompany them. Something has been stolen from Valovia. It is imperative that the item in question not be revealed outside of this group.
I loved the rich history that Mihalik seamlessly shared with listeners. It felt natural and not like informational dumps. She cleverly wove it through, revealing what Tavi and her crew endured during the war. I loved her motley crew of bounty hunters and how she managed her crew. Her pet was interesting too.
I loved the dynamics of Tavi’s and Torran’s interaction/relationship. On the surface, they are sworn enemies with war history between them. They are both high-ranking leaders and respect the other’s position with a little one up man ship. They have cultural differences and as with any war, only know one side of it. I adored their banter, snark, and the sizzling chemistry that pinged off of them.
The interactions of between the two crews and their unique abilities were fascinating. Because of the time to travel to Valovia, it allowed them to understand the enemy and friendships formed. I loved how workouts and streaming shows helped forge friendships and bridge trust issues.
The suspenseful action and secrets revealed when they arrived in Valovia kept me listening way past my bedtime. Twists, danger and teamwork pushed us to an exciting conclusion as it lay the groundwork for the next installment. Can I just say I am all in?
Frankie Corzo was perfect as the narrator for Hunt the Stars. She nailed Tavi’s characters, as well as the others. She captured their personalities, the tension, and the subtle differences in their cultures. Her narration enhanced an already delightful tale.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
February 28, 2022
This was a great book and a lot of fun to read, a nice blend of romance, science fiction adventure, and found family. The romance is technically enemies to lovers because Torran and Octavia fought on opposite side of the war so she does have a bit of distrust towards him, but Octavia works hard to make her ship a respectful place for everyone and treated Torran and his companions well. And speaking of respect, I really loved how much Mihalik cared about consent in this book. Torran has some special abilities and he consistently asked Octavia for permission to use them on her every step of the way, regardless of if it was for tactical or sexual reasons. The romance didn't feel rushed or unearned at all, I was really pleased with it.
I also loved the found family dynamic of the ship, Octavia and Eli and Kee ARE family and even though Octavia is captain she rarely makes big decisions without consulting them and making sure that everyone is on board with it. They weren't as developed as I would have liked but it is a series with them presumably getting their own books so I look forward to reading more about them. My main quibble with the book is that I didn't really feel the vibe that Octavia and all of them are bounty hunters even though that's basically their background'/the premise of the book.
Octavia has this alien "pet" named Luna who absolutely stole the show for me, I need more Luna!
I also loved the found family dynamic of the ship, Octavia and Eli and Kee ARE family and even though Octavia is captain she rarely makes big decisions without consulting them and making sure that everyone is on board with it. They weren't as developed as I would have liked but it is a series with them presumably getting their own books so I look forward to reading more about them. My main quibble with the book is that I didn't really feel the vibe that Octavia and all of them are bounty hunters even though that's basically their background'/the premise of the book.
Octavia has this alien "pet" named Luna who absolutely stole the show for me, I need more Luna!
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