Chaos Reigning audiobook

So I super loved this book and this whole series. I just love sci-fi and found all 3 of these sisters and this whole series to be perfectly satisfying to me. One thing that continued to be developed in a way I really liked was that even though the siblings are very close -- they are all keeping secrets from each other. Cat is a great character and I liked the blend of tough individualism with her ability to take care of her family. I loved reading this series and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in a big sweeping space opera epic....HOWEVER, if you are looking for a strong sci-fi romance, I think you might not enjoy it as much. I did think of the romance arc as the B-plot because the "saving the world" plot was primary. In fact, the regular "beats" of the romance plot aren't even really there-- There's no low moment of angst and conflict, they basically hook up and work together and all of the conflict in the book is external. Because the POV sticks to Cat, Alex is kind of meh. She liked him so I liked him, but it was definitely under-developed compared to the rest of the book.

This is third in a series and, unlike the others, it weaves events and threads from the others into its plotline. So I recommend reading the others first. Both of them.Having read the others, you know what you're getting with this one. Cat hasn't been on-stage much, but Alex was all over Aurora Blazing. So I'll say that this is between the first and second in quality. The romance is stronger and their relationship and trust builds naturally and I really liked seeing them work together. Cat is a bit less integrated than the other two and her journey is all about discovering who she is and what she wants. Which isn't a bad thing, just not as strong a character arc as the others, I think.The pace of this one is faster and the stakes are higher. Which it needed to be as the last book in the trilogy. The other books have shown the rot at the core of the system the von Hasenberg's are at the top of so a big disruption is needed to get to a place where we can believe that the morality and kindness we've seen so far from the von Hasenberg scions can be established and become self-sustaining. Mihalik manages this, but again, not to the standards you'd expect in a series where the sci-fi was predominant.Anyway, this is a solid four stars and I really liked both leads and their relationship was excellent. I love how well Mihalik shows miscommunication between partners and their efforts to learn, understand, and adapt. Love it! I look forward to what she comes up with next.A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes and some fiddling around, but they're all short (necessarily, see pacing above). So this is still on the light side of my steam tolerance, but only just. Frankly, by the time we get to them, I thought I'd end up skimming because the emotional arc had already culminated as far as I was concerned. But it was so short, I had just gotten to the skim impulse when I noticed a section break was immanent...

SF adventure with a decent sized serving of SexyTimes; the heat level was turned up quite a bit over book two, Aurora Blazing.This was a fast paced ending to the Consortium Rebellion trilogy, which showcased the badass and justice motivated adventures of the ultra competent and beautiful von Hasenberg sisters and their super hot and muscled fighting men.I liked it, although I did monitor the audiobook pretty carefully when my kids were in the car with me.

The third book in the Consortium Rebellion trilogy was better than I was expecting and I found it to be the one I enjoyed the most. I can see this author growing with every book and I am excited to see what more she comes up with. I liked the main character in this one, Cat, quite a lot. She is a gr

Still good, but not up to the other two. Why?Because it gave me NA wibe and that's not my thing...Yes, I know Cat is young, but still.... There's something about NA being heroes that irks me...Still the book is good and I liked it!I hope the author will write Ferdinand's book. I'm really curious about his story!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.4.5 hearts I have been loving this world in the Consortium Rebellion trilogy. One of three sisters is featured in each of the three books and now we meet Catarina.  She is the youngest sister and I didn't feel I knew her very well from previous stories.  While her sisters were out fighting and learning off planet, she stayed home.Catarina has played her role as a high house princess, going to social events and parties. She meets people, gathers information, and has developed some knowledge, maybe even some allies.  Now she has a chance to find out information on the James house, as she is invited to a party at their place, off on another planet.Bianca, (older sister from Aurora Blazing) ever the master of intelligence, doesn't want her going alone and plans to send along two friends as bodyguards. Catarina has played  "silly party girl" so well, sometimes others don't think she can handle herself.Catarina is so much more than I expected, even though she is so young. She's smart and capable under that pretty facade. I love how she dived into the fray, to get the needed evidence to support her family and then to protect them.  Thankfully, Bianca's friends, Eva and Alex have her back.  She also has her best friend from another house.Packed with action, sexual tension and political maneuvering, I loved Chaos Reigning! Catarina was compassionate, well-trained and knowledgeable.  Alex was more the strong, silent type. I didn't get much from him. I did appreciate how he supported and encouraged Cat.  I felt the connection between all the siblings and enjoyed how they came together to support the family in the end. Narration: I've always admired this narrator.  Her voices for all the characters, male or female, sounded appropriate. The voices were somewhat distinct so I could tell who was speaking. Most of the time, we were in Cat's head with her thoughts and it felt right. I enjoyed listening at my usual 1.5x  speed.Listen to a clip:https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio_us... 

When I started Chaos Reigning I was a bit surprised to find out that it was the final book in the series… there is so much going on and only two of the six von Hasenberg siblings had their HEAs… won’t they all have a story?! While the book doesn’t address all of the outstanding subplots, and in fact adds a few more to the pot, it does conclude a major story arc. Let’s all pray that Ms. Mihalik writes more! Chaos Reigning picks up shortly after the conclusion of the previous title and is shared from the POV of the youngest von Hasenberg, Catarina (Cat). Cat holds close a secret that if out, would make her a weapon for her father, so she uses her history of health issues and plays up her socialite status, to give others a sense that she’s a dim-witted party girl. However, she’s been helping her siblings from the sidelines in the war. Now she’s got a lead of her own, but sister Bianca is managing her activities, forcing her to have a faux plus one at a two-week party; someone who will keep an eye on and protect her. While Cat doesn’t want the extra “help,” she quickly learns to appreciate Alex for his sharp mind and quick action. It doesn’t hurt he’s extremely attractive and a genuinely nice guy.Like the two stories previous to it, Chaos Reigning is a fantastic adventure from beginning to end. Cat and her allies start to piece together who exactly was behind the kidnapping of her eldest brother, and soon they are targets of more than one assassination attempt. When the Verse falls apart, Cat risks everything to get back to Earth to try and save not only her family, but the entire Consortium. A plot that no one (including the reader) knows about rears its ugly head and soon, life as they know it is on the brink of collapse. There are ambushes and chases, fast ships and high-tech gadgets. There are secrets and layers, but it all comes together seamlessly. While the story is heavy on action, there is a slow-burn romance developing between Cat and Alex. Unlike the previous two romances which really tugged on my heartstrings, Cat and Alex fall for one another fairly quickly, and they attempt to get together nearly the entire book. It’s just they keep getting interrupted! I liked the pair together and enjoyed watching Cat learn to trust Alex, which also helps her trust her siblings with her big secrets.Narration: Chaos Reigning is shared via the first person POV of Cat. Ms. Zeller gives Cat a strong, feminine voice, with a youth and vitality. She alters every character’s voice for dialogue, with each having a unique sound. She does a great job keeping each character distinct. Alex’s voice is deeper with a touch of gentle fondness that betrays his feelings for Cat. The narrator does a good job infusing emotion and situational non-speech verbal cues into the story; she isn’t just reading the story, she brings the characters to life. The Consortium Rebellion trilogy has been a favorite of mine for three books, and with so many stories still out there to explore, I sincerely hope the author finds time to share them.My Ratings:Story: B+Narration: A-

If you are looking for a space opera trilogy with action, intrigue, and a little bit of heat, look no further. The Consortium Rebellion series is a winner. This is the third book and while you could read it as a standalone, why would you want to? Start with Polaris Rising and get comfortable.Each book focuses on a different sister in the Von Hasenberg family. They come from a High House of the galaxy, basically one of the ruling families which wield great power. But with great power… Well, you know. Each of these sisters hides a secret or special ability. This is Catarina‘s story and She is the product of genetic tinkering, much like the heroes of books one and two. Cat pretends to be a flighty socialite, but it is a mask she uses to infiltrate society and make connections for her family's benefit. She’s a good person underneath, though, and does what she can to help the less fortunate. She’s smart and she’s strong, she just hides it very well.She is using an invitation to a huge party to try to figure out who is responsible for kidnapping her brother and targeting her house. but her sister Bianca won’t let her go alone. She sends two bodyguards. Alex is one of them and he hides under the pretense of being her lover. All too soon their feigned attraction grows very real. And a Series of assassination attempts quickly proves Bianca made the right call in sending reinforcements.There is a lot going on here. Great action moves the plot along at a good clip and with all the political machinations it’s fun trying to keep up with who Cat can trust and who she can’t. It is very similar in tone and rhythm to the other books in the series. So if you like those, you’ll probably like this one too.That said, in my opinion, this installment is the weakest of the three. Though don’t misunderstand, I still enjoyed it. It’s just that maybe it felt a little too much like the other two books. The particulars were different but the bones felt the same. And while I felt like I knew Cat, Alex was rather undeveloped. He could’ve been any super soldier who fell for her. I wouldn’t go so far as to call him a placeholder, but he was definitely not someone I felt like I knew. and while I felt the attraction between the main characters, I wasn’t really in my feels.I liked it, but it was more like an action movie. A good two hours of movement and a fun ride. But it doesn’t reinvent the wheel.Still, this is not a bad review by any means. I I will totally 100% read from this author again. And I would recommend the series. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

One of my most anticipated romance reads of 2020, Chaos Reigning was the PERFECT book to launch me out of the atmosphere and into space, far away from my worries here on Earth.Catarina von Hasenberg, youngest and hiding a secret, must try to leverage the socialite, insipid image she's honed over the years to find evidence framing those responsible for her brother's kidnapping while attending a swanky house party. Her sister Bianca has thrown a wrench into her plans by sending two bodyguards to "help" Cat, including one who is supposed to be Cat's new boyfriend. Alex is mysterious, large, quiet, and devastatingly attractive. So much so Cat worries pretending might turn in to something more.As with the other books in this series, reader's will enjoy a firm focus on the heroine as she defies expectations and protects those she loves, while falling in love with a delicious cinnamon roll along the way.I only wish we got to know Alex a little bit more, he is very much a side character to Cat's magnificence and is instantly in love with her. CW for violence, guns, medical experimentation, explicit war scenesI received a free copy from Edelweiss+ for review.

** spoiler alert ** I liked it -- on par with the prior two. However, when I started there's a definite 'record scratch' type moment -- that was NOT the plot arc I was expecting. It's like she hit the "rocks fall, everybody dies, end of series" stress point.Truly expected the battle with the old guard to be the focus for several books, not third & you're out!

Finale!? What?! No this can't be it! There are more siblings! I need Ferdinand, well I do not really need it, I kind of need the how they met, now how they continue. But I want Benedict and Hannah too. Sad sad day.Catarina is the flighty "dumb" socialite, a persona she works hard on. Her siblings thinks she is weak because they do not know what was done to her. She is stronger than any of them, but she does not have the confidence to see it.She is the risktaker, and she will blaze her way through this war.Because yes there is that dang war going on between her house and another, and she is sent to gather intelligence, together with a hot bodyguard. And I did feel the connect between her and Alexander, they were alike, I felt it, I got it. Sure they did not have a lot of time to get to know each other. But I believed that instant attraction and that instant connection of finding a kindred spirit.This book is action filled, intrigues everywhere, space battles and more. The romance is fast, and at the same time really slow burning, they are both careful and that made it better.But I do want more! The war might be over, but there are more stories to tell. Light action filled scifi with romance, what more can one want!Emily is great as always, I do like her and she fits well here. She can be every aspect of Caterina, from noseup highborn, to fury. She makes the characters come alive and fills every space (ha, pun intended.) It makes these fun listening to.

There is something about Jessie Mihalik's Consortium Rebellion series that draws me in. Each book focuses on different family members and their plight to save themselves, other family members and ultimately make the Consortium a better world for all.I flat out loved this story. I was riveted to the pages from start to finish!I received this ARC copy of Chaos Reigning from Harper Voyager - HaperCollins. This is my honest and voluntary review.Chaos Reigning : A Novel Jessie MihalikFRONTLIST | On Sale Date: May 19, 20209780062802422, 0062802429Paperback$16.99 USD, $21.00 CAD, £10.99 GBPFiction / Science Fiction / Space Opera416 pages | Announced 1st Print: 25KSeries: The Consortium Rebellion #3 Want more check us out on Tome Tender Book Blog or on Facebook