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Polaris Rising audiobook

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Polaris Rising Audiobook Summary

A space princess on the run and a notorious outlaw soldier become unlikely allies in this imaginative, sexy space opera adventure–the first in an exciting science fiction trilogy.

In the far distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three High Houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her High House is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.

Ada eluded her father’s forces for two years, but now her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.

When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiance captures her, she’ll become a political prisoner and a liability to her House. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.

But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive Devil, you may lose more than you bargained for . . .

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Polaris Rising Audiobook Narrator

Emily Woo Zeller is the narrator of Polaris Rising audiobook that was written by Jessie Mihalik

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

About the Author(s) of Polaris Rising

Jessie Mihalik is the author of Polaris Rising

Polaris Rising Full Details

Narrator Emily Woo Zeller
Length 12 hours 41 minutes
Author Jessie Mihalik
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date February 05, 2019
ISBN 9780062892294

Subjects

The publisher of the Polaris Rising is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Action & Adventure, Fiction, Science Fiction

Additional info

The publisher of the Polaris Rising is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062892294.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Jacob

May 08, 2020

This might as well have been written for me; a wish-fulfillment romance transported competently to a sci-fi setting (with a plot that holds together) and a helping of competence porn with found-family thrown in for spice? Yeah, sign me up for that! I can see why others might hesitate because the sci-fi is the vehicle for the romance. So it's not the focus and if you're expecting space opera or cultural exploration or alien interactions or lots of complicated worldbuilding this is not that. But it is a lovely romance and I really liked the main character and Marcus grew on me the way someone should if I want him to be with someone I like and care about.Competence porn is tougher to pull off in romance than people think, which now I think on it, explains why Leverage and Hustle never much bothered with romantic subplots. Hmmmm. Christian Kane. Sorry, where was I? Wow, he'd be perfect to play Marcus in a film of this story. Hmmmm. Crap. Right. Anyway, most competence porn requires big obstacles and working together in complimentary roles. So throwing romantic conflict in the middle of that tends to adulterate those important elements and slow the pacing down if it isn't managed carefully. Mihalik managed this mainly by having both leads used to running solo and leaning into their strengths. So the romantic conflict folds into their learning to trust each other and incorporate their varied strengths into their planning and execution of the things they need to accomplish.So I loved seeing them trade off rescuing one another and learning to trust despite both having backgrounds full of betrayal and loneliness. Indeed, seeing them connect and recognizing how alone they had been while finding that connection was a great emotional high and a highlight of the story for me. My heart was engaged immediately with Ada and her plight that kept her far from the siblings she loved. And seeing her fall for Marcus and having them choose to trust and be vulnerable was outstanding. I particularly liked that in the later parts of their relationship development they explicitly call out the missteps brought by miscommunication and let that impel them past later-stage conflict through having the hard talks. I loved that so very much!So I'm going to be the rare all-out fan among my friends who have read this and give it all five stars. Recognize that this is very much my kind of story and that the primacy of the romance exactly fits my reading preferences. And I can't wait to read the next in the series because, in true romance series fashion, it is a new couple and I really liked what we got of Bianca in this story.A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. The first two were pretty well done and a great illustration of their tentative, but growing, intimacy. The last was pretty much gratuitous and reminded me that this is likely also a bit new adult if you go with romance subgenres.

Aisling Zena

July 01, 2020

4 starsI have been battling with a migraine for 3 days now, so I'm not exactly with it therefore my review will probably be blunt and to the point, if it makes any sense at all at this stage.I don't usually read sci-fi but this was a welcome change of pace. I loved the setting, the worldbuilding and the two main characters, Loch and Ada. Some things needed a bit more work but overall it kept me engaged and distracted me a fair amount from the pain in my head. If you want to plunge in a new world set in space, with a strong, runaway princess and a mysterious, silent outlaw hero, this is the book for you. Full of family intrigues, battles and House politics the status quo of the 'verse is at stake. Will our two heroes make it through?

Choko

June 26, 2020

*** 4 *** This was a bit of a pleasant surprise. A typical romance, but in the futuristic Universe and heavy on the sci-fi action. Earth rules over the known universe, but Earth and the Universe are both ruled by the families of the Consortium. A daughter of one of the Consortium families, our heroine is running from a faith worse than death - an arranged marriage! So, she has been on the run for over two years, her father having put up a bounty for her capture and safe return. It was bound to happen, and a group of mercenaries gets lucky in capturing her. Only she is not the only captive for their bounty. A dangerous criminal, a mass murder, is chained just feet away from her. And out heiress knows she is in trouble...!!!This was fun, exciting, and even the sci-fi elements were darn good! I think it is imperative for those who choose to read this book and series to know what to expect. I see some of the reviews are not very positive not because of the story itself, but because they had been expecting a science fiction novel with some romance in it, while the book is actually a romance novel set in a science fiction background. As such, I find it very well executed and successful. But it is not for those who expect a hard sci-fi and find romance fine as an additional element, or waist of time. This Kick-ass lady is not so tough as not to allow herself to be swept away by a gruff and deadly, but loyal and passionate soldier. And it sure is fascinating watching them maneuver the dangerous currents of high society and intellectual property espionage. Not much violent content, but some sexy times included👍😃

Jen

April 03, 2019

A ton of my Book Twitter friends recommended this book to me and I can tell you now, it absolutely lives up to the hype. I love a good sci-fi romance set in space and this one hit all the high notes. A fierce, loyal, and capable heroine. A gruff, powerful, and mysterious hero. Fantastic world building… great plotting and action… and a cast of secondary characters that have me chomping at the bit for more.Ada is a princess in one of three royal/ruling houses of the galaxy. But she isn’t the kind of princess who dreams of marrying the prince. In fact, she has been on the run for the past two years, just to avoid an arranged marriage with a prince of a rival house. Her own father has put a bounty on her head to get her back home, but her royal training has served her too well. To be the daughter of a High House, she has been well schooled in every skill she would need to be an ideal spy and it’s helped her evade capture… until now. As the story begins, she’s been nabbed by mercenaries and she has to enlist the help of a fellow prisoner to help her escape before she is shipped back home.That prisoner is Marcus Loch. He is well known as a killer, and Ada has no doubt he’s capable of it. But she sees something more to him. They bust out just as her betrothed breaks in, intent on forcing the marriage. They must jump through hoops, making one escape after the next to evade him, all while trying to figure out why he is so desperate to make the marriage happen.I don’t want to spoil too much. But I loved, loved, loved the dynamic between Ada and Loch. They start out so wary of each other, and for good reason, but in forced proximity, they spark and eventually flame. Loch is such a great love interest. His secrets are peeled back like the layers of an onion, at the same time his defenses against Ada slowly break down. (His moments of jealousy, by the way, pushed my happy buttons.) Ada was phenomenal too. She would never ask anyone to take a risk she’s not willing to take herself. And though she looks out for her interests, she works hard not to cause undue harm to those around her.Jessie Mihalik’s writing is so easy to sink into. She makes it feel so effortless. From setting up the political dynamics of the world to the space science to character histories. It all flows so well, allowing you to just sink into the action. I am a little sad to say goodbye to the Ada and Loch romance, but the author has planted a good seed to pique my interest in Bianca and Ian’s story. (Bring on book 2!)Would definitely recommend for fans of sci-fi romance or space opera. Or really, romance fans in general.Rating: A*ARC provided by publisher

Lisa (A Life Bound Books)

September 21, 2019

4.5 Stars!!! Seriously LOVED this book!!! Talk about strong female lead character! Political intrigue, an heir on the run, mercenaries around every corner and bounties chasing them down. All set in space and mostly distant planets. It’s a well written story that’s just the beginning and I can’t wait to read the next books. For me, this is without a doubt an author to watch! Highly recommend to anyone who loves a great, thrilling and exciting space opera!

Jeffe

September 26, 2018

SFR at it's very best! I loved everything about this story: the capable, regal, kickass heroine and spaceship pilot; the muscular, dangerous and enigmatic escaped war criminal hero; the well-realized universe and secondary characters; and the the fast-paced plot that kept me turning pages. I had a serious book hangover when I finished and the story left me craving more of this world and characters. Highly recommend!

Gavin

July 08, 2020

This was a fun and engaging sci-fi/romance tale. It was more UF/PNR in tone and feel than regular sci-fi but I think that worked pretty well for the tale as the sci-fi setting gave the story a fresh feel and helped it stand out a bit from the crowd of similar style romance/action tales. The premise was a good one. Ada von Hasenberg is the fifth of six children and has been on the run from her father/family for the last two years in order to escape an unwanted arranged marriage. Her family is one of the three High Houses that rule the Consortium. The Consortium rule in this far sci-fi future world with populated planets spread across the Galaxy! The story picks up as Ada gets captured by a group of mercenaries. She seeks the help of fellow prisoner Marcus Loch to escape from the mercenaries before either her own family of that of her potential husband (who is a member of a rival High House) show up! Marcus is a guy with a dark reputation as he is rumoured to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion and the Consortium wants his head. The pair must work together to escape. This is a romance tale so it does not take a genius to figure out how this story played out from here lol. I quite liked what we got in this story. I'm a fan of the sci-fi romance genre in general and feel it is a pity it is not so big as some of the other popular romance sub-genres. Polaris Rising had a good mix of romance, action, and intrigue. The two lead characters were pretty likeable so it was easy enough to root for them as people and as a potential couple. The romance was a tad run of the mill but I did not feel that hurt my enjoyment of the story. The sci-fi world itself was a fun one. The intrigues of the Consortium were quite interesting and added a fun extra dimension to the romance, action, and adventure. I quite enjoyed the whole corporate espionage story arc! As an added benefit this was a very readable tale as Jessie Mihalik's writing style was a direct and engaging one. If the story had a flaw it was that the ending felt a tad rushed. Satisfactory but definitely a bit rushed. On the plus side this story did a good job of fleshing out a few of the secondary characters and making the world seem an interesting place in general so I'll definitely pick up the two sequels to see what Ada's sisters are up to! I'm sure a lot of the intrigue will continue in the sequels. All in all this was a fun tale! Rating: 3.5 stars. I'll round up to 4 stars as this was very readable.

Justine

March 11, 2019

4.5 starsThis was lots of fun. As is usual for me I didn't read the summary all that carefully so I didn't appreciate in advance that this book is a romance with an SF setting. No matter, because I do love my SFR, and Polaris Rising is an especially good example of the sub-genre. Adequate worldbuilding, lots of action, and of course, sexy times.Ada and Loch reminded me some of Elena and Clay from the werewolf books in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series - Bitten, Stolen, Broken, and Frostbitten - both as individual characters, and in terms of the way they view each other. Marcus is with Ada like Clay is with Elena; he is very loyal and protective but at the same time respects that his love interest is capable and can look after herself. Ada shares the qualities that I liked about Elena, being strong and self-reliant but also vulnerable without being weak. As a couple Ada and Marcus seemed like a good partnership.I loved the side characters like Veronica and Rhys, who were nicely realized rather than just created as supporting props for Ada and Marcus, and who gave the story as a whole a nicely rounded feel. By the end of the book there are still lots of interesting possible story threads left that could be pursued in further installments. While I do want to read a follow up on those, I also appreciated how Polaris Rising stayed very focused. It avoided spreading itself too widely and turning itself into a set up book rather than a self-contained story.If you are a fan of SFR or just want to add some romance to your usual SF diet, Polaris Rising is an excellent choice.

Luna

October 01, 2019

This book is sooooo good. It’s a romance first and foremost. But the heroine is a kickass space princess on the run with the hots for a criminal...or is he? Highly recommend!

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