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Polaris Rising: A Novel (The Consortium Rebellion, 1) Paperback – February 5, 2019

by Jessie Mihalik (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,844 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
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“Polaris Rising is space opera at its best, intense and addictive, a story of honor, courage, betrayal, and love. Jessie Mihalik is  an author to watch.”--Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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

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

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

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

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

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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Consortium Rebellion
  2. Print length
    448 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Harper Voyager
  5. Publication date
    February 5, 2019
  6. Dimensions
    5.31 x 1.01 x 8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0062802380
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0062802385
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

As the fifth child of a family of six, 23-year-old Ada von Hasenberg is not particularly valuable to her wealthy family. Her marital alliance and subsequent espionage on behalf of House von Hasenberg (one of the three High Houses that wield power in this universe) are her assets in this carefully plotted novel that blends science fiction and political intrigue. Ada's strength is tempered by her vulnerability. No political plot is complete without a completely unsuitable love interest, and Marcus Loch plays that role well. Initially brought together out of self-preservation, the pair heat up the story with barely restrained sexual tension. Ada and Loch are joined by two unlikely accomplices in their effort to uncover the machinations of House Rockhurst (technology is decidedly on the side of House Rockhurst). Will their discoveries avert a war between the High Houses? The characters and romances are deliciously predictable, and the action is nonstop, though the writing gets slightly repetitive. VERDICT A series starter for those who enjoyed Melissa Landers's "Staflight" series or Sharon Shinn's Shattered Warrior. Purchase for teens who prefer more mature themes and off-planet action.—Jodeana Kruse, R.A. Long High School, Longview, WA

Review

“This is space-opera adventure and sweeping romance in equal parts, an enthralling and eminently satisfying book.” — New York Times Book Review

“POLARIS RISING is space opera at its best, intense and addictive, a story of honor, courage, betrayal, and love. Jessie Mihalik is  an author to watch.” — Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestelling author

“An intoxicating journey through the galaxy.” — Entertainment Weekly

“Heart-pounding futuristic action and scorching chemistry make Polaris Rising a thrilling ride. A gripping and sexy space adventure!” — Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles

“The badass space princess adventure we deserve.” — Kit Rocha, New York Times bestselling author

“I loved everything about this story...when I finished and the story left me craving more of this world and characters. Highly recommend!”
— Jeffe Kennedy, RITA Award winning author

“Mihalik debuts with the first book of a science-fiction trilogy filled with high-tech action, political intrigue, and steamy romance. Fast-paced space opera, filled with daring rescues and blaster fire, thrown into high gear by the passionate romance between the lead characters.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Smart dialog among sharp-witted characters, as well as tight action scenes and a bit of sex and romance all come together for an exciting tale across the stars. This fun debut frolics through the space opera setup with an exciting and brave new heroine.” — Library Journal

“Read this book. Right now. Immediately.” — Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

“Along with her remarkable world building, Mihalik introduces rich supporting characters that are deftly drawn into both the running battles as well as the layered political intrigue... Polaris Rising sets a magnificent stage for Mihalik’s next installment in the Consortium Rebellion trilogy.” — BookPage.com

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Voyager (February 5, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062802380
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062802385
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 1.01 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,844 ratings

About the author

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Jessie Mihalik

Jessie Mihalik

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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.

Visit her at www.jessiemihalik.com or on Twitter @jessiemihalik.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
2,844 global ratings
Just a normal girls opinion! Read it!
4 Stars
Just a normal girls opinion! Read it!
“There are moments in your life when you absolutely know what you should do and then you absolutely choose to do something else entirely.”What a fun book! The cover drew me in and once I started reading I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.A interesting world with action, space travel, wit, fighting and alittle bit of spice thrown in.If you are a fan of Aurora rising this is it but I liked this more. 😁
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Top reviews from the United States

Ally Carswell
5.0 out of 5 stars great sci fi drama
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2024
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This is my first book from this author and it was awesome. She did an amazing job with world building where you actually felt like you were there. I love books that don’t have too much internal dialogue- this was book was a balance of action and dialogue perfectly.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2019
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I didn’t know space opera romance was a thing I needed in my life until I read this book. And what a fun blend of the two genres this is!

The main reason I loved this book is because they’re characters I can get behind, especially Ada. She’s a space princess, sure, but she never really comes off as spoilt royalty. She’s tough as nails due to her upbringing in the Consortium, where the ruling families play their brutal political games vying for power. Having left her old life behind and been on the run for a couple of years, trying to avoid a political marriage, she’s grown tough in other ways too.

Marcus Loch, on the other hand, is a somewhat typical alpha male (if you read a lot of romances, you know the type). But, the thing I love about Marcus is that he falls hard and fast for Ada. Sure he is a tough guy, and he also acts like a tough guy, but he really has a vulnerable side. He falls first! I love it when the guy falls first.

The relationship between Ada and Marcus was a fun ride. Usually the guy is the one that doesn’t want to admit their feelings, so it was refreshing to see Ada taking on this role, and it makes total sense within her character. She’s built a wall around herself due to past issues with relationships, of course she’s going to be cautious. I did roll my eyes a bit at their one major blow up, but then after that they sit down and say how important communication is in relationships and I was like ‘THANK YOU’.

Okay, so aside from the romance, this book was fun for other reasons too! Like I said, Ada is awesome. She’s smart and savvy and courageous. She doesn’t want to kill people even if they’re trying to kill her–it’s always a last resort and she mourns each life she takes. When Ada discovers the reason behind her wannabe fiance trying to force the issue of marriage, which leads to a greater problem within house politics, she sets about figuring out a plan on how to bring things to the best possible conclusion for most parties involved. She could be a master chess player with all these moves she’s making. I love stories with lots of political maneuvering, so this was quite fun for me.

This also has a lot of action in it! Right from the beginning we’re thrown into a scenario where tensions are high and action is imminent. I thought the action sequences were well done and helped keep the pace from getting bogged down. It’s a pretty fast moving book overall but there are definitely spaces where things could have gotten too slow if not for the action. And although I really loved the action keeping things going I also did appreciate the moments of respite in between.

I thought the side characters were good too, if not a little generic in some cases. Rhys felt pretty typical, but I loved Veronica. I think the author’s strength is definitely her female characters. The villains felt just a tad….villainy, but they had clear motivations behind their actions, which I loved. There’s a reason they’re acting they way they are and it makes sense, so no mustache twirling here. If I had one one other small complaint it’s that in a ‘romance’ there’s always a need to pair off all the characters and that wasn’t really avoided here, but really that’s a minor niggle of a personal preference and not a mark against the writing, per se.

Overall, I had a really fun time with this book and read it in a couple of days. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series! 4/5 stars.
4 people found this helpful
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Brian Hawthorne
5.0 out of 5 stars Great SF-Romance crossover with a kick-ass space princess hero
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Writing cross-genre fiction takes a brave author. As the negative reviews here attest, some people just hate having their favorite genre messed with and are too small-minded to imagine that there are styles and stories beyond what they are used to. Jessie Mihalik jumps into the fray with both feet and gives us a stunning combination of space opera and princess romance with convincing characters and world-building that just makes you hungry for more.

The protagonist Ada is no Mary Sue. Sure, she can kick ass with the best space mercenaries, fly a starship, and plan her way out of seemingly any situation, but she is also trying to grow out of a personal isolation brought on by the trauma of betrayal in her first relationship.

While this story is no bodice-ripper, it absolutely pays homage to that genre in its adept use of romance tropes and hot, steamy, loving sex. While I am not a huge romance reader, I can appreciate fine craft in any genre.

What I am is a huge fan of science fiction mixed with other genres (fantasy, YA, historical fiction, even occasionally horror). Mihalik successfully navigates the treacherous spaceways of the SF genre, while being her own twists. I am always willing to suspend disbelief on FTL and other magical technologies if the story demands it and doesn’t try to create some inaccurate science to explain it.

The only SF bit that made me groan in this book was the frequent reference to Universal Time, a nonsensical and unnecessary concept, even in an FTL world. The differences between clocks could have just have easily been explained without this, by using local planet times and ship times. But, when that is the only thing that pulled me out of my willing suspension of disbelief, I really can’t complain!

Finally, the editing and proofreading were near perfect. Although I wasn’t reading with a copy-editor’s full attention, I never hit an awkward phrase or unexpected transition and noticed only a single typo in the entire book.

If you are willing to stretch yourself beyond the straight jacket of a single genre, Polaris Rising will deliver and keep you reading until the very last word.
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Jennifer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!
Reviewed in Canada on March 12, 2024
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If you also loved this book just go ahead and read all of Jessie Mihalik books.
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booksy
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun, page-turning space adventure.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
I'm going to come at this review from the point of view that it's YA romance (not sci fi). So, within that context, this is a really great novel. Let's use Sarah J Maas as the benchmark, as many YA readers are huge Maas fans. While this doesn't deliver on complexity of plot (at least in this instalment), I feels it delivers in other ways - especially if you're after a quick read that's easier to digest. The writing is tight and good. Before picking this up, I'd started a couple of other books but just couldn't get into them. This one gripped me from the start. I felt that the worldbuilding was incredibly good - no info dumps here, just interesting tidbits of info scattered throughout the novel. I loved Ava - in a way that I often don't like Maas's heroines. She's sassy, loyal and kick-arse but without being annoying, petulant or conceited (Aelin anyone?!) Also - big bonus, the sizzle in this is better than Maas's books. So if that's what you're after, you'll get that here. In fact, I'd probably categorise this more as NA than YA, simply due to some of the language and sex scenes - it all depends on whether someone's at the younger or older end of YA, I guess.

One critique might be Marcus Loch (the love interest) - I felt he was a bit too Alpha male without many nuanced qualities. Compared to Ava, he felt a bit flat. In some respects, he came off as too possessive and domineering, especially early on (what Maas's characters might refer to as an Alpha-hole!) There was a lot of 'growling' and suchlike. In some ways I found Ian, Head of Security for Ava's family House, more intriguing (he's a minor character, but one I hope we see more of in coming books). Rhys too - somebody Ava is acquainted with who helps her in her mission. I think, in terms of sizzling love interests, nobody does it quite like Laura Thalassa - but there's enough in this novel to satisfy those readers who like a bit more of a 'grownup' romance element.

I think if anyone comes at this from a straight sci-fi point of view, they'll be disappointed (if you want sophisticated sci-fi, Mary Doria Russel's The Sparrow is hard to beat). However, as a page-turning space romp with a ballsy heroine, this is a great start to a series.
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Cliente de Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Great science fiction novel!
Reviewed in Spain on March 26, 2020
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I really enjoyed reading Jessie Mihalik's "Polaris Rising" and I am reading the sequel, "Aurora Blazing", at the moment :-).
Ada von Hasenberg is a character one can really relate to and above all everything in this book seems to make perfect sense...
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Client Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Just great
Reviewed in France on April 30, 2019
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I really liked it, a nice romance, action and the beginning of a bigger plot. Can't wait to read more.
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Sue
5.0 out of 5 stars Just wow!
Reviewed in Germany on February 10, 2019
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Polaris Rising is a very entertaining gripping story which keeps you at the edge of your seat. A complex world is the background to non stop fast paced action with an intriguing courageous heroine who is on the run most of the time but fights and uses all her determination, knowledge and resources to save herself and others looking for refuge and finally to prevent a war which could destroy her world and her family. Thank you for an amazing read!
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