As a big fan of Amanda Bouchet’s Kingmaker Chronicles, I was pumped for her new book Nightchaser. This is the first book in her new sci-fi space series, which centers on Tess Bailey. She is a space captain with a troubled past who has become a sort of Robin Hood in space. She and her crew steal vaccines and supplies to give to children in need.
At the start of the book, we find her on the run with a stolen lab. The Dark Watch is closing in and attempting to retrieve the lab by any means necessary. She doesn’t even know what she stole, but she’d rather blow it up than surrender. To escape, she takes a dangerous gamble with the ship. She is ready to sacrifice her life, but not her crew. She gives them a choice to bail, but they like her are loyal to the end. They narrowly escape to hide out in a faraway star system to recover before meeting up with the other rebels. Unexpectedly, she meets a devilishly handsome mechanic named Shade Ganavan with secrets of his own. They attempt (and spoiler! they fail) to keep things professional while he repairs her ship. We see the slow romance unfold from both their perspectives. Each character worries about getting too close. They have very good reasons for the walls they’ve put up around their hearts. The book explores their fears of the vulnerability of relationships. Before they can really get to know each other, danger comes knocking.
This was a book that checked all my favorite story boxes. The perfect mix of action, mystery, and romance with a strong female character. Tess herself was a mystery to unravel. I’m excited about the next book where the stakes are raised and we learn more about her past. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new romance series set in space with major physical stakes. If you’re a big fan of Farscape‘s Aeryn Sun or Captain Janeway, you should definitely give this book a try.
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