Katerina's Reviews > Starbreaker

Heists, scorching romance and space rebels, oh my!

The escape to a galaxy far, far away was never more tempting, since the world seems intent on destroying itself nowadays. And Amanda Bouchet gives you exactly what you need: adventure, high-stakes missions, strong friendships and a couple to set the universe on fire (I just hope that her story is not prophetic, and that the colonization of other planets and moons is not the only way to get rid of the pandemic).

❝Break into Starbase 12. Bring Reena back to me. She’ll save Demeter Terre, and the Outer Zones will be free again.❞

After the crew of the Endeavor delivered to the rebel ranks the material to create super soldiers, their next quest is not what they expected. A suicide mission to free a brilliant scientist that could tip the scales in favor of the resistance right under the nose of the Overseer? That seems far-fetched, even for them. But Captain Tess Bailey, Galaxy’s Most Wanted, Rebel and Nightchaser, is always up for a challenge. With her faithful crew by her side, her ex-bounty-hunter and space rogue extraordinaire boyfriend supporting her every step, the ever-growing need to dethrone a terrible despot and the help of unexpected allies, she will set on (another) perilous journey, to free, to uncover secrets, to make up for the wrongs committed in the name of peace. And to face the bane of her existence; the man who was supposed to protect her.

The love child of Robin Hood and Star Wars, the sequel to Nightchaser is equally explosive and heart-pounding. Tess and her crew keep you on the edge of your seat, taking risk after risk, scheming, stealing, fighting, trying to heal the wounds, create a future free of oppression and overcome their personal demons. The action is not-stop. The fast pace won’t let you breathe. And the otherworldly chemistry, the crackling tension between Tess and Shade will incinerate what’s left of your brain cells and enhance the consumption of chocolate (as if we needed another reason to devour the contents of our fridges).

❝Quarks latch on to one another. And the harder you try to separate them, the harder they hold on to each other.❞
❝Are you asking me to be your quark, Shade Ganavan?❞
❝Baby, you’re my quark and then some.❞

I had a blast reading Starbreaker. You know why? Because it succeeded in the most challenging aspect of storytelling. It didn’t just distract me from reality. It wiped it out. I was so lost in this all-consuming story, in the little heartbreaks and big revelations, the perfect blend of emotion and adrenaline, the dynamics of the crew of the Endeavor, that I ceased to be. I wasn’t Katerina any more. I wasn’t this person that hasn’t left her home for four weeks, that is constantly worried about her family, her relatives, her friends. For these precious moments, I was Tess. Shade. Jax. Fiona. Merrick. Sanaa. I shuddered and shivered, invested in their fates, trying to overcome the anxiety for what their future might bring, that I forgot the anxiety for the glooming situation of my country and the world in general. I just grabbed a Grayhawk and shot my problems to oblivion. It was invigorating.

❝Faith – throughout the eons – is believing without proof. I’d rather have certain beliefs to comfort me when things seem too dark than nothing at all to brighten the horizon.❞

I’m closing with a personal favorite quote that resonated with me, in view of the extraordinary situation we’re living. Despair, terror and panic, they do not help you through the day. But faith, in the doctors, in science, in humanity, in God, is a balm to the soul, and as long as we don’t lose it, all will be good in the end. And I pray and hope that soon we’ll fill the streets, hug our loved ones and appreciate the things we took for granted.

*ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Note: The quotes used in this review are from an uncorrected text and subject to changes.