Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
New York, NY : Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2022].
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML: The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy. "Jessie Mihalik is an author to watch." �?? Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together�??even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can't refuse�??no matter how much she'd like to. With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons�??for both anger and desire�??she's endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he's promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal. But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife's edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie�??with the quiet Valoff who's been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she's put her heart… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
I had such a good time with this book! I have heard so many great things about Jessie Mihalik’s books so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book which is the start of a new series. This book grabbed my attention right away and never let go. I was completely entertained by this well-done
After some intense negotiations, Tavi and the rest of the Starlight crew agree to take a job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff General. It hasn’t been all that long since humans were at war with the Valoffs so tensions are high from the start. Torran and his team join Tavi and hers aboard the Starlight as they make their way to the planet Valovia. I really enjoyed getting to watch these two groups of people learn to get along and eventually become part of a team. Once they land on Valovia, the book does shift gears as they work to fulfill their mission.
I really liked the characters in this book. Tavi and Torran were both very highly principled leaders. It wasn’t long before the spark between them flared to life. I liked that they didn’t act on anything right away but really got to know each other first. The rest of the team were equally well done and each added an important element to the story. Luna was a great addition to the story and I loved that she was such a big part of the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really exciting book filled with great characters and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment in this wonderful series.
I received a review copy of this book from Harper Voyager.
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story.After some intense negotiations, Tavi and the rest of the Starlight crew agree to take a job from Torran Fletcher, a Valoff General. It hasn’t been all that long since humans were at war with the Valoffs so tensions are high from the start. Torran and his team join Tavi and hers aboard the Starlight as they make their way to the planet Valovia. I really enjoyed getting to watch these two groups of people learn to get along and eventually become part of a team. Once they land on Valovia, the book does shift gears as they work to fulfill their mission.
I really liked the characters in this book. Tavi and Torran were both very highly principled leaders. It wasn’t long before the spark between them flared to life. I liked that they didn’t act on anything right away but really got to know each other first. The rest of the team were equally well done and each added an important element to the story. Luna was a great addition to the story and I loved that she was such a big part of the story.
I would highly recommend this book to others. I found this to be a really exciting book filled with great characters and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment in this wonderful series.
I received a review copy of this book from Harper Voyager.
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LibraryThing member WhiskeyintheJar
2.5 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It was an impossible task, and one I didn't relish tackling while a Valovian general breathed down my neck.
Captain Octavia Zarola feels there's trouble
Torran was a payday and nothing else. Anything more was far too dangerous.
Told all from Tavi's pov, the reader gets to know her and the humans very well but it left Torran and his crew more in the shadows. I never really felt like I knew Torran and therefore, the romance between Tavi and him didn't move past lust and I had a hard time connecting with him. The first half was slow for me as there wasn't much movement on plot, we do get some world setting and building but there were too many kitchen scenes and while I liked Luna, a pet of Tavi and her crew that is a cross between a fox, ferret, and cat, I was done reading how often Luna wanted to be feed, as it was brought up over and over. The first half has Tavi and her crew tentatively interacting with Torran and his crew as they travel to get to Torran's home in Valovian space. I felt this was stretched out for too long as I wanted more movement on story.
My body demanded satisfaction, but my head warned of danger and my heart wanted more.
The second half did deliver on story movement as some of the mystery behind what Torran hired Tavi to find and why gets slowly revealed. The story advances with more political intrigue and we get a deeper look at the world politics. The main plot is that there was a war between the Federated Human Planets (FHP) and the Valovians and even though there is peace right now, it's not completely settled between them. Having Tavi and Torran on different sides had me ready for some great tension but the one pov hurt this for me because I couldn't delve into Torran's character as much. The relationships ended up feeling lighter and surface. There seem to be many hints at future match-ups between Tavi and Torran's crew members that have me interested to see where they go (Kee the sunshine one on Tavi's crew and Varro the grumpy on Torran's is next in the series).
“My life is mine, but my heart is yours.”
I enjoyed the space setting and the author did a pretty good job filling it out with futuristic weapons, travel, space ships, and the Valoff's telekinetic “powers” to create a scifi mood. Very much at the heart though, is the politics and relationships between everyone. Tavi and her found family crew take most of the emotional spotlight but the last part of the second half have Tavi and Torran starting to act on their attraction (there is one bedroom scene but it is in the last few pages of the story). The last 20% had more of the pace I was looking for and we get action battle scenes, reveals, and more mysteries that will obviously lead into and connect future books in the series. This was a little too slow moving for me and Tavi and Torran's romance didn't quite reach the depth I wanted but with the world building done in this first book, I'm looking forward to the next in the series having the time to deepen the romance. This was an interesting world to visit and with a plot thread that still needs answers, I'll be looking forward to Kee and Varro's story.
“So, we're decided then?” I asked. Everyone nodded, and Torran squeezed my hand with a smile. I grinned. “Then let's go stop a war.”
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It was an impossible task, and one I didn't relish tackling while a Valovian general breathed down my neck.
Captain Octavia Zarola feels there's trouble
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on the horizon when top Valovian General Torran Fletcher approaches her with a job. It's been three years of peace between humans and Valovians but Tavi is known as the Hero of Rodeni for her efforts in the war and knows there's still a bounty on her in Valovian space. Why would a Valoff want to hire her as a bounty hunter? Told in all first person point-of-view from Tavi, Hunt the Stars, starts off the new science fiction series Starlight's Shadow about human and Valovian relations and politics. Torran claims that a very valuable family heirloom was stolen from his home and he needs bounty hunter Tavi and her team to search for it. Money has been extremely tight and while Tavi doesn't trust Torran is being completely honest with her, her ship needs repairs and updates and decides to take the contract. Torran was a payday and nothing else. Anything more was far too dangerous.
Told all from Tavi's pov, the reader gets to know her and the humans very well but it left Torran and his crew more in the shadows. I never really felt like I knew Torran and therefore, the romance between Tavi and him didn't move past lust and I had a hard time connecting with him. The first half was slow for me as there wasn't much movement on plot, we do get some world setting and building but there were too many kitchen scenes and while I liked Luna, a pet of Tavi and her crew that is a cross between a fox, ferret, and cat, I was done reading how often Luna wanted to be feed, as it was brought up over and over. The first half has Tavi and her crew tentatively interacting with Torran and his crew as they travel to get to Torran's home in Valovian space. I felt this was stretched out for too long as I wanted more movement on story.
My body demanded satisfaction, but my head warned of danger and my heart wanted more.
The second half did deliver on story movement as some of the mystery behind what Torran hired Tavi to find and why gets slowly revealed. The story advances with more political intrigue and we get a deeper look at the world politics. The main plot is that there was a war between the Federated Human Planets (FHP) and the Valovians and even though there is peace right now, it's not completely settled between them. Having Tavi and Torran on different sides had me ready for some great tension but the one pov hurt this for me because I couldn't delve into Torran's character as much. The relationships ended up feeling lighter and surface. There seem to be many hints at future match-ups between Tavi and Torran's crew members that have me interested to see where they go (Kee the sunshine one on Tavi's crew and Varro the grumpy on Torran's is next in the series).
“My life is mine, but my heart is yours.”
I enjoyed the space setting and the author did a pretty good job filling it out with futuristic weapons, travel, space ships, and the Valoff's telekinetic “powers” to create a scifi mood. Very much at the heart though, is the politics and relationships between everyone. Tavi and her found family crew take most of the emotional spotlight but the last part of the second half have Tavi and Torran starting to act on their attraction (there is one bedroom scene but it is in the last few pages of the story). The last 20% had more of the pace I was looking for and we get action battle scenes, reveals, and more mysteries that will obviously lead into and connect future books in the series. This was a little too slow moving for me and Tavi and Torran's romance didn't quite reach the depth I wanted but with the world building done in this first book, I'm looking forward to the next in the series having the time to deepen the romance. This was an interesting world to visit and with a plot thread that still needs answers, I'll be looking forward to Kee and Varro's story.
“So, we're decided then?” I asked. Everyone nodded, and Torran squeezed my hand with a smile. I grinned. “Then let's go stop a war.”
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LibraryThing member DianaTixierHerald
Entertaining fun, an enjoyable read, delightful characters.
LibraryThing member AmyM3317
Octavia Zarola will do anything to ensure she and her small group of bounty hunters are able to stay afloat. After all, they have been looking out for each other since they served together in the war between the Valovians and Federated Human Planets (FHP).
Times have been tough, and now Tavi is
But as the investigation begins, Tavi learns that the stakes are higher than previously thought, and as the weight of the galaxy hangs in the balance, she'll find an ally in the most unexpected place.
This is the beginning of a new series from Jessie Mihalik and I really think that she's becoming one of the current go-to's for the sci-fi romance genre.
Hunt the Stars works very well as a series opener. There's a lot of initial setup not only of the futuristic world but also of the characters. For me, while the story still held my interest, it takes a bit for it to pick up speed. It's not until over the halfway mark that the actual mystery of Tavi and her crew are hired to find is addressed with more focus. From there the plot takes of running and the consequences of where it leads will be felt across the rest of the series I think.
I love the initial setup between Tavi and Torran. Two people on different sides of a conflict come together years later with a common goal but still without much trust between them. It makes for a good amount of tension. I like seeing how that tension morphs into something more. The invariable twists and turns that come with working with someone you cannot fully trust will cause complications, but I loved seeing how Tavi and Torran moved through those.
While the focus is on Tavi and Torran, Jessie Mihalik sets up the rest of the crews rather nicely. I kind of like that we're already seeing how the others will pair off. I think it makes the build up all the more sweeter as we get into the other books.
Jessie Mihalik is comfortable in a sci-fi futuristic setting and makes readers comfortable too. Nothing is too difficult to grasp and technologies and new species are described with ease. I think her writing is perfect for those wanting to try the sci-fi genre, but are wary of picking up a more complicated tome.
I look forward to the next book and seeing the continuation of the story threads but seeing a different pair of characters pick up the mantle.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Times have been tough, and now Tavi is
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offered a job by none other than Torran Fletcher, a former general and a Valovian. The job is being kept a bit of a mystery, and it means working with a potential enemy and putting her people in harm's way. The money offered is too good to pass up, and Tavi and her team are the considered the best for a reason. But as the investigation begins, Tavi learns that the stakes are higher than previously thought, and as the weight of the galaxy hangs in the balance, she'll find an ally in the most unexpected place.
This is the beginning of a new series from Jessie Mihalik and I really think that she's becoming one of the current go-to's for the sci-fi romance genre.
Hunt the Stars works very well as a series opener. There's a lot of initial setup not only of the futuristic world but also of the characters. For me, while the story still held my interest, it takes a bit for it to pick up speed. It's not until over the halfway mark that the actual mystery of Tavi and her crew are hired to find is addressed with more focus. From there the plot takes of running and the consequences of where it leads will be felt across the rest of the series I think.
I love the initial setup between Tavi and Torran. Two people on different sides of a conflict come together years later with a common goal but still without much trust between them. It makes for a good amount of tension. I like seeing how that tension morphs into something more. The invariable twists and turns that come with working with someone you cannot fully trust will cause complications, but I loved seeing how Tavi and Torran moved through those.
While the focus is on Tavi and Torran, Jessie Mihalik sets up the rest of the crews rather nicely. I kind of like that we're already seeing how the others will pair off. I think it makes the build up all the more sweeter as we get into the other books.
Jessie Mihalik is comfortable in a sci-fi futuristic setting and makes readers comfortable too. Nothing is too difficult to grasp and technologies and new species are described with ease. I think her writing is perfect for those wanting to try the sci-fi genre, but are wary of picking up a more complicated tome.
I look forward to the next book and seeing the continuation of the story threads but seeing a different pair of characters pick up the mantle.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
Octavia runs a small bounty hunting crew that has a good reputation. Most of her crew are former veterans that served with here. Torran Fletcher is a former general that she and her crew fought against. His people have mental powers and are thought to similar to humans. When Torran brings them a
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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job with an amazing price tag the crew agrees to take the job. Of course, the job isn’t what it was first described, and they need to go to his home world. As Octavia’s crew discovers all the real secrets Torran and Octavia grow close. There is a strong romance element in the book so some people might not care for it, but I enjoyed it. The book ends with getting back what they were looking but it doesn’t work out for the crew as they thought it would. I can’t wait to get the next one. Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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LibraryThing member spiritedstardust
This included my favourite set up-
A ballsy woman captain with a motley but loyal crew in a beat up spaceship that need to find money fast. Alongside comes a dubious broody alien man dude who offers $$$ but is sketchy as hell. Alyson warily agrees to take on mission and shenanigans happen along with
Bonus- psychic cat-like pet.
A ballsy woman captain with a motley but loyal crew in a beat up spaceship that need to find money fast. Alongside comes a dubious broody alien man dude who offers $$$ but is sketchy as hell. Alyson warily agrees to take on mission and shenanigans happen along with
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a slow burn romanceBonus- psychic cat-like pet.
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LibraryThing member funstm
Bounty hunter, Captain Octavia Zarola and the crew of her spaceship, Starlight's Shadow have done their time as soldiers and hope to never see another Valoff - the alien race humans have tentatively made peace with after a decade long war. But when they're approached by Valoff General, Torran
I really liked this. Like the novella, Honor and Shadows, the author strikes a good balance between worldbuilding, explanations, character development and plot. I didn't feel overwhelmed by the unfamiliar world or the extensive backstory and most importantly I didn't feel lost by any of it either. The explanations and definitions all unfold organically and the story is all the better for it.
Octavia was awesome. I loved her fierceness and desperate desire to do good and help even when it's not necessarily pragmatic to do so. The friendship between the crew was fantastic and I loved that they were all there for one another. And Luna was hilarious.
The Valoff crew was just as interesting and I was deeply invested in all the relationships developed. Torran was sweet and I loved the way the relationship developed between him and Octavia. The heat between them was steamy but very slow burn. It takes most of the book for them to sort themselves out and I was loving it.
The plot was riveting. I found myself drawn deeper and deeper into the story that 428 pages felt much shorter than you'd think. The complexities of the worldbuilding and the plot were well written and interesting and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
4.5 stars.
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Fletcher and asked to track down a missing ring - the money on offer is too good to pass up. But not all is as it seems and soon Octavia and her crew are neck deep in political manoeuvrings which could see the start of a new war. I really liked this. Like the novella, Honor and Shadows, the author strikes a good balance between worldbuilding, explanations, character development and plot. I didn't feel overwhelmed by the unfamiliar world or the extensive backstory and most importantly I didn't feel lost by any of it either. The explanations and definitions all unfold organically and the story is all the better for it.
Octavia was awesome. I loved her fierceness and desperate desire to do good and help even when it's not necessarily pragmatic to do so. The friendship between the crew was fantastic and I loved that they were all there for one another. And Luna was hilarious.
The Valoff crew was just as interesting and I was deeply invested in all the relationships developed. Torran was sweet and I loved the way the relationship developed between him and Octavia. The heat between them was steamy but very slow burn. It takes most of the book for them to sort themselves out and I was loving it.
The plot was riveting. I found myself drawn deeper and deeper into the story that 428 pages felt much shorter than you'd think. The complexities of the worldbuilding and the plot were well written and interesting and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
4.5 stars.
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LibraryThing member andreas.wpv
Great start, interesting story and characters. Teleportation and mind reading are firmly in the 'fantasy' genre, not scifi.
The story turns more and more into a cheesy romance fantasy with some scifi elements.
The story turns more and more into a cheesy romance fantasy with some scifi elements.
LibraryThing member lexilewords
Holy stars x.x
Everyone knows I'm a fan of Mihalik's - her books are easily auto-buys for me because I know I'm guaranteed a rollicking good time filled with action, banter, sexy fun times and guys who maybe should quit talking while they're ahead.
This beginning of a new series has all the hallmarks
That's all you're getting from me til closer to release.
Everyone knows I'm a fan of Mihalik's - her books are easily auto-buys for me because I know I'm guaranteed a rollicking good time filled with action, banter, sexy fun times and guys who maybe should quit talking while they're ahead.
This beginning of a new series has all the hallmarks
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- kickass female lead, male lead who definitely doesn't know what hit him, secondary chars (most of whom who I bet will be their own books in the over arching plot) with lots of kinetic charisma and of course, impossible odds defeated by stunning competency.That's all you're getting from me til closer to release.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2022-02-01
ISBN
0063051044 / 9780063051041