Audio: Aurora Blazing by Jessie Mihalik

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Series: Consortium Rebellion, Book 2

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 10-01-19

Language: English

Publisher: HarperAudio

Sci fi

In exchange for an honest review

I liked this one even better than book 1! I do enjoy when that happens.

The world is great. I am not going to explain it. Space, rich houses, a war going on. Just a really interesting world building that you need to read about.

Biance is a member of a High House. She was married to an asshat (that is kind, he was an evil inventor). She is a great hacker and uses her talents for good. I liked everything about her, and what a shitty time she had had!

She must find her brother. The sexy chief of security is on her tail to bring her back. Her House is at war.

Action, lots and lots of it. The romance is slow building and has been for years. I did like that they took it easy, I mean she is on the run, he is running too, there are baddies left and right. Who has time to stop for that then.

Narration

Emily Woo Zeller is great and does an amazing job with Bianca and the rest. I like her style and voice. She fits very well in a futuristic world.

The narration does well with non stop action and builds the tension.  A great listen

As the dutiful daughter of High House von Hasenberg, Bianca set aside her personal feelings and agreed to a political match arranged by her family, only to end up trapped in a loveless, miserable marriage. When her husband unexpectedly dies, Bianca vows never to wed again. Newly independent, she secretly uses her wealth and influence to save other women stuck in dire circumstances. Information is power and Bianca has a network of allies and spies that would be the envy of the 'verse-if anyone knew about it.

When her family's House is mysteriously attacked, Bianca's oldest brother, the heir to House von Hasenberg, disappears. Fearful for her brother's life, the headstrong Bianca defies her father and leaves Earth to save him. Ian Bishop, the director of House von Hasenberg security-and Bianca's first love-is ordered to find and retrieve the rebellious woman.

Ian is the last man Bianca wants to see. To evade capture, she leads him on a merry chase across the universe. But when their paths finally collide, she knows she must persuade him to help her. Bianca will do anything to save her sibling, even if it means spending time alone on a small ship with the handsome, infuriating man who once broke her heart.

As the search takes them deep into rival House Rockhurst territory, Bianca must decide if she can trust Ian with the one piece of information that could destroy her completely . . .

Audio: Queen's Gambit - Jessie Mihalik

Narrated by: Rachel Dulude

Series: Rogue Queen Series, Book 1

Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 05-31-19

Language: English

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Sci.fi

I received this book free of charge in exchange for a review

This was a sci.fi novella so things had to happen fast.

Samara is a queen (of course why no one just crushed her world in a day I do not know, it would be so easy). There are those who do not want to fight for the two other empires, and those who just want to escape.

Samara is tough as nails, dubious past, and was elected queen. And now she will save the emperor to get some money out of it, her people need food.

Valentin was, oh I liked him, I am sure he will be a good emperor if he can just get rid of the snakes around him.

Get him out, get him safe, get money. Baddies after them. Friendship blossoming (I hope for more one day too).

It was short and fully fleshed out it would have been even better. But it does work as a novella and there are more to come.

Narration

I did have to up the speed of the narrator to 2.0 cos I felt she was speaking too slowly. I did like her voice, but yes higher speed was needed for me. It might have to do with that this was built as a serial. So there are many moments in it for action and danger.

When the Quint Confederacy and the Kos Empire went to war - again - Queen Samara wisely kept her Rogue Coalition out of the conflict. But staying neutral in a galactic war doesn't pay the bills, not when both sides refuse to trade with neutral sectors.  

With her people on the brink of starvation, Samara hatches a daring plan to snatch the kidnapped Kos Emperor from the Quint mercenaries holding him. The Kos Empire will pay a fortune for their emperor's return, enough to feed the Coalition's citizens while they wait for the return to a begrudging peace.  

But when her plan goes sideways, Samara finds herself evading Quint mercenaries with the very man she intends to capture. And the more time she spends with Valentin Kos, the more she realizes that he's not the coldly indifferent villain she imagined. Torn between duty and desire, Samara must decide if saving her people is worth giving up the one thing she's always wanted.

Audio: Polaris Rising - Jessie Mihalik

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Release date: 02-05-19

Publisher: HarperAudio

Series: Consortium rebellion #1

Sci fi

Thank you Harper for this copy

My Thoughts:

OK so there were no shifters, but dang Marcus was all alpha. In my mind he was a wolf. All growly and possessive. I get that he has to play the tough part, but he also was really tough and scarred and scary.

Maybe I should start at the beginning.

Space. 3 rival houses that rule the universe. Ada, one of six children, ran away so not to be married to an idiot. She was tough before, and got tougher on the run. The Houses train their kids well.

Then she is caught and meets another prisoner. Yes, Marcus. Mr Growl. Hunted killer. A bountyhunters dream catch. I already said he is all alpha and grrrrrrrr. The man has the world on his angry shoulders.

Ada needs to get away. Marcus needs to get away. And the tension between these two are sizzling from page 1. True love? Eh. True lust. Always! I am sure they will live a very happily lustfilled life together.

The world was interesting. The houses. The Consortium. Politics and smiling at your enemy as you prepare to stab them in the back.

Conclusion:

I do want to listen to more from this Verse. A war is coming. I smell blood. And next up is Bianca!

Narrator Emily Woo Zeller

I like the emotions and tension she puts into her narration. I can really feel Ada about to burst. She puts her soul in it.

I liked her other characters too, well except for Ian. He did not sound hot at all, ha, poor Ian. I liked the differences between everyone.

Blurb

As the seventh of nine children, Ada von Hasenberg knows that her only value to House von Hasenberg is as a political pawn in an arranged marriage. But after watching two of her older sisters get auctioned off to horrible men, Ada refuses to play her part. She flees off-planet and disappears for two years.

Ada’s father, fed up with her rebellion, offers a bounty for her safe return. The universe is a big place, but mercs are everywhere, and Ada is caught. With the merc ship full, she’s forced to share a cell with Marcus Loch, the Devil of Fornax Zero. Rumor has it he murdered every commanding officer who issued orders during the Fornax Rebellion. All anyone knows for sure is that the Royal Consortium wants his head.

Ada has no trouble believing the muscled man chained in the back of her cell is a killer. But when their ship is attacked by forces from rival House Rockhurst, Ada must decide whether to trust him—because once you release the devil, you can’t put him back. And when the attack heralds the opening salvo of a much bigger war, Ada must determine where her loyalties truly lie.