Just today, someone asked me how many space romances there could possibly be. I told them I had read three in the last couple of months and then I remembered I hadn’t finished my review of Nightchaser. Teresaelectro sold me on this one, and she was right, it’s a good read.
Captain Tess Bailey starts out in danger, and ends the book in danger, and a whole lot happens in between. Bouchet injects some freshness into the familiar world of humans in space. There is an evil empire with a charismatic leader* and a band of misfits fighting back and trying to keep hope alive in the universe. Tess is a combination scoundrel space captain and dedicated rebel – a true blend of Han Solo and Leia Organa.
There is a particular reason that Tess can never be a true scoundrel, but she makes a great rebel. Her crew is loyal, which makes sense when you find out how they came together.
This isn’t a perfect book. It will be interesting to see where the series goes. I’m looking forward to it.
SPOILER discussion about Miko. I am white and I am not comfortable making a judgement about the portrayal of a character with an Asian name, who may or may not have been of Asian descent (in space). I also am not a survivor of sexual violence and don’t feel comfortable speaking for that group. However, I wasn’t comfortable that she was the character who died by violence.
*I just saw Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and I don’t understand how creepy melty-face Palpatine was able to lead the empire while being creepy and melty-faced. There are certain things that needed to happen in order for TROS to end the way it did and I just don’t see it.