A space princess on the run and a notorious outlaw soldier become unlikely allies in this imaginative, sexy space opera adventure—the first in an exciting science fiction trilogy.

In the far distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three High Houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her High House is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.

Ada eluded her father’s forces for two years, but now her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.

When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiancé captures her, she’ll become a political prisoner and a liability to her House. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.

But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive Devil, you may lose more than you bargained for . . .

Tracy recommended this series to me. It took me several days to read it, but I think that had more to do with my current state of mind than the book.

Ada von Hasenberg fled Earth rather than be forced into a marriage she didn’t want. She’s been on the run for two years, until a Mercenary crew finds her and attempts to drag her back to her father. When the man she was supposed to marry turns up to “claim” her, she knows something is wrong. The son of a rival house, Richard Rockhurst was a good political match, but no one Ada wanted to marry. She escapes with the help of another prisoner, notorious criminal Marcus Loch, and sets out to discover why Richard is so insistent that they marry. It’s obvious he wants something, and Ada is determined to discover what it is.

I really liked the constant action, and I enjoyed how self-sufficient Ada was. She was capable and daring, which worked well given her circumstances. She as also extremely loyal to her House, despite how poorly her father treated her. All the von Hasenberg siblings are close, and she does what she does for them. But I still liked how she wanted to help her House. I did struggle with the romance. I never really felt like Loch and Ada connected outside of the physical. Frankly I was surprised when they made long-term commitments to each other. I didn’t feel like they were read for “I Love You” in any way. I also didn’t get a good feel for Loch away from Ada. The first-person narration worked against the story there. We didn’t see enough emotion or explanation for why he acted the way he did.

I did like the overall storyline, the secondary characters and the action. But parts of the novel felt unfinished to me. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Consortium Rebellion