Stevie‘s review of Nightchaser (Endeavor, Book 1) by Amanda Bouchet
Science Fiction Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 01 Jan 19
I’m very partial to space opera, particularly when it features a diverse cast of outlaws racing across the galaxy to right wrongs and escape the bad guys – who are usually the ones in charge of stuff, just to complicate everything nicely – so this book by a new-to-me author looked like it could be a starting point of exactly the series I was looking for. Promisingly, the leader of our ragtag band of misfits is female, albeit young, straight, white and able-bodied, while the rest of her crew and allies covers a wide scope when it comes to age, race, sexuality, and (dis)ability.
Tess Bailey, Captain of the Endeavor, is hiding out with her crew in a distant and dangerous area of space, hoping to recharge their ship’s engines before transporting a stolen laboratory and the vaccines they believe it contains to a rebel outpost – and before the galaxy’s ruling military forces track them down – when they are discovered by not just any military cruiser, but by one commanded by Tess’ uncle, right-hand-man to the Galactic Overseer: Tess’ long-estranged father. In a last-ditch attempt to escape, Tess devises a risky manoeuvre, which results in the ship being flung across the galaxy to a relatively safe outpost.
Once there, Tess’ search for spare parts in order to make the ship space-worthy once again brings her into contact with Shade Ganavan, who seems able to supply whatever Tess might need and carry out the repairs as well. Shade, however, is rather more shady than just a dealer in objects that may have been acquired legitimately or might, in fact, have fallen off the back of someone else’s consignment…
While Tess and Shade are busy getting to know each other, in between fixing up the Endeavor, their respective enemies are closing in, and word also comes through that some of Tess’ friends are in the sort of trouble that requires her to deliver that cargo of stolen medical supplies that caused all the bother in the first place rather sooner than she was expecting. Meanwhile, word has got out to various bounty hunters that Tess is worth rather a lot of money to interested parties, and they too begin to close in on her.
Although I liked the basic premise of this story, and relished the prospect of such a diverse crew as we are introduced to in the early part of the story, I felt that far too much of the plot revolved around the other young, white, able-bodied, heterosexual members of the cast alongside Tess, with the others disappearing into the background except when someone was required to be killed, injured, or kidnapped. Hopefully this trend won’t continue through the rest of the series, as I’d like to know where the various plot threads are headed.
Grade: C
Read Veena’s review here.
Summary:
Tess Bailey: the galaxy’s Most Wanted.
Captain Tess Bailey is in deep trouble. She and her crew are on the run, pursued by a tyrant who’ll take them dead or alive. Tess’s best hope is a tall, dark, and much-too-appealing stranger, Shade Ganavan, who says he can help her. But his motivations are far from clear…Shade Ganavan: arrogance, charm…and that special something that makes you want to kick him.
With the dreaded Dark Watch closing in, what Tess and Shade don’t know about each other might get them killed…unless they can set aside their differences and learn to trust each other before it’s too late.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
