Crownchasers (Crownchasers #1)

If I could give a minus 5 stars on this novel, I would. The story is filled with curses, drinking and sex. Not a prude. But when an author relies on the word ass (not a curse but stupid) three times in less than a page, I wonder if she knows any decent words. The English language is filled with great and offbeat words. The heroine is disgusting. Can\’t root for her in the Crownchasers quest. The author thinks she\’s funny and quirky, but she comes off as plain dumb. Don\’t know how this book got published. Oh, it will appeal to the mindless, glued-to-the-tablet young people. But to an adult who loves YA and middle reader books, this is dreadful. Not recommended in any galaxy.

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.] 5 stars – Outstanding! Excellent! Perfect! Stellar! As things stand today, this will be my favorite book of 2020. This is EXACTLY the sort of story I enjoy. If I could give more than five stars, I would. And if I hadn\’t had other things I needed to read, I probably would have started this over immediately after finishing it. This stars a strong female lead who is (literally) charting her own course, walking away from her expected path. Alyssa is irreverent and impulsive, and I loved her. The science fiction story with the race to the finish plot felt familiar, although I couldn\’t place exactly what this reminds me of. This isn\’t a kill-the-competition sort of race. And Alyssa is more about putting the right person in charge rather than winning at all costs. For her, doing the right thing (by her own moral code) is primary. There are some fantastic ensemble moments that I loved, too. The ending was stunning. I finished this at 2am and was at a loss because there was no one to share the awesomeness with. (Except myself. I immediately ordered a print copy of the book.) I need book 2 in my hands right this very minute. Highly recommend!! (Language, LGBTQ+, space violence – blasters, space battles, etc.)

In the tradition of It\’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Crownchasers takes us on a rip-roaring adventure with competitors from the prime families of the galactic empire racing to find the imperial seal and claim the throne. Alliances, betrayals, and interlopers complicate the high stakes game, which isn\’t supposed to be deadly — but might end up leaving bodies in its wake all the same. Our heroine, Alyssa Farshot, niece of the late emperor — from whom we get the quote that summarizes the book: \”It\’s cut-throat politics but it\’s also wacky fun\” — does not want to win the race or find the prize. But she also doesn\’t want to keep drunkenly hooking up with her engineer, Hell Monkey, and yet … it is what it is. Alyssa thinks she has the perfect solution to duck the responsibilities of leadership, if only leadership will stop thrusting itself upon her. This was a super fun book, full of voice and snark and heart. And P.S. — Don\’t underestimate the mediabot.

Great story and fast read for those looking to get immersed in a space novel. I wasn\’t so sure after the first couple of chapters if I was going to like the pacing of the book, but once the universe was established it took off and I was done before I knew it! There are lots of characters but with a few backstory chapters sprinkled in and the way the narrative switches around you get to feel like you know them quite well throughout. Layers of metaphors are offered for those who have been around the sun a few times; space station hiding holes from youth that are disrupted by the burden of responsibility and the like. I was impressed with how much I connected with reckless imaginary space royalty (because I am none of those things). I particularly liked how there was empathy for the \”villain\” which makes it feel more relatable to the human experience. It keeps you guessing the whole way through!

This 72 year old Grandma loved this book and couldn’t put it down. May be a young adult book but any age who loved the Star Wars, Star Trek excitement and imagination would love this book. Can’t wait for the next book !,

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