Ever since watching Cowboy Beebop, as a teen, I’ve had a special place in my heart for sci-fi crime syndicates. So even though Danger in the Stars is a little older, I couldn’t resist checking out the free sample.
And Veronica Scott’s quality writing had me hooked from the first page.
So did the plight of her main character Miriell, a green-haired alien priestess with psychic powers. Poor Miriell has been kidnapped from her primitive home planet, and now she’s a slave of the Amarotu crime syndicate, forced to use her psychic powers to influence their illegal deals.
Miriell suffers horrendous treatment by her “handler,” and hates using her powers for evil. But she bides her time, waiting for her god Thuun to provide an opportunity for revenge. And when Miriell is rented out to another branch of the syndicate for a special job, she meets bodyguard Connor, whose aura tells her he might be her best chance at changing her fate.
But Connor is more than he seems, and the syndicate is dealing with alien powers far more dangerous than even the top level crime lords. Soon, Miriell and Connor are not only falling in love, they’re hatching a plan to take down the Combine from the inside.
It’s difficult to pull off a main character who manages to be interesting and active while spending the entire story as a prisoner in chains, but Veronica Scott pulled it off. Miriell is a strong and intriguing character, especially in the scenes where she finds ways to sabotage the worst parts of the combine boss’s plans while seeming to comply with her orders.
I also enjoyed Miriell’s maturity level. Many female main characters these days are defiant to the point that their actions and dialogue seem unrealistic to their circumstances. Don’t get me wrong, I love fierce FMC’s even when it’s not realistic. But it was refreshing to meet Miriell, a strong FMC who didn’t explode in angry tirades, but instead influenced her situation in a subtle way that required patience, perseverance, and emotional maturity.
All in all, this space romance did not disappoint, with just the right amount of gang politics, action, romantic tension, and spicy scenes. And the sweet HEA ending wraps up the characters’ love story in a satisfying way while leaving plenty of room for more adventures in the intriguing world of The Sectors series.
I’d recommend Danger In the Stars to any reader who enjoys romance with a dose of sci-fi adventure. I’m definitely going to add more of Veronica Scott’s work to my TBR.
