Book Title: Hunt the Stars
Author: Jessie Mihalik
Series Title: Starlight’s Shadow
Stars: 4/5

Spoilers Ahead!

Hunt the Stars is the first book in the new Starlight’s Shadow series by Jessie Mihalik. It is a space opera – some space, some villainous plot to destroy worlds or start a war, and of course the deep attraction between sworn enemies. Everything you would expect from a solidly written space-adventure-romance. 

Octavia – Tavi – Zarola is captain of her ship. Flying with the remaining members of her squad from the war, she is now a bounty hunter living on the fringes of space. The war is still a painful scar for Tavi and her tiny crew. Peace may have been decreed between the Human Federation and alien Valoff’s, but Tavi knows entering their space is not a healthy choice. 

Unfortunately, creds are tight, the ship needs repairs and the best payday she can get is tied to her sworn enemy, former General Torran Fletcher. Convinced to accept the job of object retrieval from the powerful Valoff psychic, Tavi soon learns that everything is really a lie. It is not some heirloom ring that has been stolen from Torran’s mansion, but his nephew. And it wasn’t random chance that Tavi was brought deep into Valoff space. She is about to be sacrificed as the scapegoat for the kidnapping – unless, she can rescue the boy first. Of course working with Torran is a challenge. The once enemy is powerful and caring, a dangerous combination for any romance novel heroine. 

The writing is fun. The story is a romp. The trops are real. I love the way that aliens are so conveniently humanoid – they wouldn’t be good characters in a romance otherwise. And as aliens they need to be slightly different from humans. So obviously the Valoff are a little taller and thinner, with sculpted cheekbones and well defined abs. Think space Elves. And since we are thinking about space elves, they should have a power. The Valoff are psychics – telepathy and telekinesis. But wait, there should be more, a cultural difference. Honour. Yes, they are honourable – deeply. It is the code that they follow to the death. It is also based on military ideals. So to summarize, the Valoffs are space elves, with abs and psychic abilities following the romanticized feudal Japan Shogun code of honour and sacrifice. It is fun, not really new, but still fun. 

Like the last space opera series by Jessie Mihalik, each book will follow a different couple. In Starlight’s Shadow, it looks like the individual books will center around different members of Tavi’s crew. All of them have emotional scars from the war. All of them appear to be attracted to Valoffs from Torran’s personal entourage. Weaving between the stories is a larger plot about manipulation between the Human Federation and Valoff Empire and the possibility of a new war on the horizon. 

Hunt the Stars is a fun read. I will totally borrow the next book from the library. Overall, I give Hunt the Stars 4 out of 5 stars.