If you enjoy a heavier emphasis on romance in your fantasy readings, you'll probably enjoy this book. If you enjoyed the characters and/or romance in A Promise of Fire , you'll probably enjoy this book. If you enjoy storylines featuring spaceships and space pirates, rebel forces against a dictator ruler, and bounty hunters Star Wars-meets-Robin-Hood style, you'll probably enjoy this book.

Amanda Bouchet is just one of those authors I'll always read. She writes predictable, guilty-pleasure romance pairs, feisty female characters, spunky secondary characters, and familiar plot lines. All in all, it's a comforting experience that you know what to expect when you pick up an Amanda Bouchet book.

The potential downside to this, of course, is that if you've read her past works and weren't a fan, you might be hard-pressed to feel differently about Nightchaser because in many respects, the similarities are hard to ignore. Tess has the same spunk and scoffing inner narrative as Cat from A Promise of Fire , as does the sexual attraction and banter between Tess and Shade mirror Cat's and Griffin's. Tess also shares a similar burden as Cat as they both run from the ghosts of their pasts, only to learn they must come to terms with their true identities if they're to do what they're being called to do.

THE GOOD
1) Character diversity. I saw it, and so did you. I'll give a round of applause to Amanda Bouchet for clearly calling attention to her diverse characters without being painfully obnoxious about it. That also might be because she had me at the character of Big Guy, who I can't stop seeing as Idris Elba.

2) When there's action, it's interesting. Starship fights, black holes, chases in space with zero gravity and damaged space suits, gun shootouts, unexpected confrontations.

3) Bonks the cat.

4) Tess and the character of her partner Jaxon are given enough backstory with their cruel time in the mines to give their platonic relationship depth and emotion.

5) Tess is a fairly fleshed-out character. Her inner narratives -- while numerous and lengthy -- certainly lend us insight into her thought process as well as convince us of the dry, sarcastic exterior she embodies as a gal who's been roughened around the edges. Her fierce loyalty to her crew are demonstrated each time she throws herself into risky scenarios to protect those she loves.

6) My brother is in the military. Unless he's on duty, he does not wear his uniform. Not for air travel, not off base. He tells me about the off-duty guys who voluntarily do wear their uniforms off base at airports or for funsies, often because they enjoy the attention they receive from civilians. I actively dislike this, and so does my brother. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

"A lot of the men and women who joined the galactic military wore their uniforms all the time because it gave them a power trip—always knowing people would get out of their way, say they were right, and look at them like they were a sight."

THE BAD
1) Let's be honest -- after the initial space shootout and the crew lands on Albion 5 in chapter four, the book lingers on the sexual tension between Tess and Shade from the 10% mark all the way to the 63% mark. Scenes of action and intrigue could have been added in that segment to further the engagement with the story -- Tess is wandering around a planet system with an enormous bounty on her head, after all. Shouldn't both the characters and the reader feel that constant but subtle tension and wariness of Tess being caught? -- but true to Bouchet's style, the book amps up the sexual cat-and-mouse chittering instead. Missed opportunity there.

2) Because let's be honest again -- Shade's and Tess's chemistry cannot carry the book. Their respective physical appearances aren't described in much detail, surprisingly, but it's also difficult to pinpoint what about their characters uniquely appears to the other in such a raw, visceral way. The book never quite answers what about Shade speaks to her in a way that either challenges her tough exterior, complements a crucial character trait that she lacks, or stands out to her in a way she finds alluring. Similarly, Shade doesn't seem to admire Tess for more than her scowls, her sexual naivete, and the fact that she's hiding something.

3) Thin character/plot holes. Characters like Susan, Gabe, Shade's loan shark, all of District 8 Planet 8, and even Solan & Raquel are introduced or mentioned, but are sadly under-utilized. The Loan Shark, for example, could have been a telling insight in Shade's character motivations but he appears only once on page. Bounty hunters Solan and Raquel could have been very real and present threats throughout the book but were relegated to occasional appearances that failed to bring the same sense of urgency and desperation.

4) There were at least two parts in my ARC where I had to reread the passage and wonder if there was a missing paragraph that explained the significance of a segment. Minor, true, but it still jarred me from the reading momentum a bit.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The book doesn't end in an outright cliffhanger but it's clear that we are far from done with the story. We have some potential big reveals into truths behind the Overseer, next steps for Tess's crew, and hints at how the stakes will be raised.

I'd say this was a good read! Predictable, perhaps, but still a good read. What prevents this from being a four or five star is the lack of compelling character development and the sluggish pace of the book. It'd be an easy and entertaining read for those who like Bouchet's other works, but I wouldn't rave too ecstatically about it.

Amazing read and a great beginning to what I know will be a wonderful series! Loved the storyline and characters...can’t wait for the next book!

Hm. Hm hm hm.

First of all, this is EXTREMELY similar in plot/character structure to Bouchet's Fire trilogy. The male protagonist is a bit different, but everything else is kind of...the same. EXCEPT IN SPACE! I'm not joking. At a certain point, I hemmed and hawed about whether I should even finish, because hadn't I read this before, but set in a fantasy land? I had. Nonetheless, I kept on.

I'm glad I did. I don't think it ever veered too far from the Fire structure, but I got to a point where I just HAD to KNOW how it would play out in this book, considering the Shade situation. I don't want to say too much, for fear of spoilers, so if that seems vague, shrug. Also, I'm just SUPER into space opera right now. Honestly.

I think at this point I can say that a) I'll be reading the next book in the series and b) I'm thinking I can recommend this to romance readers at the library. I don't read a lot of sci-fi romance, but I know this will have readers. Possibly more readers than her first series, even though I adored that one.

Loved it! I read the previous series from Ms. Boucher and could not conceive that I would enjoy a SciFi book. I’ve never been a huge fan of the genre, but for this author I would give it a try. The storyline was fascinating an well thought out, making it very easy to read for a skeptic like me. The main characters were both very alpha-like which I enjoyed, and the secondary characters all had back stories that kept me interested and invested, as I know that hopefully this will lead to spinoffs!
All in all, Amanda has another winner in my book.

This book took me by surprise. When I started it I had no idea that I would be reading late into the night, not able to put it down. Tess, as the main character, is a strong-willed woman and her shipboard mates wonderfully portrayed. The plot line is interesting and I can't wait for the next book. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

True rating: 4.5 stars

Why I picked up this book:

I was strolling around Twitter when I saw a tweet from the author that her ARC was on NetGalley. I’d read her story Breath of Fire some time back and really liked the blend of romance and fantasy, so of course I jumped right on this. Admittedly… with some hesitation though. Her previous book dropped me off a cliff at the end, a small pet peeve of mine. But this time I really wanted to try her voice again and cross my fingers that the story had a full, standalone arc. So I snagged this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain spoilers.

What I loved:

Loved Shade’s character. He’s such a fantastic blend of badass mercenary and self-torture to the point of standing in his own way. I would love to see more of this character or even take a trip into his origin story.

I’m probably against popular opinion here, but I adored Bridgebane. This is another character I wanted a lot more of, especially learning about his stronger ties at the end. I have my suspicions about him, but I’ll keep this a spoiler free zone.

When the action intensified in this story, it really pulled me in by the throat. I’d be chugging along, things would heat up, and several chapters would fly by as I’d be fully immersed in the story.

Areas needing a touch of refinement:

But… while the action snared me, the overall story structure left me scratching my head. Instead of building the action and tension, the story started with a bang, went dry, then sort of did this roller coaster of exciting/dry. It’s really noticeable from about the 60% point forward where the tension is heightened, deflated, heightened, deflated. Then by the time they’re all back to the ship, the story feels done, and yet there are still several more chapters of characters puttering around. In all honesty, the last several chapters aren’t even necessary, but I am happy to report this story had a full open/close arc and that made me super happy and excited for book 2.

So, this is totally a how I read thing, but at times the narrative was too deep inside Tess’ head. While it’s great to know what she’s feeling, I honestly could have done without half of her internal narrative and the story would have moved along a lot smoother.

I also really wanted more of Shade. His character was great, and honestly his internal battle felt a lot stronger. What I really noticed though was times in the story where a chapter closed with Tess and organically it felt like we should move back into Shade’s head, but it didn’t. So I’d be reading more Tess but wondering where the heck Shade was and why we weren’t there with him.

Overall:

The truth is, I enjoyed this story immensely and it really got me excited to read more of Bouchet’s work. Tess and Shade are a great heroine/hero pair and play off one another nicely, both in their anger and their sizzling sexual tension. I’m so happy this book works as a great standalone, but I’m definitely looking forward to book 2, more about the Fold, and of course saving the one who got away. 🙂

Loved this new series from Amanda and am certainly looking for more to come. Read in one sitting. Excellent.

I stumbled across this author with her Kingmaker series and while the two series have some very similar vibes (heroine driven, something special about her, draws people in, parental issues, etc), I liked Nightchaser, the story and her cast of characters more. It was a fun sci-fi/fantasy space tale reminiscent of Star Wars with rebels fighting the dark side, in this case an Overseer and the Dark Watch. It drew me in quickly and sunk its teeth in and I ended up reading it in one sitting. Looking forward to what happens next.

This book was provided free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

<b> Some ends are just a new beginning.... </b>

A sci-fi romance with space pirates, fans of Amanda Bouchet’s previous work will enjoy this story.

Tess is a space pirate, stealing goods from the rich and giving them to the poor. She has had a traumatic childhood, and her crew is her family. After a narrow escape, her ship is in dire need off repairs. They land on a nearby plant to lay low where she meets the mysterious Shade, who can help her with repairs.

Bouchet’s strength of writing interesting secondary characters excels here. I really liked Jax, and felt like his relationship with Tess, while not romantic, was far more meaningful than Shade’s. I also really liked Bridgebane but I’m a sucker for a villain with a motive.

The world building was imaginative. It’s in a sci-fi setting, but there are different cultures in each section. I really liked the idea of a highly technical world having a religion, some are devout, others are not.

The story starts off in the middle of the action. It unfortunately loses its momentum when they land for repairs. It does pick up the pace by the end, but the story is really stalled in the middle.

Tess’s POV is first person, but Shade’s is third person. The changes in the narrative were jarring, I think it would have been better to have either third person POV or chapter titles with the character name and stay in first person POV.

If you have read Bouchet’s other series and didn’t care for the romance, you might want to borrow this book before committing to buy. Shade isn’t quite the alphahole that Griffin was, but there’s an instant attraction between the two main characters that’s similar to Cat and Griffin.

While this book does not end on a cliffhanger, it does set up the stage for an interesting next story. I am intrigued in what will happen next and will be continuing the series.

<i> I received this ARC through Netgalley and the opinions are my own. </i>

Another amazing book that sucked me in until I binged it in ONE SITTING! It felt good to be sucked into a story like that again.

Nightchaser is full of twists and turn, romance, deception, and action. Ah, the action! I caught myself holding my iPad inches from my nose so many times eagerly and anxiously reading through certain scenes, my heart pounding and nerves racing as I tried to keep from reading too fast for my brain to keep up.

Not only did the story keep me engaged, but so did the characters. Tess is not the typical 'strong female' swing first/shoot first/stab first archetype that I know and love. She has weaknesses that she displays openly. She's uncertain at times, especially where other people are concerned, but it doesn't stop her from putting herself out there and taking risks time and again. It also doesn't stop her from taking full control when people she cares about are in danger.

She has a few moments of childlike curiosity and innocence when experiencing new things which I thing tug on Shade's protective 'caveman' instincts and turns him into a right cinnamon roll when he's trying to be cold hearted. They're dynamic was really enjoyable to watch unfold. especially towards the climactic ending, though I love how the story took a moment to settle a few things down a little bit afterwards instead of leaving off shortly after the action wrapped up.

Can't wait for the sequel!

I received this novel from net galley and the publisher. Thank you!
I read Ms. Bouchet's Kingmaker Chronicles and I was looking forward to her next novel. I was not disappointed! She weaves a great tale, leaving you wanting for more.
Captain Tess Bailey has been causing trouble for throughout the galaxy. Tess and her crew are wanted for stealing vaccination drugs from the Overseer. Tess had a rough childhood, which shaped her into the woman she is now. Tess discovers what the drugs really, which has to do with her past. However, her ship needs repairs and she along with her crew need to stay under the radar. Tess meets Shade Ganavan, whom she goes to to get the parts needed to fix her ship. Shade has his own secrets but the chemistry between Shade and Tess is hard to deny. Shade knows Tess is running from something and he is a bounty hunter. He becomes torn between the money offered for her and the drugs and what he begins to feel for her. Shade made mistakes in the past. As Shade and Tess grow closer, danger from all sides begins their ascent. However, the past always catches up with the present and both Shade and Tess will have some difficult choices to make. I cannot wait to read the next novel in the series!

This first in a series from Fantasy Romance author, Amanda Bouchet, NIGHTCHASER (Endeavor #1) blasts onto the scene as a very enjoyable science fiction romance. Captain Tess Bailey and her crew are rebel fighters who take from the wealthy but most especially, the seriously evil Overseer who rules their universe with an iron and deadly fist. Pursued by the dreaded enforcers known as the Dark Watch, they make a heart stopping seemingly impossible narrow escape limping to Albion 5 to repair their ship which has some extremely precious stolen cargo. Tess meets the enigmatic and decidedly handsome Shade Ganavan who while helping to repair her ship, steals his way into her heart. Just as Tess has many secrets and a mission to protect not only her crew, but the place she calls home, Shade is holding back critical information as well.

During their rebel activities, Tess and her crew come across something which might be a huge game changer determining the outcome of a looming war to take down the totalitarian government run by the Overseer. This federation in space known as the Dark comprised of star systems and Sectors may have peace; however, that enforced harmony comes at the price of total domination and a world washed of much of what makes the spirit soar including literature, art, and even colors other than drab browns, grey, and black.

Shade’s attraction to Tess runs deep which puts him in an almost untenable dilemma. If he gives in to his heart, then Shade may just be throwing away everything he has been working for including making some questionable choices to achieve an intensely desired goal. Tess has strong feelings for Shade as well that could get in the way of some very difficult decisions she has to make as a rebel captain with many relying on her for their future survival.

Tess and Shade’s story combines all the best qualities of a thrill ride space epic including gripping action and heart pounding adventures, interwoven with an overarching love story that adds heart and heat. This story works well on several levels for readers who enjoy not only romance, but Science Fiction with adrenaline-charged outer space exploits. Ms. Bouchet’s well-crafted tale and excellent writing make me quite happy as a reader to go on this literally stellar journey with strong characters, an exciting story, and exhilarating possible outcomes to see how the adventure will continue in the next book of the series.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wanted criminal and captain of a Robin Hood-esque group of misfits, Tess Bailey lives a life of adventure, danger, and excitement. After a heist gone wrong, Tess finds herself a little too close to capture for comfort. Taking shelter on an outlying planet to patch her ship and figure out her next move, she soon meets fellow rogue, the handsome and arrogant Shade Ganavan. Despite their immediate attraction, however, the two have much more baggage keeping them from each other than either realizes.

After finishing Bouchet's "A Promise of Fire", and totally loving it, I was pretty much on board for reading anything new by the author. The fact that she was releasing a new book described as Robin Hood in space? Hells yeah, I'm interested. Unfortunately, despite Bouchet's stellar imagination, this story fell a bit flat for me.

First and foremost, I found Tess to be a tad too trusting and naive. Why a WANTED CRIMINAL such as herself would trust anyone new after a heist as big as the one her team just pulled off was beyond me. Also, I just cannot understand why she wouldn't find a way to make sure there wasn't an enormous bounty on her head after being nearly caught by the authorities? Someone who has gone through as much as she has should not be so gullible or careless. While, yes, her lightness and innocence was appealing, I just couldn't get over these other traits to like her.

Additionally, I found Shade to be a bit bland and stereotypical. We've all seen the arrogant charmer a million times, and there really wasn't anything innovative about his character. I admired how he truly seemed to care for Tess, but wish his character had a bit more oompf. Of course, it doesn't help that the author introduces an attractive, near-superhuman badass BEFORE Shade, and got me all interested in him first (I mean, really).

Lastly, I dislike how little attention Bouchet gave the secondary characters. Tess' crew was initially very intriguing, and I truly felt their presence would have added a lot more to the story. I would have loved to see more camaraderie among the crew, as well as more of a background the their respective characters. Admittedly, this is only the first book, and we may very well see more of them, but I would have liked more in this installment.

Regardless, Nightchaser was a fun, action-packed novel I definitely enjoyed reading, and anyone looking for an exciting space-opera or science fiction adventure will devour this book in one sitting!

3/5

I loved Amanda's previous series, the Kingmaker Chronicles, and didn't think she could write anything that could top it for me, but I think she has done it with Nightchaser. This book is everything I didn't know I needed in a book and more.

Tess is an absolutely fascinating character, with so much history and depth, and her crew are just as interesting and unusual. Shade is a complex character, with a lot of layers to him, and you only really start to discover a bit more about him towards the end of the book. I really love that this is a dual perspective book, but mainly focuses on Tess' perspective, but it allows you to understand the complicated situation Shade finds himself in.

The fight for the galaxy and Tess' desire to help people is incredibly moving, and I can't help but root for Tess' success, I just hope she doesn't make the wrong choices along the way.

Book 1 hasn't even been released yet and I'm already desperate to get my hands on book 2... it's going to be a long wait.

Wow. Although I loved Amanda Bouchet’s Kingmaker chronicles I was a bit unsure about this new sci-fi series. Boy, was I mistaken. It is one of the best books I have read this year and I cannot wait for the next part of the adventure. The characters are well developed, the storyline exciting and the chemistry between the two main characters is off the scale.

Captain Tess Bailey is on the run, having stolen a space lab from the Overseer. She is discovered by a vicious military general who wants her and the crew captured, dead or alive, To escape, Tess makes a daredevil escape. She lands to make repairs and meets Shade Ganavan, who promises to fix the ship. Sparks fly and they build an unlikely friendship. Unfortunately, the alluring Shade is also an intergalactic bounty hunter who is faced with the difficult decision of bringing in the highest bounty of his life or letting the intriguing Tess go.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

I cant even start a review without acknowledging the elephant that I personally felt on every single page of this story: for anybody that enjoyed Bouchet’s Fire trilogy- “Nightchaser” feels like Griffin and Cat changed their hair and skin and transported themselves to outer space. (Plucky, selfless heroine hiding under alias? Evil parents and a screwed up childhood? Super sexy supportive hero? Check, check, check.) And hey- I loved, loved the first two books in her previous trilogy and an author having a distinctive voice is never a bad thing, so maybe similarities in plot can be seen as good by some. But, personally, I felt the third book in the Fire trilogy was redundant and the author left a lot of secondary characters and plots dangling without any satisfactory close which made for a rather distasteful reading experience. (How oh how was her next published book not about Kate, Carver or Flynn? What a horrible decision.) My point for mentioning this? When the similarities between stories are so glaring, so too are the emotions one had when reading both and, unfortunately, that meant I approached this new novel very warily.

Upon opening this book, you’re dumped right into the action. Heroine’a big secret identity reveal was made before the percentage on my kindle reached the double digits. There’s talk about vials and plants and vaccines that frankly didn’t make a whole lot of sense at first, but we’re on a ship, our captain is a chick, and we’re strapping in. The dude I had wanted to be the hero was quickly replaced by a younger, lighter skinned dude who was quite obviously the hero. Nothing amazing in his characterization. He’s been found in hundreds of historical, contemporary and fantasy romances and unfortunately nothing was done to make him singular. Same goes for the captain, Tess. Strong and capable- I had no specific complaints, she just seemed... vanilla. I’ve seen this character before, too. The story jumps between third (Hero)and first (Heroine) person POV. I didn’t like that, at all. Plot wise it was solid and if you count yourself a fan of both romance and the tv show “Firefly” I expect you’ll like it. I personally did not.

2.5 stars rounding to 3. I received an ARC for honest review.