This book is a fun ride and delivers what it promises - a romp through the galaxy’s seedy underbelly with two refreshingly less-than-perfect main characters in a nicely star-wars-esque fashion, without ripping anything off. The prose at the very beginning was a little wordy and clunky, but soon relaxed into a nice style. What dampened the experience for me was that there was very little of an overarching plot, and it felt like we were mostly going back and forth to the same locations without much larger progression or tension building towards the end. Even in the face of saving a planet and by extension the galaxy from inter-species war, the stakes were floppy and low. Although I did appreciate the attempt at an alternative and interestingly (perhaps) more realistic take on romance, the motivation driving their choices didn’t feel particularly meaningful. Overall, the bones of a really great space opera were all there, but they could have done so much more with what they had!

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me. Stereotypical Han Solo copycat of a main character. Every woman is falling at his feet. Typical carbon cut-out redhead FMC. The writing is solid and easy to read, but the storyline itself felt rushed at the beginning. I didn't have time to care about the conflict or the characters, and I just wasn't having a good time with it. To be honest, it felt too much like a plucky punch at old school sci-fi, almost like a riff of the classic characterization of the "bad boy" and "grumpy girl". I was hoping for a fresh take in a genre I love dearly. Galaxy Grifter just did not land for me.

However, if someone is looking for a cut-and-paste science fiction with spaceships, cocky MMCs, frowny but beautiful FMCs and a simple story, this might scratch the itch! I hate to use the word shallow, but that's how this felt.

Galaxy Grifter
by A. Zaykova
Science Fiction
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Jun. 3 2025
Orbit
Ages: 16+

Levi has low moral standards. As a thief, con artist, blackmailer, and plain out a-hole, he has no problems using someone to get what he wants, then leave them in a pod to float in space. But when forced to accompany space pirates to the edge of space to steal the contents of a cargo ship, he is able to grab some 'memory' cards when the job goes bad, leaving the pirates behind.

Needing someone to read the cards, he finds Vera on Blackjack, a planet 'on the wrong side of the tracks'. Hoping she'd make enough to pay off the local 'gangsters', and even though everyone told her to stay away from Levi, (everyone calls him the Weasel for a reason), Vera accepts.


For some reason, the blurb led me to believe this story was going to have some humor... Nope, my bad. And thankfully, it was also wrong with the 'sexual tension'. I didn't see any of that... Sure, things happened, but it was being closed doors, and was more like 'one-night stand' than tension.

The chapters were split between Levi's and Vera's third-person POVs, and the author did a good job keeping them separate, though a few times it took a page or two before it was clear who was talking. I did not like Levi; he's the worst of the 'mostly' non-violent creeps, and Vera is too trusting, even though her father left her indebted to 'gangsters'.

As for the plot, it wasn't bad, but once again the blurb was off, and the story was more centered on Levi's creepy behavior than the more important issue. Sure, his character was unique, but my dislike for him could be one of the reasons I didn't like the story that much. The same could be said about Vera. She was just too trusting when at the same time she could come across as a b.... I can get 'playing a role' to protect oneself, but she was just too naive.

I feel that there's history missing, along with descriptions of the characters and settings. Knowing more about the aliens, tech, and other space things: when, where, and how they were discovered, would add a layer of depth that would draw the reader deeper into the story. There were also jumps in the timeline without a lot of definition.

Not bad, but also not great. There were some really flat chapters that felt like last-minute additions, and the ending... eh. I'm not really interested in reading the next book in this series.

Barely reached...

2 Stars

Read this book if you're still mad about the loss of Firefly! It's got the casual space travel, piratic endeavors, and complicated relationships you missed, but with a morally gray asshole MMC and a scrappy redheaded programmer FMC who can put him in his place. No spoilers here, but prepare for whiplash whenever you think you have a character figured out. I can confidently say you'll love to hate Levi and be rooting for Vera by the end. I'm ready for book two, and this one isn't even out!

ARC from Netgally, review is my own.

Two people get tangled up in increasingly dangerous situations in this fast-paced, action packed space heist book.

Levi is both charming and aggravating. Driven by his own desires to a fault, yet occasionally plagued by his conscience. He gets himself in and out of trouble often and in a big way which is entertaining to watch, but sometimes hard to like.

Vera is too talented to be working in her late father’s bar under the mafia's thumb. She makes her decisions confidently because she believes in her own talents and it’s easy to root for her to succeed.

As exciting as the action is, most of this book left me wanting more depth. The world building is light and the writing has a tendency to summarize a scene instead of showing it. It didn’t work for me personally, but will probably appeal to people who prefer action over backstory.

It’s also a little light on character development. They just kept making the same decisions to trust and betray each other in a vicious cycle. I needed more of an insight into their feelings and motivations behind the decisions in order to fully invest in them as characters or a couple. The romantic subplot fell flat for me. I couldn’t sense any chemistry between Levi and Vera, as a lot of the time Levi seemed to not only hate her, but hate women in general.

The ending is the strongest part of the story. It’s exciting, it gives context to the rest of the plot, and it gives both characters a chance to redeem whatever mistakes they’d made previously. It did give me some of the character development and plot depth I felt like I was looking for, but it ultimately was too late to hook me for book two.

People looking for fast, action-driven, approachable sci-fi with a roguish grifter and a tech-savvy, resourceful female co-lead should definitely check this out.

I loved Galaxy Grifter! This book kept me on my toes with shocking twists. I loved watching the relationship between Levi and Vera, and I genuinely didn’t know where it was going to go, but I was rooting for them to figure it out. I thought Levi was such a unique character--I liked that he was an a$$hole the ENTIRE book and didn’t turn out to have a heart of gold. The world building was fantastic. I especially loved the ending, and can’t wait for the sequel.

DNF @50%

Well, this does meet the definition of space opera, but I can't say I was riveted. Levi and Vera are shallow and uninteresting leads. They have no chemistry, romantic or otherwise. The plot was meandering and generated low suspense.

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

Galaxy Grifter is an entertaining, delightfully snarky space opera with fascinating world-building and high-stakes adventure.

This one was quite fun. I’ve read little sci-fi, but Galaxy Grifter reminded me of the joy of the genre, and I will certainly return to more sci-fi stories. Galaxy Grifter transferred me back to my Star Wars days, and I loved the world-building and incorporation of technology. The characters were gritty and compelling, and the adventure and plot were propulsive. I enjoyed the romance’s development, and the pacing fit the story nicely. A. Zaykova’s immersive, sharp prose fit the characters well. There were a few moments where the descriptions of the world and the romance pulled me out of the story, but overall, this was a wonderful read, and I’m excited for book two!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

I don't read much sci-fi because I'm always too scared to be disappointed. Galaxy Grifter didn't disappoint. It was fast-paced, fun, and had more suspense than the sky holds stars.

My fav character was Levi - Obviously! - I do like a good "bad" character with dark grey morals. It did give Han Solo vibe for all the con artistery and charm. My lost star is just for the fact that there is a lot of back and forth between some planets, and it just gets a bit repetitive for me. I had a great time reading this book. The way it ends, there could be a book 2, I guess, where we could follow Vera and Levi on their space adventures, but I'm not sure if this is the plan.

Pick this book up if you like:
- Space Opera (there is a lot of space)
- Strong FMC
- No conscience MMC
- Romance but brace yourself
- Saving the world vibe

I'm a little disappointed with this. The overall plot is interesting and offers both actions and high stakes, but I couldn't get invested in the characters.
I feel both the characters lacked depth and motivation. Their actions only serve to move the plot along but don't make sense.
My general opinion is that it's an entertaining book, would probably make for a good movie, but not a great story.