Fortune's Pawn is the first book in the Paradox trilogy by Rachel Bach.
Devi Morris isn't your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It's a combination that's going to get her killed one day - but not just yet.
That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn't misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she's found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn't give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.
If Sigouney Weaver in Alien met Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica, you'd get Deviana Morris -- a hot new mercenary earning her stripes to join an elite fighting force. Until one alien bite throws her whole future into jeopardy.
If you are like me and you spend most of your year pining for the next badass book chick to enter your life, FORTUNE'S PAWN.
Devi is a mercenary who wants to become a Devestator for the King. In order to gain enough qualified experience in a short amount of time she takes a job on a notoriously active ship called The Glorious Fool. As promised, Devi faces a lot of action, but she also stumbles upon secrets she was never meant to discover.
Devi is such an awesome character. She has an ambitious goal that keeps her driven to consistently level up her badassery. Her job is dangerous so she makes it a point to live her life. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but I love her.
Another thing Devi has going for her on top of her mercenary skills is her armored suit. I had no idea how badly I could want a suit of armor until I read Fortune's Pawn. Devi's suit and her guns are practically characters themselves. Devi spent two years' salary on her suit, and it is awesome. Her weapons have their own names which totally solidifies their status with me. I was just as worried about the fate of her suit and weapons as the fate of the real characters.
There's a huge romance element in Fortune's Pawn. It's a bit insta-love, but there are so many layers, secrets, and OMGs to the romance and all of the characters in Fortune's Pawn, I can almost overlook the insta-love.
The only thing I'm going to bitch and moan about is the ending. Fortune's Pawn is the first book of the Paradox trilogy and it is no exception to the series trend of leaving the reader abso-fucking-lutely hanging at the end. A huge saving grace is Orbit is publishing these books pretty much back to back with only two months in between each release so we won't have to wait long for more Paradox.
The last thing I want to say is you do not need to be a reader of science fiction to enjoy Fortune's Pawn. A lot of folks are making strong comparisons to Urban Fantasy even though Fortune's Pawn is set in space. Maybe we can call this a Space Fantasy? If you love strong characters and a lot of action, Fortune's Pawn is a really great read.
8/10: Great Read
Have you read Fortune's Pawn yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave me a link in the comments if you've written a review.
Ooh, space fantasy - I like it! It makes sense, though. Rachel Bach is also Rachel Aaron, who writes fantasy :) I've got this one in my TBR and you may have just forced me to bump it up the stack as far as I can!
ReplyDeleteOh, Becky, do move it up the list! It's a really fun read. I have never read anything else by Rachel Aaron/Bach. I wonder how this one compares.
DeleteSpace Fantasy is an awesome description. That ending was extremely brutal, I agree. So glad you loved this!!
ReplyDeleteBonnie, I'm so glad you warned me about the ending. I was bracing myself so I know it helped!
DeleteThis sounds so amazing! I love that they are publishing them close together too. I hate waiting forever on amazing characters. I will have to pick this series up soon. Thanks for the great recommendation:)
ReplyDeleteBadass book chicks are ALWAYS fun to read about! Most girls in YA now annoy me or induce a lot of eye rolls lol. I have to take a closer look at this one!
ReplyDeleteThat suit is freaking amazing. AMAZING. I'm so glad you loved the book! Devi is such a badass, isn't she? I've been singing this book's praises to everyone who will listen.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the romance was a bit insta-lovey, and that cliffie was kinda cruel. But fortunately there are only 6 months between books instead of a year, so...there's that. :)
Wendy @ The Midnight Garden
Hi Jenny! I think the last book I've read with "space" setting is Gravity by Tess Gerritsen. I better keep an eye out for this book because your review makes me want to read it this instant! Wonderful re-collection! :)
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