Zero Day ThreatBlurb

Four ex-convicts. One charismatic mastermind. And the most dangerous heist the System has ever seen.

Jez is a damn good pilot, and she’s always worked alone. Until she got picked up for smuggling, that is.
Now she’s lost her ship, lost her job, lost her reputation, and is on the run from the law. So when a mysterious stranger in a battered pilots coat comes to her with an offer that sounds too good to be true, she reluctantly agrees to listen.
All she has to do is fly one little job.
Then she gets the details. She and a hand-picked band of misfit ex-convicts will be pulling a heist on Vitali “the Butcher” Dobrev, the most deadly weapons dealer and crime boss in the System. They’ll be stealing tech that could change the course of history. And the government, the mafia, and every enterprising criminal in the System would kill to get their hands on it.
Thing is, Jez is out of options. She’s going to have to fly this job, and they’ll have to pull it off. And knowing Vitali, if they fail, dying is the least of their worries.

Zero Day Threat is the first instalment in the space opera science fiction series The Ungovernable. Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in R.M. Olson’s fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

This review has been a long time coming since I finished the book at the beginning of this month.

I had read two series from this author, but both were unfinished, and when I saw they had a finished series, I had to grab it. And this one didn’t disappoint.

The plot revolves around a band of misfits who have been hired by Masha, a government agent, to pull a heist on one of the most dangerous men in the system: Vitali Dobrev, weapons dealer and crime boss, who are sought after by mafia and criminals, and whose inventiveness is matched only by his brutality.

Jez is a pilot, a damn good one, but she’s on the run from the law as well as Lena, her ex-boss gang leader whose ship she stole and which is now lost. For Jez, Masha’s offer couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.

Tae is a street kid, trying to keep himself and the other kids alive. He’s also a tech genius, and his attempt to get back at someone who stole his tech has him in prison. When Masha offers him money and immunity in return for a job, he’s wary, but has no choice if he’s to keep his friends alive.

Lev is a genius with an eidetic memory who is now in jail for seeing documents he should never have seen. What’s worse, his entire family has been imprisoned because of his actions. When Masha offers him a chance to free his family, Lev agrees, but he has agendas of his own.

Ysbel is a weapons expert, but she’s in prison for killing 35 people who worked with her. Having lost her family when the government forced her into service, revenge is the only thing that keeps her going. Thirty five is only the start. The crew Masha puts together might be her best chance at getting revenge.

Can they learn to work together and pull off the heist of a lifetime?

Ngl, I love Jez. Her neurodivergence SHINES as do her queerness. She’s unashamedly, unapologetically herself, and despite being annoying to everyone, she was my favouritest. Tae and Lev are babies, really, and I love Ysbel and her calm stolidity. Not sure what to think of Masha yet, though.

The book had me at the edge of my seat, anxious to know what’s going to happen. The plot flows smoothly and the world is fascinating, feeling lived in, but what really shines is the characterisation.

If you love character driven space opera with underdogs, queer characters, technology, and an enthralling plot, you’ll love this book.

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JailbreakBlurb

Breaking into one of the most secure prison planets in the system isn’t the hard part. The hard part is going to be getting back out again.

They just pulled off the heist of the century. Now ex-smuggler pilot Jez and the motley crew of the Ungovernable have a promise to keep: an extraction from a high-security political prison. But the timeline for the rescue is shorter than they ever imagined, and if they want to save their target from certain death, they’ll have to go in blind—no specs, no intel, no time to prepare, and only the skeleton of a plan. And between prison gangs, murderous guards, and a vicious warden, extracting their target might be the least of their worries—at this point, they might not even be able to keep themselves alive.

Jailbreak is the second book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

The second book of the series, this one has the crew in a prison planet, attempting to break out Ysbel’s family.

Jez is growing more and more antsy with being in prison, picking fights, getting beat up, antagonising guards and roommates alike. Tae is growing increasingly more desperate since the prison tech is so old he can’t hack into it. Ysbel, Lev, and Masha are keeping their heads down, but that proves to be impossible as the prison politics draw them in.

There’s very little hope, and time is running out, and they’re yet to find Tanya and Ysbel’s children even.

Oh man! This book! My Jez! My Queen!

I’m awed by the author’s imagination, the way in which she weaves a plot and depicts her characters. There’s no exposition, but everything feels visceral, the emotions are raw, and even the minor characters feel like real people.

Just go read this book!

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TimebombBlurb

Someone’s hunting the Ungovernable. And they’re not going to stop until every one of the crew is dead.

When an enemy from ex-smuggler pilot Jez’s past reappears, determined to extract revenge, the crew of the Ungovernable have two options: fight, or run. But when a hyperjump gone wrong leaves the Ungovernable crippled, her weapons down and her cloaking disabled, their options become scarce indeed. As they scramble to repair the ship with rapidly-dwindling supplies and even more rapidly-dwindling oxygen, their pursuers are inexorably closing in. And if they’re going to survive, each of the crew will have to confront dangerous secrets from their past, before those secrets come back to destroy them.

Time Bomb is the third book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

This one has the crew running from ships that are hunting them, but stranded in space with The Ungovernable nearly dead, their options are limited. All attempts to repair the ship fails since there aren’t enough spare parts available, and Sasa Iliach’s tech is not easily replicated.

Whoever’s after them knows they aren’t dead, and everything is connected to disparate events in the past, events that had impacted each of them profoundly and personally.

When Jez’s former boss Lena turns out to be the one after them, Jez has more than the condition of her ship to worry about.

Once again, R.M. Olson weaves an intriguing tale that keeps you glued to the page. The stakes keep on getting higher and higher, and the crew’s situation increasingly desperate.

This is queer space opera at its best!

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Insider ThreatBlurb

The government wants them dead. They want to know why. And if they want answers, the crew will have to pull what may be their most dangerous job yet.
Long before signing on with the Ungovernable, back in his university days, ex-convict and one-time-student Lev stumbled onto a secret, a secret that ended in his professor and mentor disappearing, never to be heard from again. Now he and the rest of the crew are going back to university—but this time they’re breaking in, and they’re bent on sabotage. They need to find out what the government thinks they know, and why they’re all supposed to be dead.
But the deeper they dig, the darker the secrets they find, and soon they realize that it’s not just them that the government is after. What’s happening in the labs and the storage rooms of the university might just destroy the entire system as they know it.
Insider Threat is the fourth book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

To investigate why the government wants them dead, the crew returns to Pravishoni, specifically to the University where Lev once studied, where his mentor and teacher vanished. Tae has to pretend to be a student while Masha, Jez, and Lev dodges assassins. Ysbel teaches students how not to blow themselves up while Tanya learns some disturbing things.

Ngl, I love Dimitri and his relationship with Tae. Like Tae, I started out with a lot of prejudices, but I love how the students turned out to be real heroes, who cares about what happens to the street kids, despite all of them being children of government officials. I like it that Tae is starting to accept he’s not alone, that he has a crew he can rely on, and now friends and even a boyfriend.

And Jez! My dearest Jez is still the QUEEN. I was so heart broken for Lev in this, like man, I saw it coming, but Lev didn’t, for all his vaunted intelligence. Goes to show why these characters feel like real people because when you’re so close to some things, you miss a lot of obvious signs.

On to the next book. I can’t stop reading this series!

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FirewallBlurb

The crew of the Ungovernable might have just gambled more than they can pay.

Ex-smuggler pilot Jez and the crew of the Ungovernable desperately need is a way to stop the government killing them all. And they’re running out of time. So when Grigory Korzhikov, the godfather of the biggest mafia organization in the System, invites them aboard his private gambling ship and tells them he can give them a way out, it’s an offer they can’t refuse.

But accepting means dealing into Grigory’s game, and he’s playing with a stacked deck. He hasn’t forgotten the money they cost him in their first heist, and he’s notorious for holding grudges. If they don’t want to end up floating in space without a space suit, they’ll have to find a way to beat him at his own game, and in Grigory’s ship, the odds are on the house.

Firewall is the fifth book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

This book had me want to yell at a lot of people.

After the incident in Pravishoni, when the mafia boss Grigory Korzhikov “invites” them to his gambling ship by holding Peti, one of Tae’s friends captive, the crew has no choice but to accept.

But when Masha suggests using Grigory to hold the government in check, no one except Tae and Tanya objects. Jez trusts Masha now, and Levi and Ysbel will do anything to keep Jez and Tanya from harm respectively.

But working with Grigory isn’t as simple as Masha makes it sound and the crew soon find themselves in the horns of a moral dilemma. Just how far will they go to protect the ones they love? Will they sacrifice their loved ones in the process?

Ah fuck, I wish I could say I saw this coming, but I did not see ALL of it coming. Some things, yes, they were obvious. You don’t work with mafia bosses and expect good things to happen. Only Tae and Tanya seem to have some kind of moral compass here. I was yelling at Ysbel to listen to Tanya because fuck woman, this is not how you show love!

And Masha! Fuck. That was a dick move, but idk why Jez still trusts her.

Next book please.

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Trojan HorseBlurb

It’s kill or be killed for the crew of the Ungovernable.

With the mafia after their heads, ex-smuggler pilot Jez and the crew have two choices—run, or fight back. Problem is, there’s nowhere in the System to run. So instead, they’re going to take the entire crime syndicate down.

But pulling a sting on the mafia—and living to tell the tale—is going to take a hell of a lot more than just good intentions. And when you can’t even trust the people you’re working with—well, let’s just say they’ll have to master the art of subterfuge, or die trying.

Trojan Horse is the sixth book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

This was a tough read overall. The crew heads to a pleasure planet to take down Grigory for good, but they need the help of his biggest rival for that.

Fuck me sideways! Haven’t they learned their lesson yet? You don’t work with mafia bosses. I guess it’s understandable since they’re on Grigory’s hit list now, but even so.

The pleasure planet is just as depraved as it sounds, and people are treated like subhumans, even children.

This was the most difficult book for me, because of the themes, and even when I hoped our crew would prevail, there’s the realisation that it’s still too late for a LOT of people.

I need a minute.

And then next book.

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Security IncidentBlurb

The entire Svodrani System is about to go up in flames—and the crew of the Ungovernable is sitting right in the centre of the explosion.
After taking down the two most powerful mafia bosses in the system, ex-smuggler pilot Jez and the crew race back to the capital to head off an impending civil war in the ensuing power vacuum. But to stop a bloodbath, they need to buy themselves time to prepare. So while Masha, Ysbel, and Tanya provide a distraction, Jez and Lev infiltrate a government paralyzed by the news, while Tae goes out into the volatile Prasvishoni streets to neutralize the street gangs who are more than willing to prove they’re the mafia’s natural successors.
But preventing a civil war is a lot more complicated than it sounds. There are government factions who would happily let the system burn if it means they end up on top. Unrest is already building in the streets. And no one knows who’s side Masha is actually on …

Security Incident is the seventh book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

Ooh, this one was GOOD. I didn’t laugh, but it was close, because Jez pretending to be a minister was really funny.

The Mafia may be gone, but to prevent the streets of Pravishoni from descending into chaos, the government has to get rid of the mafia agents, and who better than our intrepid crew of troublemakers to achieve that?

Jez is pretending to be one of the ministers she and Lev blew up, and Lev is playing her lover, something that’s causing both of them a lot of trouble due to their very recent break up and the feelings they still have for each other.

But someone’s after their lives, and the sexual tension may be the least of their worries.

I love how Lev has been changing and growing. He even deserves Jez at this point. Tae and the students trying to help the street kids and starring a revolution is like pretty much in character for Tae, who doesn’t seem to realise his own influence. I love Ivan and I can see he and Tae will probably be together, but man, Dimitri!

Sobs while grabbing the next book.

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Threat AgentBlurb

They’ve taken down the mafia, infiltrated the government, and thrown the System into chaos. But the final stage of the plan will test them to their very limits …

Decades ago, Masha hid under a table and watched her parents die. Now, with war in the streets and chaos in the government, she can at last put the ultimate piece of her revenge into action. But it will involve murder, deception, and cunning on an unprecedented scale, and she’s no longer as certain as she once was that she can pull this off.

In the meantime, behind the barricades, the rest of the crew is trying desperately to survive as the Svodrani System government brings its full weight to bear on their ragged group of accidental insurgents. And surviving a war against the entire System might be a step too far, even for them …

Threat Agent is the eighth book in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

Masha and the crew are now officially separate, and Masha has infiltrated the government by herself. She has no qualms about sacrificing her crew, but only at the right time.

In the meantime, behind the barricades at the University, the rest of the crew are fighting desperately to survive and to protect the students and street kids.

This book was so good! Omg. Loved Lev’s reunion with his parents, and his parents’ attitude. Lev had this whole thing in his head where his parents has to be angry while they’re only worried for his safety. The plight of the revolution and the ruthlessness of the government are brought out really well.

And THAT B***ch. I don’t wanna spoil anything, so not naming her, but it’s not Masha.

How can I stop here? Is one book enough to end everything? I hope so because it’s the last one.

Grabs it.

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Attack PathBlurb

Their old enemy is back, and she’s more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Jez and the crew of the Ungovernable are injured, exhausted, and out of time. Their long-time nemesis, Evka, has finally perfected the weapon the crew has been desperately fighting to stop for months—a protocol that will allow her to track down and kill anyone in the system with the click of a button. And the lives of the crew, and of everyone they love, are on the line.

With their backs to the wall and no more tokens up their sleeves, they’ll need every bit of skill and ingenuity they possess, the help of old allies and new friends, and a hell of a lot of luck if they want to to stop Evka—or even if they just want to make it out alive.

Attack Path is the ninth book and the thrilling final instalment in R.M. Olson’s science fiction space opera series The Ungovernable. With a crazy, close-knit crew, plenty of humour, and loads of action, Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in this fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly fun series.

My Review

Let me just say I’m glad Masha is back with the crew. There’s not much trust there, but she’s trying. And she didn’t betray them, gave up on her plans for them. That means a LOT. At least to me, it does.

The whole book is basically a mind game between the crew and Evka. Why does she have to be so fiendishly intelligent? Fuck.

I must say that Zhenia is growing on me. Which is good.

I’m both sad and glad the series is over. Sad because I love this crew and I don’t want to say goodbye, and glad because not sure my heart could take any more.

Need a hot minute before I can pick up another book, though.

R.M. Olson is now my favouritest author and I will read their laundry list at this point.

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