Die Umlaufbahn der Splendor (Die MacLee Chroniken 1)

The MacLee Chronicles #1

by Jina S. Bazzar

Vor zehn Jahren war Kapitän Colderaro der Star der Konföderations-Spezialeinheit. Dann verschwand sie spurlos.
Nun, für tot erklärt, hält sie sich lieber im Hintergrund. Als Pilotin eines Frachtschiffs verdient sie ihren Lebensunterhalt und nimmt gelegentlich Flüchtlinge an Bord, um ihr Gewissen zu beruhigen. Doch ihr neuester Auftrag geht gründlich schief. Ihre Fracht entpuppt sich als die Prinzessin einer fremden Spezies – begleitet von zwei Leibwächtern.
Plötzlich steckt Captain Colderaro mitten in einer Verschwörung galaktischen Ausmaßes. Gejagt von der Konföderations-Spezialeinheit, Piraten und skrupellosen Söldnern, die die Prinzessin in ihre Gewalt bringen wollen, muss sie all ihr Können aufbieten, um zu überleben.
Doch kann sie den fremden Planeten erreichen, ohne ihre wertvolle Fracht zu verlieren – und ohne ihre wahre Identität zu verraten?

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Romance, Space, Aliens, Adventure, Artificial Intelligence

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2023

About the author

Jina S. Bazzar is a Palestinian author, born and raised in Brazil.
Like most writers, her love of books began at a young age. Unlike most writers, she never aspired to become one.
It was only years after she became blind that she tried her hand at writing, giving voice to all the wild, rambling thoughts in her mind.
She now lives in Palestine with her family, taking inspiration from the smallest things in life. When she’s not writing or networking on social media, you can find her in the kitchen, baking while listening to (often very loud) music.
Find writing updates at:
https://linktr.ee/AuthorJinaSBazzar

Reviews

[Emerald April · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is really a challenge to read. Not that it's in particular badly written. It's just painfully similar to Rules of Redemption. And with every new thing you learn about the main character you immeadatly compare her with Kira.

Lone Female with a spaceship and secret companion. Check.
Secret power. Check
Tries to stay out of public spotlight. Check
Military think she is dead. Check
Doesn't age much. Check
Looking for something. Check
Military friend are tagging along for the ride to her annoyance. Check
Magic alien race. Check
And more

Yes, the plot is different, but the similarities are huge, slightly varied but so so similar.

I just hope that the other books develop in a different direction and get some distance from the set up.

Edit: DNF, skipped to the end

[Chanel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jina S. Bazzar, where have you been my entire adult reading existence! I have been craving a space opera story for quite some time now and KU recommended this for me and I have been on a reading high ever since.

This is a very medium-fast pace story surrounding two main characters: Captain Lee (Leann) and Ravi. The story is actually told from both their POVs for my dual POV fans.

Leann is part human part machine. She was part of the Human Confederacy League who sent her on a mission one day that went wrong. She's been presumed dead for a decade but she was actually experimented on and now contains, within her bioengineered side, a sentient AI named Mac who has the ability to enhance her body capabilities like extra, hyper awareness is things and healing. She's been a lone freighter captain who, for the right price, will move anything and it's how she meets Ravi.

Ravi is part of a race called the Kroz and he's on a mission to transport precious cargo in the form of Kroz princess Dolenta. Leann didn't initially want to take the job it then circumstances caused her to sign on. Unfortunately there are a lot of ppl out there trying to kill the princess so Leann ends up having to dodge danger when she didn't expect that. And then to top it off they encounter the Human Confederacy and they insist on accompanying Leann and Ravi to the final destination. As you can imagine, it gets a bit chaotic but it's definitely a ride!

Can I just say this book is so well written. And I mean REALLY well written. It flows well and I can clearly imagine every scene. I felt fully immersed and invested in these fictional people. There is a tiny bit of a budding romance between Ravi and Leann which I was not expecting but I'm 1000% here for! After I finished the book I looked more into the author and I'm all in. I can't wait to finish this trilogy (already halfway through Book 2) and excited to read Bazzar's entire back list. I highly recommend it if you're looking for some really good space opera adventure times!

[Sally Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I sit down to read Jina’s work, I nestle in happily like I’m indulging in a tasty treat. It’s thoroughly entertaining. Really cruises—flies for me!

Great tension around themes of trust. High-stakes combat scenes. The action, combined with the relationships and well-balanced interweaving of backstory, keeps my eyes racing down the page wanting more. Packs a punch, in both the literal and story-feeling way.

I have to say, I’m all-in with Leann. She is tough and intense and honorable. Ravi is a good counterpart for her; I'm drawn in by their dynamic. Mac, the sentient AI integrated with Leann, makes me laugh out loud!

[Feather Chelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

This isn’t my typical genre, but I was absolutely hooked from start to finish. There is lots of action, sizzling romance, incredible characters, and more. I can’t wait to read the next one. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good sci-fi, or even those like me Who aren’t as accustomed to the genre.

[Alex (HEABookNerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to give SPLENDOR'S ORBIT a try after my book bestie raved about how great it was and I was not disappointed! The action starts right away and stays fast paced throughout and I was completely invested in Captain Lee and her mission to safely deliver Princess Dolenta to her home planet. There was just enough world building to feel comfortable in the setting without being overwhelmed by too much information and I felt like everything was rolled out smoothly as the story went on. I can tell we only scratched the surface of the political structure that existed among the various planets, intergalactic organizations, and alien species so I'm looking forward to learning more, especially about the Kroz.

While the book is dual POV, most of the chapters are from Leeann and she was a fantastic FMC and a force to be reckoned with! I loved that she could kick ass and didn't need anyone to rescue her. She had a tragic past but she's made the best of her situation and was determined to find out who was behind the illegal modifications that were done to her. Leeann was tough, focused, and a bit of a loner but she had a strong moral compass and was always willing to assist those in need. Helping her along the way was Mac, an AI that's integrated into her modifications and I liked the way they balanced their connection since they're both essentially sharing Leeann's body.

In addition to the action filled plot, there was a touch of romance between Leeann and one of the Princess's bodyguards, Ravi, and I was living for it! Ravi is our other POV character and I loved watching him be impressed by Leeann and slowly start to develop feelings. Not much develops in this book, just a few kisses but I'm excited to see where this relationship goes in future books!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:

“As long as I live, as long as I have breath, your protection and safety are my duties to keep. On my life, my soul, I swear this.”

[M Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the ship's AI warns the MC " 'You never have good ideas when cornered.' ", you know you're in for a thrilling ride!

Splendor's Orbit by Jina S Bazzar is a brilliant story, succinctly written and delivered in just over 200 pages. It's the beginning of a space opera series and so has to have considerable world building to set up a credible universe of planets, people, technology and languages. However, this author has done a superb job of doing all that concisely so that her characters are established quickly and able to hit the ground running, maintaining reader interest.

I felt the pacing was perfect, from the slower, contemplative moments, right through to the frenetic battle scenes. The MC's were captivating, both as individuals and when paired, because their dynamic was enthralling and left me wanting more. Supporting characters were interesting and will hopefully make further appearances in future books.

I have pre-ordered the next book in this series and can absolutely recommend this one to fans of science fiction where there is a healthy mix of character and action driven narrative.

I received a free copy of this book as part of an ARC campaign.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action packed! I enjoyed it!

[Kez Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning action filled sci-fi/space opera story. The worldbuilding is creative, the plot is exciting, the writing style is engaging and keeps you hooked, and the characters are great.
Captain Lee is strong, brave, and complex, but also has a vulnerability and trauma from her tragic past. She's also guarding a deadly secret in the form of 'MAC'. This reminded me of the dynamics and bond seen in Halo between Master Chief and Cortana.
It also has the same great vibes as 'Firefly' TV series, it's fast paced, lots of action, intriguing conspiracies, scientific enhancements, and the dynamics of a crew in space on a mission faced with challenges and threats.
I found this to be very immersive and I didn't want to put it down, and there were lots of secrets and plots twists. I'm invested in this series and can't wait for the next book!

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendor’s Orbit is an action-packed and adventure filled story with incredible world building and a storyline that simply holds you captive from start to finish. Captain Colderaro Is a kick ass, fearless pilot of a freight ship who has a past that she doesn’t want coming out! Her latest job is to drop off an alien princess and her companions to safety which of course means all hell is about to break loose. It’s exciting, thrilling and with detailed and action packed battle scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. Twists and turns and a few surprises and I just want to read more please.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. There is heat, but no on-the-page spice, which I really appreciated. If you're a fan of TA White, you'll love this. Very similar feel / tone / voice of FMC and similar set-up (human or enhanced human woman and alien male), but different plot, characters, etc. I purchased the three ebook pkg and am looking forward to book 2. Enjoy!

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

I loved every minute. The story was engrossing, the world building is spectacular. Lots of adventure with a small dose of romance. I look forward to the next book.

[E. Billups · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splendor’s Orbit marks my first foray into the Space Opera genre, but not my first encounter with Mrs. Bazzar’s exceptional storytelling. Captivated by her earlier works, I had only high expectations for this book, and it did not disappoint.

The story of Captain Colderaro, a fearless pilot of a freighter ship, immediately drew me in with its promise of a courageous female protagonist, perilous antagonists, and a diverse cast of supporting characters. The core plot centers on Captain Colderaro’s mission to transport the princess of an alien race and her protectors to safety, which quickly transforms her intergalactic journey into a high-stakes adventure.

The narrative takes an unexpected twist as we learn about Colderaro’s enigmatic past. A decade ago, she was the star of the Confederacy Task Force before mysteriously disappearing. Her reemergence and reunion with her former team, who had abandoned her on her last mission, unravel a gripping identity. Moreover, her fusion with an AI counterpart known as MAC has transformed her into an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

Splendor’s Orbit is an action-packed story featuring intense spaceship battles that feel incredibly realistic. Mrs. Bazzar excels at crafting action scenes, whether hand-to-hand combat or interstellar dogfights. The blend of adrenaline-pumping conflict and a touch of romance adds depth to the story, giving Captain Colderaro’s character a sliver of hope and emotions she never thought she’d experience again.

This well-crafted novel delivers pulse-pounding action and exceptional world-building, a vivid universe. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down. I’m eager to read the next chapter in this thrilling series. Splendor’s Orbit is a must-read for anyone who loves a compelling Space Opera with a perfect blend of action, emotion, and intrigue.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say I really enjoyed reading Splendor's Orbit by Jina S. Bazzar and can’t wait for more from The MacLee Chronicles. I sorely loved the world that has been created for The MacLee Chronicles. The action and the many twists kept me racing to the end to see how it was all going to turn out.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the page for one second. Once I started reading I was immersed into Captain Colderaro’s world. Ten years ago she went missing with everyone presuming her to be dead.

These days you can find her working as a pilot on a freighter ship. Captain Colderaro accepts a job transporting a princess of an alien race and her two bodyguards.

This job turns out not to be as easy as she first assumed or hoped it would be as she soon learns that the princess is being pursued by the Confederacy Task Force, fighting space pirates, and evading mercenaries intent on capturing the princess.

Their journey turns out to be a dangerous one but a very exciting one for the reader. I could just see it all playing out in my head as if I was watching TV. Splendor's Orbit kept reminding me of a few TV shows like Vagrant Queen, Firefly, Dark Matter, and Killjoys. That is just to name a few.

Splendor's Orbit is a great start to a new series The MacLee Chronicles! I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next book.

I enjoyed reading Splendor's Orbit so much that I highly recommend grabbing a copy today and letting the adventures begin!

[Kari Chapman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book started out well. Our three main characters and the opening setup did remind me a bit of the main characters from TA White's Firebird Chronicles, but the world seemed interesting and the story looked to be going in a different direction, so I stuck around to see where it went. Then we hit some serious pacing issues - the opposite of what I usually complain about. We went all action and fighting and tension all the time from halfway through chapter 8 (24%) until the end of chapter 14 (49%). I wound up speed reading this whole section because there was no place in there that the tension and worry about the characters lightened up enough to feel like I could put the book down. But note - speed read. There was just so much fighting and running and arguing that it all got to be the same flavor and blended together. I didn't care to read about our main character being tossed into yet another wall/pile of crates for the 4th time, so just looking for anything important.

Then, when we're finally wrapping that all up, we're hit with a slate of supporting characters and a sub-plot line that's right out of the Firebird Chronicles again. And that was the last straw to me. Poor pacing, way too many similarities to another author's series, and also the fact that we're clearly going to have all kinds of tension and no safe space for this whole book, I'm out.

[Katyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun start to a space opera trilogy. It was a quick, riveting read, and I will definitely be continuing onward with the series.

That said, it bears a heck of a lot of similarities to The Firebird Chronicles by T.A. White, which is one of my all-time favorite space opera series.

A heck of a lot.

To give some brief examples that happen pretty early in the book:

-Ex-military FMC that just kind of disappeared on her unit most of a decade ago, whom everyone assumed was dead.
-She has a plucky AI sidekick as her partner, via some illegal modifications that must be kept secret to preserve their lives.
-She and her AI can meld to dial up her ability to rapidly process/assess a situation.
-MMC is a warrior, of an alien race that really, really frowns on this AI thing.
-MMC finagles things to railroad FMC into accompanying him to his home territory.
-Rescuing an alien kid under the protection of the MMC lands the FMC back on the radar of human military, and in some wild coinky-dink, her old team (that thinks she's dead) happens to be on that same station.
-Alien race can do "magic"

To be fair, I've seen some of these in other space opera/sci-fi books. But all of them together kind of make this first book kind of feel like a Rules of Redemption homage.

Seems like things are going to go differently from here, though. And anyway, I'm enjoying it. But YMMV.

[Retta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I enjoyed the story and the characters. Space romances are pretty much formulaic, but this one is a fun read. It's easy to get invested in the story.

[Caprice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-stop Adventure

I stumbled upon this book by accident and decided to try a sample. I was already reading another book at the time, but after finishing the sample, I simply couldn’t put this one down.

It’s a non-stop space adventure, a thrilling journey filled with danger and enemies lurking at every turn. The pacing is relentless, and the excitement never lets up. I was captivated by the story, the author's engaging writing style, and the well-drawn characters who kept me fully immersed in their world.

This was my first experience with Jina S. Bazzar, but it certainly won’t be my last. I’m hooked and can’t wait to dive into more of her work!

[mike hodgson Carole Hodgson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason I didn't expect much from this yet I was blown away, it is really well written with no grammar or typos- that I noticed anyway. The premise is good and the two people perspective is a new one for me, but works well. I don't wish to be patronising in any way but when I read the bio on the author I was amazed to find she was blind!! It really proves that you can achieve what you want with any impediment, really well done. Would highly recommend. Noted the author is in Palestine, I sincerely hope you have kept safe, good luck.

[Isa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is so similar to Firebird Chronicles in every aspect that it surely can’t be a coincidence. Purely because it doesn’t feel original, I can’t give it a higher rating despite it being a good story and well written. I hope the next book doesn’t follow the same story line of an already existing, well read and followed series.

[Kyle Kamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. Lots of twists and turn. It made me want to continue reading the series.

[S Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent start to a new series. Very rich world building with just enough detail in the beginning to allude to complex politics, agreements, and histories across multiple planets and species. This book fits the space opera genre without being as overly-complicated or unnecessarily detailed as other books in that genre can be.

It is hard to give a review without spoilers since the plot is filled with mysteries! In a nutshell, the main character, Captain Lee, is a freight runner with a whole bunch of secrets which means she tries to stay under the radar of the galaxy’s enforcers—a species called the Kroz. Yet she gets tangled with several Kroz anyway whom have secrets of their own. The author has a really interesting way of giving us know Captain Lee’s backstory and how she is wrapped up in some much bigger system-wide controversies. Don’t get frustrated at the beginning of the book if you are confused about the lack of background details—keep reading because Lee’s backstory is very interesting!

The author also has a unique take on fated mates that looks to be a slow-burn romance over the next few books. I found the romance elements in this book pretty refreshing given how common this trope is connected to spicy/dark romance

My only criticism is that Lord Drax doesn’t really sound as if he is from another world, culture, etc. At one point he says “get the hell out of dodge” which sounds like a strange expression from an alien. We also don’t get as much from his POV as I would have liked. I’m hoping we’ll get more in book 2.

I was given an ARC in exchange for a review and I honestly loved this book. I can’t wait till the second book gets released and I’ll definitely be reading other books by the author.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Splendor's Orbit" delivers an incredibly captivating storyline that kept me hooked from start to finish. The outcast heroine, with her mysterious past, is a trope I always love, and this book executes it brilliantly. While I understand some of the comparisons to Rules of Redemption mentioned in other reviews, Splendor's Orbit still stands out on its own and kept me thoroughly engrossed. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next installment!

[Lea Carter]

I was *so* excited to read this book. Exciting synopsis, no spice, and scifi!
Truthfully, I'm a little jealous of everyone who will get to read this book.
The story itself was great, but I stopped reading because of the language.
I got a few pages in and the first fbomb dropped. A few pages later, another one landed.

I received a free copy from the author, who was very nice about it when I explained why I couldn't keep reading.

[Winterborn Ricky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just fantastic.
Devoured it over the course of one day.
Highly recommend if you enjoyed the themes of Wayfarers and The Expanse series'.

It's not without its flaws, but I had such a great time reading it that I'm not in a position to care much. It has some editing flaws typical of a independently published novel. Some incorrect word usage, etc. Nothing too bad.

The first third or so of the book had a bit of a pacing problem, as there are two POV characters and the switch between them felt jarring as you'd read through to a cliffhanger at the end of Char. A's chapter, directly into Char. B's chapter which rewinds back to the calm start of A's chapter and tells that same time slot again, but from B's perspective.

But again, my issues aren't even enough to deduct a star. Check this one out!

[Lien · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Amy D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The writing is clear. The characters have their own voices. Full of action and adventure, it kept me hooked throughout. Another great book by Jina.

[M.A.SPRIGGS · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read

This book was recommended to me and I'm glad I took a chance on it. It is a well written space opera that has the heroine trying to locate her missing friend and destroy as many illegal labs as she can. Her new job is to take two men and a girl back home while being chased by pirates as well as old friends/comrades. A well written and fast paced storyline that kept me hooked until the very end. Highly recommend.

[N · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read about 65% of this before I decided not to put myself through it anymore. The characters are simply not there. I couldn't have felt less toward any of them if I tried. Everything, from the plot to the pacing to the dialogue to the "relationships", didn't work. And reading this right after finishing the Firebird Chronicles was just depressing. Below are some of the issues I had that I jotted down while reading:

- Multiple grammatical errors that are very elementary. Things like plural nouns/singular verbs or using an adjective where an adverb should've been used.

- Very jarring scene transitions and uneven pacing.

- As a reader I didn't think I was given enough info to understand, like or even get a real sense of the characters' personalities. Each is just given a couple of sentences and then the narrative moves on. It was like reading about shadowy stick figures rather than fully developed people.

- FMC is supposed to be badass, but has the personality of dented, damp cardboard box in any personal interaction. I can't even say she's unlikeable because that's how flimsy her characterization was.

- Princess is supposedly a teen but is treated like she's about 4 years old. Has the author actually met a teenage girl before?

- Erm worst set-up for romance ever?

[Daardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 of a trilogy. Review is for set. Strong writing and successful story and world building. Sucked me in pretty quickly. Plan to read all 3 of you want resolution. Each are about 250 pages. Thankfully all are available. I picked it up because someone mentioned it on a TA White reader group. Good recommendation. Will be reading more by this author.

[Dakota · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this wasn’t bad per-se, it wasn’t good either. It felt suspiciously similar to Rules of Redemption despite the plot being different.

Other than that, I felt like what we got was just the bare bones of a story. I feel like I know nothing about the setting and the characters are two dimensional. We didn’t get to know any of the characters, even the main character, well enough to care at all what happened to them. None of the moments that were supposed to be impactful hit at all because I literally couldn’t not find it in me to care. The romance fell flat for me as well. The MC and the love interest didn’t have enough interaction to make me believe they liked each other even a little.

I spent the entire time I was reading this waiting for a little life to breathe into these characters that could have been complex and interesting.