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Galaxy Grifter: A Snarky, High-Stakes Space Opera
Only the wittiest, smarmiest, most sycophantic person in the galaxy can grift like Levi can.
Levi is an interstellar con all charm, no conscience. His only real love is his spaceship, Caerus —his symbol of status and freedom—which he is forced to surrender as loan collateral to the most dangerous gang in his current quadrant. Desperate to get his ship back by any means necessary, Levi swindles a valuable antimatter-tech blueprint from an alien diplomat, which he plans to sell for millions of credits to the highest bidder.
To decode the document, Levi hires Vera, a programmer whose inherited debt keeps her trapped on an asteroid in the galactic backwaters. Certain that Levi is merely using her, she plans to steal the blueprint for her creditors and finally gain her freedom.
Their alliance is plagued by fiery sexual tension, betrayals, and an impossible choice when they learn that an alien government intends to use the stolen technology to plan humanity’s genocide and that they will stop at nothing to retrieve their plans.
Levi is an interstellar con all charm, no conscience. His only real love is his spaceship, Caerus —his symbol of status and freedom—which he is forced to surrender as loan collateral to the most dangerous gang in his current quadrant. Desperate to get his ship back by any means necessary, Levi swindles a valuable antimatter-tech blueprint from an alien diplomat, which he plans to sell for millions of credits to the highest bidder.
To decode the document, Levi hires Vera, a programmer whose inherited debt keeps her trapped on an asteroid in the galactic backwaters. Certain that Levi is merely using her, she plans to steal the blueprint for her creditors and finally gain her freedom.
Their alliance is plagued by fiery sexual tension, betrayals, and an impossible choice when they learn that an alien government intends to use the stolen technology to plan humanity’s genocide and that they will stop at nothing to retrieve their plans.
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First published June 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 5, 2025
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. There is no emotion in any of the relationships, and stuff just happens.
My general opinion is that it's an entertaining book, would probably make for a good movie, but not a great story.
Thank you Orbit Books for this ARC!
I feel both the characters lacked depth and motivation. Their actions only serve to move the plot along but don't make sense. There is no emotion in any of the relationships, and stuff just happens.
My general opinion is that it's an entertaining book, would probably make for a good movie, but not a great story.
Thank you Orbit Books for this ARC!
June 13, 2025
Galaxy Grifter by A. Zaykova
3.5 rounding up to 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
There is always that one kid, that Eddie Haskell type. We all know him. Constantly mischievous, a troublemaker, yet somehow likeable. As I befriended Levi, I knew in the back of my mind that adventures, or rather danger, were soon to follow. A. Zaykova, crafter of a tumultuous ride of a novel, has seen to it that I will always be looking over my shoulder to prevent an onslaught of incoming violence from various interplanetary factions.
Levi reminds me so much of Han Solo—the bravado and charm that dissolve our barriers and make us succumb to the charm of the pungi, like Levi’s brothers, the vipers. Not to say Levi is all snake, but let’s just say he has reptilian qualities. He asks me if I have any experience in cracking code; of course, I say no. However, there is a particular redhead, a bartender, who may delve into this sort of thing.
Vera, who currently resides on Blackjack, might be of some assistance. Having lost her parents, she and her brother run a bar amongst the seedy underbelly known as Blackjack. Levi has picked a perfect time to invade Vera’s space; she is becoming impatient with barely surviving on Blackjack and wants the adventure and excitement a new home might present. Yet, she has been warned about Levi; he is the well-known “Weasel.”
Against her better judgment, Vera relents and agrees to aid Levi in revealing documents that could be worth a considerable amount of money to the right buyer. "High risk, high reward," Levi reminds us. Vera and I know the truth. We are expendable. We are a necessary means for Levi to buy back his beloved ship, the Caerus, presumably the only “real” object of his affection. During our galaxy-wide endeavor, the near-death experiences outnumber our reasons to be involved, but the adventure…dear reader, the adventure will be memorable and exciting.
Pure entertainment. The novel swerves in and out of an asteroid belt, alarms blaring, and our necks hurt from them swiveling to lock onto oncoming targets. If we didn’t feel the breath of life before, we sure know it now. There are some stories, simplistic in their delivery, that have an indelible snark that resonates with me. I man the cockpit and let the AI fly the ship, as if in cruise control. I kick my feet up and chomp on a Slim Jim while the pages flip at an uncontrollable pace. This is that type of story. Is Levi the villain? Yes, well, sort of. He is the pot-stirrer that we never knew we wanted or needed. I adored how A. Zaykova has written Levi; he comes from an outstanding family who gave him all the necessary tools to become an upstanding individual, and yet he just likes being devious. Unabashed, even as a teenager.
As the lasers land near and around our bodies, we run. Running for safety has been a mainstay since meeting Levi. People can ask me, "Would you do it all again?" to which I happily answer, "Heck yeah, I would." A thrilling space escapade awaits!
Many thanks to Orbit Books for supplying the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
3.5 rounding up to 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
There is always that one kid, that Eddie Haskell type. We all know him. Constantly mischievous, a troublemaker, yet somehow likeable. As I befriended Levi, I knew in the back of my mind that adventures, or rather danger, were soon to follow. A. Zaykova, crafter of a tumultuous ride of a novel, has seen to it that I will always be looking over my shoulder to prevent an onslaught of incoming violence from various interplanetary factions.
Levi reminds me so much of Han Solo—the bravado and charm that dissolve our barriers and make us succumb to the charm of the pungi, like Levi’s brothers, the vipers. Not to say Levi is all snake, but let’s just say he has reptilian qualities. He asks me if I have any experience in cracking code; of course, I say no. However, there is a particular redhead, a bartender, who may delve into this sort of thing.
Vera, who currently resides on Blackjack, might be of some assistance. Having lost her parents, she and her brother run a bar amongst the seedy underbelly known as Blackjack. Levi has picked a perfect time to invade Vera’s space; she is becoming impatient with barely surviving on Blackjack and wants the adventure and excitement a new home might present. Yet, she has been warned about Levi; he is the well-known “Weasel.”
Against her better judgment, Vera relents and agrees to aid Levi in revealing documents that could be worth a considerable amount of money to the right buyer. "High risk, high reward," Levi reminds us. Vera and I know the truth. We are expendable. We are a necessary means for Levi to buy back his beloved ship, the Caerus, presumably the only “real” object of his affection. During our galaxy-wide endeavor, the near-death experiences outnumber our reasons to be involved, but the adventure…dear reader, the adventure will be memorable and exciting.
Pure entertainment. The novel swerves in and out of an asteroid belt, alarms blaring, and our necks hurt from them swiveling to lock onto oncoming targets. If we didn’t feel the breath of life before, we sure know it now. There are some stories, simplistic in their delivery, that have an indelible snark that resonates with me. I man the cockpit and let the AI fly the ship, as if in cruise control. I kick my feet up and chomp on a Slim Jim while the pages flip at an uncontrollable pace. This is that type of story. Is Levi the villain? Yes, well, sort of. He is the pot-stirrer that we never knew we wanted or needed. I adored how A. Zaykova has written Levi; he comes from an outstanding family who gave him all the necessary tools to become an upstanding individual, and yet he just likes being devious. Unabashed, even as a teenager.
As the lasers land near and around our bodies, we run. Running for safety has been a mainstay since meeting Levi. People can ask me, "Would you do it all again?" to which I happily answer, "Heck yeah, I would." A thrilling space escapade awaits!
Many thanks to Orbit Books for supplying the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
May 22, 2025
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
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
May 28, 2025
I freaking loved this book.
Levi is a charming disaster that makes you want to punch him…and then follow him across the galaxy. Vera’s sharp and capable (not to mention exhausted in a way that drives her to desperation, which is hella relatable). I was rooting for them from the get-go. Together, their dynamic was chaotic yet addictive. [see: dripping with tension, shaky alliances, and just enough heat to keep things deliciously unstable.]
Honestly, even the spaceship is a character in its own right.
The pacing never drags; solid structure start to finish. The world’s gritty and alive without ever getting bogged down in info-dumping. The writing’s tight and voicey—perfect fit for the story it was telling. IE, funny when it needs to be, biting when it counts, and never trying too hard.
The stakes build up so nicely. When shit hit the fan, there were actual consequences. And even when I thought I had someone figured out, the story would pull a wild card. Loved the unpredictability.
In summary, this is a killer debut. If you like your space operas driven by messy characters making questionable choices in space, READ THIS.
Levi is a charming disaster that makes you want to punch him…and then follow him across the galaxy. Vera’s sharp and capable (not to mention exhausted in a way that drives her to desperation, which is hella relatable). I was rooting for them from the get-go. Together, their dynamic was chaotic yet addictive. [see: dripping with tension, shaky alliances, and just enough heat to keep things deliciously unstable.]
Honestly, even the spaceship is a character in its own right.
The pacing never drags; solid structure start to finish. The world’s gritty and alive without ever getting bogged down in info-dumping. The writing’s tight and voicey—perfect fit for the story it was telling. IE, funny when it needs to be, biting when it counts, and never trying too hard.
The stakes build up so nicely. When shit hit the fan, there were actual consequences. And even when I thought I had someone figured out, the story would pull a wild card. Loved the unpredictability.
In summary, this is a killer debut. If you like your space operas driven by messy characters making questionable choices in space, READ THIS.
June 15, 2025
Review originally on JamReads
Galaxy Grifter is a high-stakes space opera novel, written by A. Zaykova, published by Orbit Books. A wild and fun ride, which never stops, full of adventure with a fair share of shenanigans, completed with a dash of romance, and two really different main characters that, however, share how snarky they are.
Levi is an interestellar conman, all charming and with little scruples; his real love is his ship, the Caerus, that he has given as a collateral for a loan. As he's desperate to pay and get it back, he gets a valuable antimatter blueprint; but it's worthless without being decoded. Here's where Vera enters: a programmer whose debts keep her trapped on an asteroid; knowing that Levi is using her, she plans to steal the blueprint and use the money to pay for her own freedom. A match made in hell, which marks only the start of a big adventure, especially after gangs, alien governments and other elements enter in the equation, all trying to get the blueprint for their own goals.
Not going to lie, I wanted to strangle Levi's neck a thousand times; it is true that he's charming, and he knows it, we can see him trying to play with that for his advantage, but he's also super quick to betray those that trust a minimum on him. There's a small chance of redemption for him, but he's much more focused on recovering the Caelus than being a good person to those that help him.
Vera, on the other hand, is a character I can get behind; struggling with unfair debts, brilliant, but also without a clear exit from the asteroid. Levi's blueprint is a hot nail, but in her situation, it's better than nothing; risking everything for that chance is the correct option, even if means dealing with such a shady character as the Weasel. She might be reckless starting this, but we can also see her trying to do the right thing when the opportunity arises.
The rest of the cast falls a bit on the stereotypes that you can expect in this kind of story, with a few surprises here and there adding to the plot.
Zaykova's setting is quite interesting: a big universe with more than the humans and many factions fighting for getting hold of the power; mafias but also governments trying to recover the blueprint, adding a layer of danger to the whole adventure. There's a romantic element attached to the story, which complements well the rest of the plot.
The pacing is frenetic, making you fly through the pages, plenty of fun and also well-written action scenes.
Galaxy Grifter is a great debut novel, perfect if you are looking for a high-stakes space opera story, full of action with a dash of romance; if you don't mind hating the male main character, much better!
Galaxy Grifter is a high-stakes space opera novel, written by A. Zaykova, published by Orbit Books. A wild and fun ride, which never stops, full of adventure with a fair share of shenanigans, completed with a dash of romance, and two really different main characters that, however, share how snarky they are.
Levi is an interestellar conman, all charming and with little scruples; his real love is his ship, the Caerus, that he has given as a collateral for a loan. As he's desperate to pay and get it back, he gets a valuable antimatter blueprint; but it's worthless without being decoded. Here's where Vera enters: a programmer whose debts keep her trapped on an asteroid; knowing that Levi is using her, she plans to steal the blueprint and use the money to pay for her own freedom. A match made in hell, which marks only the start of a big adventure, especially after gangs, alien governments and other elements enter in the equation, all trying to get the blueprint for their own goals.
Not going to lie, I wanted to strangle Levi's neck a thousand times; it is true that he's charming, and he knows it, we can see him trying to play with that for his advantage, but he's also super quick to betray those that trust a minimum on him. There's a small chance of redemption for him, but he's much more focused on recovering the Caelus than being a good person to those that help him.
Vera, on the other hand, is a character I can get behind; struggling with unfair debts, brilliant, but also without a clear exit from the asteroid. Levi's blueprint is a hot nail, but in her situation, it's better than nothing; risking everything for that chance is the correct option, even if means dealing with such a shady character as the Weasel. She might be reckless starting this, but we can also see her trying to do the right thing when the opportunity arises.
The rest of the cast falls a bit on the stereotypes that you can expect in this kind of story, with a few surprises here and there adding to the plot.
Zaykova's setting is quite interesting: a big universe with more than the humans and many factions fighting for getting hold of the power; mafias but also governments trying to recover the blueprint, adding a layer of danger to the whole adventure. There's a romantic element attached to the story, which complements well the rest of the plot.
The pacing is frenetic, making you fly through the pages, plenty of fun and also well-written action scenes.
Galaxy Grifter is a great debut novel, perfect if you are looking for a high-stakes space opera story, full of action with a dash of romance; if you don't mind hating the male main character, much better!
May 13, 2025
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 redhead 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.
ARC from Netgally, review is my own.
June 19, 2025
I love space operas because they have fun, quirky casts, they're thrilling, and there's a lot of space. This book sort of has everything, but the writing did not work for me. It was very "visual" in the sense that the writing accompanied the scene and the characters just enough to know how everything looked and sounded, as well as what things were called, but we got very little beyond that. Character motivations or psyche weren’t too explored since it was fast-paced and heavy on dialogue, not character-focused narration, which in turn made the characters feel very flat and stereotypical. We mostly learned about them when they shared stuff with each other, which is fine but it mostly happened at the end of the book when I was already checked out. They felt very bland and forgettable.
World-building was, again, more of an exposition. We’d follow characters and get that some "cultures" have different factions and different-sounding names, but nothing about who they are. Like, Levi would walk by a group named "The Elders," and that’s all we got, baby. The issue with this is that I couldn’t really get anything or be wowed by any twist. Most of the twists were like, "Oh, I had a contact lens and I was recording you. I’ve stolen your identity, muahahaha," but we didn’t know contact lenses did that, so how are we as readers supposed to feel any thrill if we don’t understand the risks of a scene? Idk. I just felt every chapter ended in a weird way, and the twists were sudden and always relying on info that had never been provided, so it got boring very quickly. I just failed to understand the stakes of anything because it was just new information raining down on me with every twist and turn.
Another pet peeve is that I feel this needed more editing. So many of the scenes and chapters felt irrelevant. If your characters go to a bar, I don’t need to follow them while they are directed to a table, handed a menu, peruse the menu, talk about which drink to get, order, and then suddenly end the chapter with something vague like, "Oh, you don’t know who that man over there is? I’ve got so much to tell you." This isn’t setting the scene or finishing with a cliffhanger. This is just uninteresting.
Anyways, not for me.
I am NOT a romance reader, so I don't know if this is good writing, but I’m adding a quote under the spoiler mark that made me cringe a little.
I’m sorry to be so negative. I was excited for this! Sad to say it wasn’t my thing at all. If you're into fast-paced books that focus on dialogue and action and like to go with the flow, this may be for you!
Thank you Orbit for sending over the ARC.
World-building was, again, more of an exposition. We’d follow characters and get that some "cultures" have different factions and different-sounding names, but nothing about who they are. Like, Levi would walk by a group named "The Elders," and that’s all we got, baby. The issue with this is that I couldn’t really get anything or be wowed by any twist. Most of the twists were like, "Oh, I had a contact lens and I was recording you. I’ve stolen your identity, muahahaha," but we didn’t know contact lenses did that, so how are we as readers supposed to feel any thrill if we don’t understand the risks of a scene? Idk. I just felt every chapter ended in a weird way, and the twists were sudden and always relying on info that had never been provided, so it got boring very quickly. I just failed to understand the stakes of anything because it was just new information raining down on me with every twist and turn.
Another pet peeve is that I feel this needed more editing. So many of the scenes and chapters felt irrelevant. If your characters go to a bar, I don’t need to follow them while they are directed to a table, handed a menu, peruse the menu, talk about which drink to get, order, and then suddenly end the chapter with something vague like, "Oh, you don’t know who that man over there is? I’ve got so much to tell you." This isn’t setting the scene or finishing with a cliffhanger. This is just uninteresting.
Anyways, not for me.
I am NOT a romance reader, so I don't know if this is good writing, but I’m adding a quote under the spoiler mark that made me cringe a little.
I’m sorry to be so negative. I was excited for this! Sad to say it wasn’t my thing at all. If you're into fast-paced books that focus on dialogue and action and like to go with the flow, this may be for you!
Thank you Orbit for sending over the ARC.
May 16, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.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!
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!
May 19, 2025
The book is very good, it is easy to read, fun and it has a gripping plot.
If you like Firefly, Star Wars and similar stories you will for sure enjoy Galaxy Grifter.
Thanks for the arc!
If you like Firefly, Star Wars and similar stories you will for sure enjoy Galaxy Grifter.
Thanks for the arc!
July 20, 2025
Galaxy Grifter is a fast paced space opera full of a bunch of fun shenanigans as our protagonists Levi and Vera find themselves moving from one bad situation to a worse one as they make their way across the galaxy. They face pirates, back water gangsters, and military agents but given that it's their own actions that put them in constant danger it's hard to feel bad for the duo. Instead I just buckled up and went along for the ride.
I enjoyed Vera, a bartender who grew up in the cesspool colony of Blackjack, who is trying to rise above her station and build more for herself. Even if she doubts her ability to do so. She is smart, resilient and spunky. Levi on the other hand has zero redeeming qualities, to the point where it's hard to care about him. Given that he is an undeniable sociopath. Every time he's in danger you wonder if his numbers finally up, and wouldn't really mourn the loss of him. This also made the romantic subplot frustrating given that they have no chemistry and Vera is way too good for him.
Overall if you're looking good for a fun romp through the galaxy I think till have a good time with this book.
I enjoyed Vera, a bartender who grew up in the cesspool colony of Blackjack, who is trying to rise above her station and build more for herself. Even if she doubts her ability to do so. She is smart, resilient and spunky. Levi on the other hand has zero redeeming qualities, to the point where it's hard to care about him. Given that he is an undeniable sociopath. Every time he's in danger you wonder if his numbers finally up, and wouldn't really mourn the loss of him. This also made the romantic subplot frustrating given that they have no chemistry and Vera is way too good for him.
Overall if you're looking good for a fun romp through the galaxy I think till have a good time with this book.
June 8, 2025
Levi is a grifter and a scoundrel, looking out for only himself and his ship, Caerus. Except he used his ship as collateral, and he's running out of money really fast. On a planet run by a mafia-esque lord, he hires Vera, who inherited a bar from her parents and so much debt she'll never be able to leave her homeworld. Vera will do anything to get off world, even decode a questionable document for this swaggering man no better than a space pirate.
I was in the mood for a space opera, and this really fit the bill. It has space grifter swagger, high adventure, and fun characters. I did struggle to root for the romance part of the book, but it feels like we'll see more development in a later book. Galaxy Grifter has the vibes of an episode of Firefly, though Levi is more grifter than vigilante.
Thank you to Orbi for an eARC. Galaxy Grifter is out 6/3/25.
I was in the mood for a space opera, and this really fit the bill. It has space grifter swagger, high adventure, and fun characters. I did struggle to root for the romance part of the book, but it feels like we'll see more development in a later book. Galaxy Grifter has the vibes of an episode of Firefly, though Levi is more grifter than vigilante.
Thank you to Orbi for an eARC. Galaxy Grifter is out 6/3/25.
May 25, 2025
Levi Adder is the titular character in A. Zaykova's Galaxy Grifter: a con-man constantly on the hunt for his next mark. Be it blackmail, corporate espionage, or con games and scams as old as time -- Levi uses his good looks and fluency in deception to fleece the unsuspecting. But when Levi stumbles across an encrypted data disk of the alien race that builds all of the galaxy's hyperdrive engines, he sees the potential for his biggest score yet.
This review is based on an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. The book will be available on June 3, 2025.
To get the data decoded, Levi turns to Vera, a tech savant on a mining asteroid controlled by a crime boss who is just one of the many people around the galaxy owed by Levi. Vera agrees to help for a cut of the take, but looking to get out from under her own debt to the asteroid's crime boss she does a little freelancing on the side. In no time at all, both she and Levi are being hunted over the data disk and Vera's data skimming.
There have been a handful of books that upon finishing I've said in my review: "I wanted to like this story more than I did." For the first time, I'm going to flip that around and say at times I wanted to not like Galaxy Grifter more than I did. It isn't bad by any means, but there were some things about it that kept me from really losing myself in the story. The central issue for me was the Galaxy Grifter himself.
Immature and narcissistic, Levi is the least likeable lead character I've ever encountered. Scenes that seem designed to allow him to grow as a person are then immediately undercut by his internal dialogue -- some of which border on the sociopathic -- and subsequent actions. He's not really an anti-hero so much as a colossal jerk, and I found myself preferring the chapters focused on Vera.
Galaxy Grifter has a lot of action across many different planets including Mars and Earth. There's a variety of different and interesting alien races in the mix, and an overarching story of espionage that takes a bit longer to unfold that was perhaps necessary. Add it to your e-reader for the beach or a long flight, sit back and disengage while you take the ride.
My review scale:
5 Stars: Outstanding and highly recommended. The total package executed exceptionally well: characters, plotlines and prose. A joy to read.
4 Stars: An excellent story that I recommend. A fun, thrilling, exciting or enlightening book that I wish had not ended.
3 Stars: A good read, worth a reader’s time in my opinion.
This review is based on an advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. The book will be available on June 3, 2025.
To get the data decoded, Levi turns to Vera, a tech savant on a mining asteroid controlled by a crime boss who is just one of the many people around the galaxy owed by Levi. Vera agrees to help for a cut of the take, but looking to get out from under her own debt to the asteroid's crime boss she does a little freelancing on the side. In no time at all, both she and Levi are being hunted over the data disk and Vera's data skimming.
There have been a handful of books that upon finishing I've said in my review: "I wanted to like this story more than I did." For the first time, I'm going to flip that around and say at times I wanted to not like Galaxy Grifter more than I did. It isn't bad by any means, but there were some things about it that kept me from really losing myself in the story. The central issue for me was the Galaxy Grifter himself.
Immature and narcissistic, Levi is the least likeable lead character I've ever encountered. Scenes that seem designed to allow him to grow as a person are then immediately undercut by his internal dialogue -- some of which border on the sociopathic -- and subsequent actions. He's not really an anti-hero so much as a colossal jerk, and I found myself preferring the chapters focused on Vera.
Galaxy Grifter has a lot of action across many different planets including Mars and Earth. There's a variety of different and interesting alien races in the mix, and an overarching story of espionage that takes a bit longer to unfold that was perhaps necessary. Add it to your e-reader for the beach or a long flight, sit back and disengage while you take the ride.
My review scale:
5 Stars: Outstanding and highly recommended. The total package executed exceptionally well: characters, plotlines and prose. A joy to read.
4 Stars: An excellent story that I recommend. A fun, thrilling, exciting or enlightening book that I wish had not ended.
3 Stars: A good read, worth a reader’s time in my opinion.
June 9, 2025
2025 is the year I promised myself that if a book was not for me or I found it excruciatingly painful to get through, I would DNF and not torture myself further. Galaxy Grifter promised a rollicking good time and sadly was anything but. I DNF'd at 20% because while it certainly tries to be rollicking, I was not having a good time.
My first and main issue with this book is that it is set in space, but the characters don't feel like they know they are in space. Sure, there are spaceships and space combat, and space alien technology stuff, but then the characters wear jeans and t-shirts, spend their time out drinking in bars, and eat cereal for breakfast. This feels like Bridget Jones's Diary if Bridget lived on an asteroid. But the setting is superficial and I never got a sense that Zaykova had any interest in world building this space. Pun intended. At 20% of the way through a not very long novel (Goodreads says this book is 406 pages). I should start to get a feel for the setting and how it needs to work for the story. And it's missing. I'm around page 80 and I feel like I'm sitting in someone's urban dive, not a bar set in space.
The initial plot is set up with a space combat and space pirates and a space escape, but while the scenes move fast around Levi, I don't get a feel for who he is or why the story is set up around him. Same thing for Vera and her space shakedown protection gangster. Why is this bar so important? The author may have said, but at this point Vera feels like such a non-entity that I confused her with her space girlfriends when they went out drinking at the space bar and tried to stop her from hooking up in the space bathroom.
At 20% in, I've seen enough. Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the arc for review purposes.
My first and main issue with this book is that it is set in space, but the characters don't feel like they know they are in space. Sure, there are spaceships and space combat, and space alien technology stuff, but then the characters wear jeans and t-shirts, spend their time out drinking in bars, and eat cereal for breakfast. This feels like Bridget Jones's Diary if Bridget lived on an asteroid. But the setting is superficial and I never got a sense that Zaykova had any interest in world building this space. Pun intended. At 20% of the way through a not very long novel (Goodreads says this book is 406 pages). I should start to get a feel for the setting and how it needs to work for the story. And it's missing. I'm around page 80 and I feel like I'm sitting in someone's urban dive, not a bar set in space.
The initial plot is set up with a space combat and space pirates and a space escape, but while the scenes move fast around Levi, I don't get a feel for who he is or why the story is set up around him. Same thing for Vera and her space shakedown protection gangster. Why is this bar so important? The author may have said, but at this point Vera feels like such a non-entity that I confused her with her space girlfriends when they went out drinking at the space bar and tried to stop her from hooking up in the space bathroom.
At 20% in, I've seen enough. Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the arc for review purposes.
July 7, 2025
I received this as an ARC from the publisher. All views expressed are my own.
Recommend - For SF-lovers looking for their next heist story
Blurb is at the end of the review, for those who aren’t into that sort of thing.
Sci fi - no romance, off-screen sex between multiple characters.
This was a good surprise for me! For better or worse, when I see a sci fi story described as a space opera, I come to the table with some assumptions of what it might look like. In that way, it certainly well exceeded expectations.
At its core, it has the components of a heist story. As a sworn grifter, Levi has lots of plans, manipulations, plots in plots, and associated relationship complications as a result. Surrounding it, however, we have the story of Vera who is trying to find her way to living her own life, in a way she wants to rather than what she’s forced to.
We cross to a variety of planets and meet lots of different people along the way. And as we go, we begin to get hints of the political and corporate landscape that surrounds this intriguing take on the future.
Lots of fun with characters that give as good as they get.
Synopsis:
In a universe where humans are just another of a crowd of sentient species, all Levi’s looking for is the next con. He’s in it for love of the game. Well, that and his ship. But he’s bitten off more than he can chew this time, and with his beloved ship on the line, he’s forced into an alliance with expert programmer, Vera, who trusts him about as far as she can throw him.
Recommend - For SF-lovers looking for their next heist story
Blurb is at the end of the review, for those who aren’t into that sort of thing.
Sci fi - no romance, off-screen sex between multiple characters.
This was a good surprise for me! For better or worse, when I see a sci fi story described as a space opera, I come to the table with some assumptions of what it might look like. In that way, it certainly well exceeded expectations.
At its core, it has the components of a heist story. As a sworn grifter, Levi has lots of plans, manipulations, plots in plots, and associated relationship complications as a result. Surrounding it, however, we have the story of Vera who is trying to find her way to living her own life, in a way she wants to rather than what she’s forced to.
We cross to a variety of planets and meet lots of different people along the way. And as we go, we begin to get hints of the political and corporate landscape that surrounds this intriguing take on the future.
Lots of fun with characters that give as good as they get.
Synopsis:
In a universe where humans are just another of a crowd of sentient species, all Levi’s looking for is the next con. He’s in it for love of the game. Well, that and his ship. But he’s bitten off more than he can chew this time, and with his beloved ship on the line, he’s forced into an alliance with expert programmer, Vera, who trusts him about as far as she can throw him.
September 7, 2025
big respect to a zaykova (¬‿¬) the plot keeps you guessing, lots of energy in the action, interesting people to follow around, and even some romance sprinkled in ✧˖° i’m hoping there’s more sci-fi coming soon!
June 3, 2025
This was a wild and fun ride. The MMC was super clever and the nickname the Weasel will forever be my favorite way of describing a man who cons his way into anything and out of everything. Like seriously this guy was so unpredictable. I couldn't guess at anything that he was about to do, and the FMC was kind of boring but she had her growth and she was super slick herself at times. This was a really nice space opera with a mix of shenanigans. Would highly recommend to my scifi friends.
Want to read
September 10, 2024i would die to read this book right now
September 10, 2025
This high stakes planet-hopping adventure/space opera features a con artist with few scruples, a woman desperate for a chance to get out from under debt, and information both highly secret and prized, that people will kill for.
We meet Levi on a pirate ship. No one particularly likes him, and it becomes clear very early on that Levi will con anyon,e and has no loyalty to anyone but himself. And everything he does over the course of this novel is to make enough money so he can get his beloved and custom-outfitted spaceship back.
When the pirate ship comes under attack, he grabs any and all possibly useful information off the ship, then escapes. He makes his way back to the planet Blackjack, somewhere he keeps unhappily returning to when his funds are low. Of course, there are several people there, mostly gangsters, whom he's conned in some way, and who are eager to get their hands on him and likely kill him.
He meets a young woman, Vera, who is trying to squeeze enough money out of their bar so she and her brother can pay off their inherited debt. She also desperately wants off the planet to find adventure and a different life. She's a gifted programmer, and Levi hires her to extract the data from what he stole on the pirate ship. This turns out to be a blueprint for antimatter technology, and suddenly, EVERYone wants what Levi has, and Vera is dragged along, intent on finding her own advantage in the situation, with people intent on shooting and killing them.
They bounce around settled space, barely ahead of their pursuers, and Levi betrays Vera at least once along the way. There is a lot of action, flying away in the nick of time, and acknowledgement of the types of people they both are and what they'll do to achieve their goals.
I’m not sure if I ever really liked Levi during this whole novel. He keeps doing things that hurt others, and has garnered the nickname Weasel over his years cheating others.
I could empathize with Vera, who just wants a chance at a life, rather than the miserable existence she has, vying with gangsters to deal with her family's debt. Vera also, unlike Levi, can make friends and generate goodwill towards her, such as what she receives from two people, whom I instantly liked, on a planet she's marooned on by Levi.
A couple of things I wished author A. Zaykova had handled a little differently:
-the romantic subplot didn't work for me. There's nothing attractive or likeable about Levi.
-I wish the actual meaning of what Levi stole at the novel's beginning had been revealed a little earlier, and that Levi's heroic actions had more basis, particularly as he's shown he couldn't give a crap about anyone else.
That said, I enjoyed this, and am interested in finding out what's next for Vera.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
We meet Levi on a pirate ship. No one particularly likes him, and it becomes clear very early on that Levi will con anyon,e and has no loyalty to anyone but himself. And everything he does over the course of this novel is to make enough money so he can get his beloved and custom-outfitted spaceship back.
When the pirate ship comes under attack, he grabs any and all possibly useful information off the ship, then escapes. He makes his way back to the planet Blackjack, somewhere he keeps unhappily returning to when his funds are low. Of course, there are several people there, mostly gangsters, whom he's conned in some way, and who are eager to get their hands on him and likely kill him.
He meets a young woman, Vera, who is trying to squeeze enough money out of their bar so she and her brother can pay off their inherited debt. She also desperately wants off the planet to find adventure and a different life. She's a gifted programmer, and Levi hires her to extract the data from what he stole on the pirate ship. This turns out to be a blueprint for antimatter technology, and suddenly, EVERYone wants what Levi has, and Vera is dragged along, intent on finding her own advantage in the situation, with people intent on shooting and killing them.
They bounce around settled space, barely ahead of their pursuers, and Levi betrays Vera at least once along the way. There is a lot of action, flying away in the nick of time, and acknowledgement of the types of people they both are and what they'll do to achieve their goals.
I’m not sure if I ever really liked Levi during this whole novel. He keeps doing things that hurt others, and has garnered the nickname Weasel over his years cheating others.
I could empathize with Vera, who just wants a chance at a life, rather than the miserable existence she has, vying with gangsters to deal with her family's debt. Vera also, unlike Levi, can make friends and generate goodwill towards her, such as what she receives from two people, whom I instantly liked, on a planet she's marooned on by Levi.
A couple of things I wished author A. Zaykova had handled a little differently:
-the romantic subplot didn't work for me. There's nothing attractive or likeable about Levi.
-I wish the actual meaning of what Levi stole at the novel's beginning had been revealed a little earlier, and that Levi's heroic actions had more basis, particularly as he's shown he couldn't give a crap about anyone else.
That said, I enjoyed this, and am interested in finding out what's next for Vera.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
August 1, 2025
Levi would be a bad friend but oh my, he is so fun to read about.
October 7, 2025
This was such a great book. Whenever I had to put it down, I just couldn't wait to pick it up again. I was totally engrossed in this story!
Levi is really not a great guy, but he is a great character! Vera acted like she had a conscience but truthfully, I'm not sure she's much better than Levi, haha. It certainly made for a fun story.
Looking forward to the next book!
Levi is really not a great guy, but he is a great character! Vera acted like she had a conscience but truthfully, I'm not sure she's much better than Levi, haha. It certainly made for a fun story.
Looking forward to the next book!
July 19, 2025
I loved Galaxy Grifter, and look forward to the next in the series! I can’t wait to see more of Levi and Vera.
July 29, 2025
Levi is a sociopath in the most literal sense of the term. He cares about his ship and his parents and that's it. So when his ship is impounded, there is nothing he will not do and nobody he won't manipulate and betray to get it back.
Vera wants to get off her dump of a (planet? Station? I'm not entirely sure), but she's stuck until she pays off her late parent's debts. So when a good looking dude offers to pay her to translate some data that a lot of criminal elements want, she agrees.
I went into this hoping for a Guardians of the Galaxy type adventure. Sadly, Levi is no Peter Quill. In fact, Levi has the charm of a Weasel, that is, none. The description also promised humor but if there was humor, it was so dry I didn't recognize it. Vera was more likable but also pretty blank.
My biggest issue was the very surface level writing style. While we're told how people feel, I never felt it from them. As a result, I never connected with them as characters. At one point, it looks like Levi and Vera might be goners. I wasn't worried because I didn't care about them; even at the end of the book they were pretty blank to me.
The worldbuilding was also pretty thin. I don't mind light wordbuilding as I care more about character development and relationships, but at one point we're told there's an alien race who might be plotting against Humanity and I had no frame of reference as to who they were. Had we seen them before? Did they run part of the galaxy or what? I had no clue.
While there was some action, a lot of the book was loosely connected events. Whole chapters happened where I skimmed through because it didn't really move the plot along. A few of the character connections did turn up again later as important, but for me the book was a bit of a slog and I considered DNFing more than once. The very end did pick up and the last few chapters were enjoyable, but for me it wasn't enough to want to pick up the next book.
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the review copy.
Vera wants to get off her dump of a (planet? Station? I'm not entirely sure), but she's stuck until she pays off her late parent's debts. So when a good looking dude offers to pay her to translate some data that a lot of criminal elements want, she agrees.
I went into this hoping for a Guardians of the Galaxy type adventure. Sadly, Levi is no Peter Quill. In fact, Levi has the charm of a Weasel, that is, none. The description also promised humor but if there was humor, it was so dry I didn't recognize it. Vera was more likable but also pretty blank.
My biggest issue was the very surface level writing style. While we're told how people feel, I never felt it from them. As a result, I never connected with them as characters. At one point, it looks like Levi and Vera might be goners. I wasn't worried because I didn't care about them; even at the end of the book they were pretty blank to me.
The worldbuilding was also pretty thin. I don't mind light wordbuilding as I care more about character development and relationships, but at one point we're told there's an alien race who might be plotting against Humanity and I had no frame of reference as to who they were. Had we seen them before? Did they run part of the galaxy or what? I had no clue.
While there was some action, a lot of the book was loosely connected events. Whole chapters happened where I skimmed through because it didn't really move the plot along. A few of the character connections did turn up again later as important, but for me the book was a bit of a slog and I considered DNFing more than once. The very end did pick up and the last few chapters were enjoyable, but for me it wasn't enough to want to pick up the next book.
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the review copy.
July 1, 2025
If you enjoy riding through space, narrowly evading mob bosses, heist vibes with an apathetic main character then this is for you. Its kind of star wars meets oceans eleven meets ant man.
I enjoyed the light hearted look at an expansive universe, a couple of young mc's hurtling through space intent on self preservation and unbeknownst yo them, a dose of self discovery. The world building was well thought out and I especially enjoyed when the terra forming stories were fleshed out so the reader got to understand the how and why.
The two main characters were deeply flawed and quite unlikeable throughout. It was a bold and interesting choice to do this, as a reader you were always wanting more from them, hoping they would grow and evolve.
Overall, this is a great debut from a promising author and im interested to see what she develops next!
I enjoyed the light hearted look at an expansive universe, a couple of young mc's hurtling through space intent on self preservation and unbeknownst yo them, a dose of self discovery. The world building was well thought out and I especially enjoyed when the terra forming stories were fleshed out so the reader got to understand the how and why.
The two main characters were deeply flawed and quite unlikeable throughout. It was a bold and interesting choice to do this, as a reader you were always wanting more from them, hoping they would grow and evolve.
Overall, this is a great debut from a promising author and im interested to see what she develops next!
June 9, 2025
Levi is a jackass. In all seriousness if you’re young and met a guy who’s half the scoundrel just say no. In real life the bad boy is just about universally a bad idea. But we’re in storybook land so let’s roll with it and see if he’s can be redeemed. Vera is likable though. Rough life, rough place and she’s doing her best to better her lot. I enjoyed the book, it’s a page turner. It ends well but I’d also read a second pretty happily to see if Levi has grown up at all.
June 11, 2025
SO MUCH FUN. Everything you love about gritty, quick-witted, "how DID they do it" heist movies, but all wrapped in a classic sci-fi setting with smarmy antiheroes, colorful sidequests, and worldbuilding that folds seamlessly into the story. I had so much fun traipsing through the galaxy with Vera and Levi as they caused and solved problem after problem. The stakes just kept getting higher and higher--I cannot wait for whatever these two do next!
June 11, 2025
Won this book on Kindle. The book was full of adventure and space hijinx, but for some reason it just fell a little flat for me. I thought Vera was interesting, likable, and intelligent. However, Levi was hard to like due to his selfishness, constant betrayals, and double-crosses (even though he did redeem himself in the end). Overall, I enjoyed the story and would have ranked it higher if Levi didn't get on my nerves so much.
June 5, 2025
DNF at 35%
I wanted to adore this book and had been highly anticipating it for months. The main characters have no personality, and I didn't care what happened to them. Levi is supposed to be this con artist that has a reputation that spans the entire galaxy but he's painfully predictable and unlikeable.
Thank you to Orbit for the early release copy.
I wanted to adore this book and had been highly anticipating it for months. The main characters have no personality, and I didn't care what happened to them. Levi is supposed to be this con artist that has a reputation that spans the entire galaxy but he's painfully predictable and unlikeable.
Thank you to Orbit for the early release copy.
August 1, 2025
I haven’t stopped thinking about this book all summer!! I’m so ready for book 2. I love Levi (maybe I shouldn’t but COME ON).
Vera kicks ass and deserves the world.
GIVE ME BOOK 2 SHENANIGANS NOW.
Vera kicks ass and deserves the world.
GIVE ME BOOK 2 SHENANIGANS NOW.
Read
June 4, 2025ty orbit
My issue with galaxy grifters is its writing style then everything else, so much telling & nothing was shown it felt like someone going “I went there” “he talked to me” “we did that” that it genuinely drives you mad before you even hit 10%. Incredibly bare bones style of writing, the planets , the atmosphere, the world everything was described so plainly it felt like a joke to be honest. I dont get how this is a scifi space opera with the least explained space / tech on the planet, so many interesting tech or alien species are explained so poorly like at some point you have to put the words “gills” and “virt” down and actually make up descriptions for stuff. Also there was a lot disjunctions in descriptions. In short it felt like a rough draft.
Couldn’t give a fuck about the story because of the writing and because of the insufferable nature of the characters. Levi is cliche charming character that all the women want and hes such a genius and his pov reads as such (aka reads insufferably) and for such a genius he keeps fucking up constantly and I get that you need a plot device (since the initial motives are slop) but have mercy on me I can only take so much.
At least with Vera (who has the traits of a cardboard but hey she has red hair so thats a stand in for her missing personality I guess) I could roll my eyes at her stupid actions and continue. And for that reason the weird pov divide (with a major lean towards Levi) pissed me off to no end.
The high stakes of the story were nonexistent because by the 4th time they fuck up yet magically everything works for them, that you sense the pattern of everything being sorted out magically more often than not by Levi.
A big plot point happens in the last 5% (mentioned in the synopsis which I think is stupid) and is resolved in exactly half a chapter and at some point we have to be For Real man, I would’ve rather a cliffhanger for the 2nd book (which I do not think should happen, I see the ending is tidied up well enough, and I don’t think anyone hate themselves enough to get more of Levi and Vera).
Actually I would’ve rather they DIED.
Im embarrassed to call what Vera and Levi have as a relationship, or tension, or even romance. They’re dull randos (not even acquaintances) that apparently hate and don’t trust each other but keep sleeping together even though she spends her pov saying she hates him and he keep saying he doesn’t trust the ‘bitch’.
Spoilers:
Spoilers:
Genuinely could not tell you a singular thing I liked, if you plan to read this read the synopsis then lower your expectations to a zero then read it.
I could say way more about the weird time jump in the middle or how it should’ve been halved down or whatever but I think I’ve suffered enough.
My issue with galaxy grifters is its writing style then everything else, so much telling & nothing was shown it felt like someone going “I went there” “he talked to me” “we did that” that it genuinely drives you mad before you even hit 10%. Incredibly bare bones style of writing, the planets , the atmosphere, the world everything was described so plainly it felt like a joke to be honest. I dont get how this is a scifi space opera with the least explained space / tech on the planet, so many interesting tech or alien species are explained so poorly like at some point you have to put the words “gills” and “virt” down and actually make up descriptions for stuff. Also there was a lot disjunctions in descriptions. In short it felt like a rough draft.
Couldn’t give a fuck about the story because of the writing and because of the insufferable nature of the characters. Levi is cliche charming character that all the women want and hes such a genius and his pov reads as such (aka reads insufferably) and for such a genius he keeps fucking up constantly and I get that you need a plot device (since the initial motives are slop) but have mercy on me I can only take so much.
At least with Vera (who has the traits of a cardboard but hey she has red hair so thats a stand in for her missing personality I guess) I could roll my eyes at her stupid actions and continue. And for that reason the weird pov divide (with a major lean towards Levi) pissed me off to no end.
The high stakes of the story were nonexistent because by the 4th time they fuck up yet magically everything works for them, that you sense the pattern of everything being sorted out magically more often than not by Levi.
A big plot point happens in the last 5% (mentioned in the synopsis which I think is stupid) and is resolved in exactly half a chapter and at some point we have to be For Real man, I would’ve rather a cliffhanger for the 2nd book (which I do not think should happen, I see the ending is tidied up well enough, and I don’t think anyone hate themselves enough to get more of Levi and Vera).
Actually I would’ve rather they DIED.
Im embarrassed to call what Vera and Levi have as a relationship, or tension, or even romance. They’re dull randos (not even acquaintances) that apparently hate and don’t trust each other but keep sleeping together even though she spends her pov saying she hates him and he keep saying he doesn’t trust the ‘bitch’.
Spoilers:
Spoilers:
Genuinely could not tell you a singular thing I liked, if you plan to read this read the synopsis then lower your expectations to a zero then read it.
I could say way more about the weird time jump in the middle or how it should’ve been halved down or whatever but I think I’ve suffered enough.
June 13, 2025
Galaxy Grifter by A. Zaykova follows the adventures of Levi, a smarmy grifter who will do anything to get his spaceship, the Caerus, back, and Vera, a talented programmer who gets caught up in the storm centered around Levi’s shenanigans.
Levi has put his ship up as loan collateral and needs a big payout to get it back. Through his scheming, he manages to obtain what he believes are plans for specialized engine technology. With the possible payout of selling this information to the highest bidder, he may be able to get his ship back, but he has no way of decoding it. Enter Vera, located on the run-down asteroid Blackjack, who possesses a decoder to translate the data. But Vera wants in on the payout because she and her brother are indebted to the local gang, trying to keep their bar up and running after the loss of their parents. Without giving too much away, what follows are multiple double-crosses, on both sides, that lead to gang trouble, government trouble, and traipsing all over the known galaxy trying to find the truth.
The characters are the strong points of this book. I appreciated that he never got a forced redemption arc for Levi. He is a scoundrel all through the book, from beginning to end, and you learn to love hating him. Vera is portrayed as intelligent, as well as having a basic good nature and a sense of family. Even though the side characters may be over-the-top caricatures in their villainy, I didn’t find it too much.
However, while the setup and character dynamics are strong, the plot didn't land quite as well for me. Despite a series of high-stakes situations and double-crosses, I never really felt the emotional pull or romantic tension that seemed to be hinted at. The chemistry between Levi and Vera felt a bit flat, more functional than compelling. And the ending, which hinted at massive consequences, fizzled out instead of going out with a bang. After all that build-up, I was left saying, “Is that it?” which is never the reaction you want at the finale.
Still, Galaxy Grifter has its moments and would likely appeal to fans of space capers who enjoy colorful characters more than high-stakes payoffs. It’s a fun ride, even if it doesn't quite stick the landing.
Thank you to the publisher Orbit, the author A. Zaykova, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Levi has put his ship up as loan collateral and needs a big payout to get it back. Through his scheming, he manages to obtain what he believes are plans for specialized engine technology. With the possible payout of selling this information to the highest bidder, he may be able to get his ship back, but he has no way of decoding it. Enter Vera, located on the run-down asteroid Blackjack, who possesses a decoder to translate the data. But Vera wants in on the payout because she and her brother are indebted to the local gang, trying to keep their bar up and running after the loss of their parents. Without giving too much away, what follows are multiple double-crosses, on both sides, that lead to gang trouble, government trouble, and traipsing all over the known galaxy trying to find the truth.
The characters are the strong points of this book. I appreciated that he never got a forced redemption arc for Levi. He is a scoundrel all through the book, from beginning to end, and you learn to love hating him. Vera is portrayed as intelligent, as well as having a basic good nature and a sense of family. Even though the side characters may be over-the-top caricatures in their villainy, I didn’t find it too much.
However, while the setup and character dynamics are strong, the plot didn't land quite as well for me. Despite a series of high-stakes situations and double-crosses, I never really felt the emotional pull or romantic tension that seemed to be hinted at. The chemistry between Levi and Vera felt a bit flat, more functional than compelling. And the ending, which hinted at massive consequences, fizzled out instead of going out with a bang. After all that build-up, I was left saying, “Is that it?” which is never the reaction you want at the finale.
Still, Galaxy Grifter has its moments and would likely appeal to fans of space capers who enjoy colorful characters more than high-stakes payoffs. It’s a fun ride, even if it doesn't quite stick the landing.
Thank you to the publisher Orbit, the author A. Zaykova, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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