What do you think?
Rate this book
Max Seventeen #1
Max Seventeen
Action romance. In deep space.
Max is running. From jail, from hunger, and from the hard labour that awaits on the Zeta Secunda Mining Corps' stinking land trains.
Riley is running. From terrible shame in the past, from dark secrets in the present, and from the Service who have very definite ideas about officers who abscond to join pirate crews.
The starship Eurydice could mean their salvation. But the enigmatic Captain Orpheus could betray them both at any minute. When a terrible plot is uncovered and loyalties are tested, Max and Riley face losing everything.
Fans of Firefly, Black Sails, Deadpool, Fury Road? You are going to love Max Seventeen!
Max is running. From jail, from hunger, and from the hard labour that awaits on the Zeta Secunda Mining Corps' stinking land trains.
Riley is running. From terrible shame in the past, from dark secrets in the present, and from the Service who have very definite ideas about officers who abscond to join pirate crews.
The starship Eurydice could mean their salvation. But the enigmatic Captain Orpheus could betray them both at any minute. When a terrible plot is uncovered and loyalties are tested, Max and Riley face losing everything.
Fans of Firefly, Black Sails, Deadpool, Fury Road? You are going to love Max Seventeen!
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2016
23 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Kate Johnson
51 books553 followersKate Johnson lives in rural Essex where she belongs to a pride of cats and puts up with a demon puppy. She did actually do most of her homework, but quickly so as to have more time to stare out of the window thinking about heroes. Stay in school, kids. Kate has done a variety of not-particularly great jobs, ranging from airport check-in to lab assistant, but much prefers writing for a living. For one thing, the hours are better, and no one ever tells her off for not ironing her shirt. In fact, the lack of ironing might be the single greatest advantage to being an author. Kate loves going off at mad tangents, which you’d surely never have guessed, but also enjoys reading romance and fantasy, watching funny stuff on TV, drinking coffee by the gallon and occasionally leaving the house. The Untied Kingdom is her first novel to be published in the UK.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 14, 2021
This book y’all! I mean I just LOVED this damn book!
Ok- I forced myself to read the book at first, but only because I was not in the mood to read. I am so glad I did! Max could easily be my favorite heroine of all time. She was ballsy, smart, trashy, vulgar, harsh, realistic, horny, unapologetic, loyal and had an incredibly kind heart. She had me rolling! I had to go back and re-read the first few chapters because the author did such an amazing job, I needed to verify what I was reading. Blew me away!
The rest of the book pretty much follows most space opera formulas, but I had zero complaints. Any scene where Max was involved, I was hooked.
Now, Riley, the Hero of the book…oh that precious baby. I have never wanted to hug a character more than Riley. He was this adorable, well-mannered, straight-laced man who just wanted everyone to get a long and respect each other. Too bad everyone on the ship was either fighting or fucking, and bless his little heart, he just couldn’t keep up!
Max and Riley were simply perfect for each other. With chaos whirling all around them, they managed to forge a beautiful relationship that really should have never worked. Definitely a book that I’ll be reading again in the future!
Ok- I forced myself to read the book at first, but only because I was not in the mood to read. I am so glad I did! Max could easily be my favorite heroine of all time. She was ballsy, smart, trashy, vulgar, harsh, realistic, horny, unapologetic, loyal and had an incredibly kind heart. She had me rolling! I had to go back and re-read the first few chapters because the author did such an amazing job, I needed to verify what I was reading. Blew me away!
The rest of the book pretty much follows most space opera formulas, but I had zero complaints. Any scene where Max was involved, I was hooked.
Now, Riley, the Hero of the book…oh that precious baby. I have never wanted to hug a character more than Riley. He was this adorable, well-mannered, straight-laced man who just wanted everyone to get a long and respect each other. Too bad everyone on the ship was either fighting or fucking, and bless his little heart, he just couldn’t keep up!
Max and Riley were simply perfect for each other. With chaos whirling all around them, they managed to forge a beautiful relationship that really should have never worked. Definitely a book that I’ll be reading again in the future!
October 8, 2017
I haven't read a sci-fi book in a while but stumbled upon this book by accident and I'm glad I did. The world building was great. I fell in love with Riley's gentle character but who can also go, Berserker. Max was a great character, scars and all. Warning, this book contains sexual situations but if you don't mind a bit of spice mixed with your space adventures I recommend this book.
September 3, 2021
This is very much Firefly-inspired fiction - there is no one-to-one correspondence with the characters, but a ragtag band of untrustworthy misfits operate on the fringes of the galaxy and rob trains in western-style ambushes. I mention this because, well, I didn't connect with Firefly, and I didn't connect with this, but I think that if you're a Firefly fan you might do better.
A few things irked me: firstly we don't get a gender or physical description for either Max or Riley for the first few chapters. I assumed it was being done on purpose but later in the book we're just told that Riley's a dude and Max is a lady (and we get vague physical descriptions) so if it was being done on purpose I don't know what that purpose was. It made it hard for me to visualize what was going on, and the first part of the book especially is very cinematic.
The next part was originally multiple long rants that nobody wants to bother to read, but basically: the book, like Firefly, bluntly, accepts the patriarchy and the patriarchal mindset in ways that I found (a) lazy writing and (b) unpleasant to read. The hero is ridiculously possessive in ways that the author knows are gross, the narrative supports the idea that there is only one kind of rape (violent, done by bad people), reproduction is used for cheap plot drama, and there's a definitive and thorough wrap-up to a very messy and complicated situation so we can roll credits.
In more detail (okay, I guess I'm going to rant about it anyway):
The overarching mystery plot is interesting albeit reliant on a loooot of coincidence to make it "personal." It then goes completely bananapants (not in a bad way but definitely in a somewhat overwhelmingly fast way) with a lot of double-crossing and secret identities and whatnot. But the nature of the mystery and the thoroughness of the happy endings also didn't work for me, because it's just such a gigantic... thing, and the idea that this all could have happened over so many years and then just be resolved so quickly, concretely and definitively by good people (which is what we're told) feels wildly unrealistic.
Overall, I felt like the action elements were well-done and the actual mystery plot was, over all, interesting. The gender dynamics were really what killed this for me, which is too bad.
A few things irked me: firstly we don't get a gender or physical description for either Max or Riley for the first few chapters. I assumed it was being done on purpose but later in the book we're just told that Riley's a dude and Max is a lady (and we get vague physical descriptions) so if it was being done on purpose I don't know what that purpose was. It made it hard for me to visualize what was going on, and the first part of the book especially is very cinematic.
The next part was originally multiple long rants that nobody wants to bother to read, but basically: the book, like Firefly, bluntly, accepts the patriarchy and the patriarchal mindset in ways that I found (a) lazy writing and (b) unpleasant to read. The hero is ridiculously possessive in ways that the author knows are gross, the narrative supports the idea that there is only one kind of rape (violent, done by bad people), reproduction is used for cheap plot drama, and there's a definitive and thorough wrap-up to a very messy and complicated situation so we can roll credits.
In more detail (okay, I guess I'm going to rant about it anyway):
The overarching mystery plot is interesting albeit reliant on a loooot of coincidence to make it "personal." It then goes completely bananapants (not in a bad way but definitely in a somewhat overwhelmingly fast way) with a lot of double-crossing and secret identities and whatnot. But the nature of the mystery and the thoroughness of the happy endings also didn't work for me, because it's just such a gigantic... thing, and the idea that this all could have happened over so many years and then just be resolved so quickly, concretely and definitively by good people (which is what we're told) feels wildly unrealistic.
Overall, I felt like the action elements were well-done and the actual mystery plot was, over all, interesting. The gender dynamics were really what killed this for me, which is too bad.
October 31, 2016
Pirates, whores and double-crossing, oh my!
Where to start?
I've been a fan of Kate's writing since The UnTied Kingdom: she writes *real* people, with character and flaws and actually interesting inner monologues. Her plots are bonkers and out me through the emotional wringer. I've been waiting for Max Seventeen since she was the sweaty, badly-behaved heroine of the tentatively titled 'Mad Space Book'.
She was worth the wait.
Max Seventeen (the book) is many things: witty, gross, violent, romantic, heart-breaking, thought-provoking, sexy and bloody good fun.
Max Seventeen (the person) is the perfect antithetical heroine: she can (will, does) rescue herself, thank you very much. She is utterly secure in who and what she is, and wastes no time feeling sorry for herself...well, when she does, she gives herself sh*t for it, so it doesn't count. She is fierce in every possible way and grows as a person throughout the book.
Riley is also fairly antithetical as a hero. He's big and good looking, but reserved and very prim and proper (to start with). If you're a Discworld fan, he's very, very much like Captain Carrot. But just because hes good, doesn't mean he's stupid. He is beautifully fleshed out (ha! I'm funny) and capable of experiencing and dealing with all of his emotions.
The crew of The Eurydice are fascinating; the plot kept throwing red herrings, Maguffins, and total shout-at-my-kindle shockers, and I really, really wished the book hadn't ended.
This is a wonderful book full of pirates, whores, runaways and heroes of both genders, and I fervently hope there's a series coming out of it.
Where to start?
I've been a fan of Kate's writing since The UnTied Kingdom: she writes *real* people, with character and flaws and actually interesting inner monologues. Her plots are bonkers and out me through the emotional wringer. I've been waiting for Max Seventeen since she was the sweaty, badly-behaved heroine of the tentatively titled 'Mad Space Book'.
She was worth the wait.
Max Seventeen (the book) is many things: witty, gross, violent, romantic, heart-breaking, thought-provoking, sexy and bloody good fun.
Max Seventeen (the person) is the perfect antithetical heroine: she can (will, does) rescue herself, thank you very much. She is utterly secure in who and what she is, and wastes no time feeling sorry for herself...well, when she does, she gives herself sh*t for it, so it doesn't count. She is fierce in every possible way and grows as a person throughout the book.
Riley is also fairly antithetical as a hero. He's big and good looking, but reserved and very prim and proper (to start with). If you're a Discworld fan, he's very, very much like Captain Carrot. But just because hes good, doesn't mean he's stupid. He is beautifully fleshed out (ha! I'm funny) and capable of experiencing and dealing with all of his emotions.
The crew of The Eurydice are fascinating; the plot kept throwing red herrings, Maguffins, and total shout-at-my-kindle shockers, and I really, really wished the book hadn't ended.
This is a wonderful book full of pirates, whores, runaways and heroes of both genders, and I fervently hope there's a series coming out of it.
October 16, 2016
I'd heard the author talking about this book on Twitter for a while - she called it the Mad Space Book.
I LOVED her last Mad Book (Untied Kingdom - it's brilliant, if you haven't read it, please do), so I was keen to read this one too.
Max is a brilliantly heroine. Hard as nails and will steal your teeth if you smile at her for too long. She's so stubbornly independent, you can't help liking her. Riley is big and scary to look at, but totally adorable and oh, so honourable. She breaks his nose when she first meets him. So naturally, they're perfect together. The two main characters are wonderfully complex and the connection between them is brilliant. To be honest, I think I was a little bit in love with Riley by the end.
Max and Riley end up on the Eurydice - which is basically a crew of space pirates, led by the enigmatic Captain Orpheus. The rest of the crew were fun too - a bit like Firefly if Jayne were in charge.
The story is part adventure, part mystery, part romance and barrels along at full pelt. I really enjoyed it. The bit about the cat towards the end made me laugh out loud.
There's a lot of violence (nothing graphic), a fair bit of sex (again, nothing graphic), quite a lot of poo (because it's a fuel source) and a lot of swearing. So if you're bothered about that sort of thing, you have been warned. On the other hand... SPACE PIRATES. How can you go wrong?
Disclaimer - I know Kate. We've written books for the same publisher. I received an ARC in return for an honest review - mainly because I badgered her for it.
I LOVED her last Mad Book (Untied Kingdom - it's brilliant, if you haven't read it, please do), so I was keen to read this one too.
Max is a brilliantly heroine. Hard as nails and will steal your teeth if you smile at her for too long. She's so stubbornly independent, you can't help liking her. Riley is big and scary to look at, but totally adorable and oh, so honourable. She breaks his nose when she first meets him. So naturally, they're perfect together. The two main characters are wonderfully complex and the connection between them is brilliant. To be honest, I think I was a little bit in love with Riley by the end.
Max and Riley end up on the Eurydice - which is basically a crew of space pirates, led by the enigmatic Captain Orpheus. The rest of the crew were fun too - a bit like Firefly if Jayne were in charge.
The story is part adventure, part mystery, part romance and barrels along at full pelt. I really enjoyed it. The bit about the cat towards the end made me laugh out loud.
There's a lot of violence (nothing graphic), a fair bit of sex (again, nothing graphic), quite a lot of poo (because it's a fuel source) and a lot of swearing. So if you're bothered about that sort of thing, you have been warned. On the other hand... SPACE PIRATES. How can you go wrong?
Disclaimer - I know Kate. We've written books for the same publisher. I received an ARC in return for an honest review - mainly because I badgered her for it.
October 29, 2016
I used to like sci-fi books (though not read an in a long while) and I love woman's fiction/romances so I was intrigued by the suggestion of reading this one that combines the two.
The story flowed well. I liked Max and Riley very quickly.
Max might be on the run and not know where she's heading but you just know she's heading for trouble even she's not sure she can handle!
Riley becomes a pirate to run from the constraints put on him by his formal upbringing and service life, but ends up with a slave he didn't intend to have... Max!
Max and Riley in differing ways have only every known servitude and never had to care for anyone other than themselves from completely opposite sides of the spectrum. Can they learn to coexist and help each other to remove the shackles of their previous lives and find happiness?
I grew up in a town known for it's anti- slavery founder and through our Freedom festival have learnt a lot about modern day slavery than I ever knew existed, so reading this novel now seemed very appropriate even if it isn't the fundamental reason for the book.
The story flowed well. I liked Max and Riley very quickly.
Max might be on the run and not know where she's heading but you just know she's heading for trouble even she's not sure she can handle!
Riley becomes a pirate to run from the constraints put on him by his formal upbringing and service life, but ends up with a slave he didn't intend to have... Max!
Max and Riley in differing ways have only every known servitude and never had to care for anyone other than themselves from completely opposite sides of the spectrum. Can they learn to coexist and help each other to remove the shackles of their previous lives and find happiness?
I grew up in a town known for it's anti- slavery founder and through our Freedom festival have learnt a lot about modern day slavery than I ever knew existed, so reading this novel now seemed very appropriate even if it isn't the fundamental reason for the book.
September 3, 2018
Okay Ms. Johnson I did not read this expecting for you to make me fall in love with a hunky space mechanic, a truly feisty heroine and a randy crew of space pirates!! And I enjoyed every bit of it immensely. This fast paced love story through the stars, with flawed yet lovable characters (band of misfits), was action packed.
Riley has gone AWOL from the Service that has taken eleven years of his life and he's determined to let them have no more, when he joins the crew of the Eurydice as a ship mechanic. And Max has landed herself in hot water with the law when she's forced to serve out her sentence of one year, as a slave. While on a heist, Riley and the crew come upon Max who had been doomed to hard labor, and now finds himself attached to Max as her new master. As well finding something secret aboard the train that poses more questions that could be dangerous for them all. But not all is as it seems or where the evidence leads. Definitely worth the read!
Riley has gone AWOL from the Service that has taken eleven years of his life and he's determined to let them have no more, when he joins the crew of the Eurydice as a ship mechanic. And Max has landed herself in hot water with the law when she's forced to serve out her sentence of one year, as a slave. While on a heist, Riley and the crew come upon Max who had been doomed to hard labor, and now finds himself attached to Max as her new master. As well finding something secret aboard the train that poses more questions that could be dangerous for them all. But not all is as it seems or where the evidence leads. Definitely worth the read!
June 28, 2018
Wild Ride
Fans of Firefly will love this book especially if they want a little bit more sexy action in their story. Riley was the perfect hero—flawed and hot with a myriad of secrets and layers. Plus, he knew when it was time to let a woman take control in bed and in the fight. Max was a kick-butt character who could out-alpha everyone in her world. She was deadly and vulnerable with a compelling backstory that made me angry for her. This book was hard to put down. The writing flowed and moved me quickly from one conflict to the next. I felt like I was watching a movie and I just buckled up and enjoyed the thrilling, sexy ride.
Fans of Firefly will love this book especially if they want a little bit more sexy action in their story. Riley was the perfect hero—flawed and hot with a myriad of secrets and layers. Plus, he knew when it was time to let a woman take control in bed and in the fight. Max was a kick-butt character who could out-alpha everyone in her world. She was deadly and vulnerable with a compelling backstory that made me angry for her. This book was hard to put down. The writing flowed and moved me quickly from one conflict to the next. I felt like I was watching a movie and I just buckled up and enjoyed the thrilling, sexy ride.
November 1, 2016
Amazing! I really love Impossible things and wanted to read this very much and I was not let down. This is how sci-fi and romance should be written. Ceep up the good work, Kate Johnson!!
November 2, 2016
Great read with fantastic characters and twists every time you stop for breath
October 23, 2017
DNF at 63%. I pretty much lost interest. I got annoyed with Max and wasn’t ever able to get past it. All my peeps give it 4-5 stars but I’m just not feeling it.
August 17, 2025
Good first sci-fi book in the series.
November 8, 2016
Smart, fast, funny and the most detailed of new worlds. In Max Seventeen, Kate Johnson has created a couple of awesome protagonists and also done her trademark new-worlds-so-real-you-could-live-in-them. The dialogue and asides had me creased up with laughter, only to gasp as the story took another twist to somewhere I wasn’t expecting. Properly amazing.
June 26, 2017
I've read Kate Johnson's books earlier and liked them a lot, but Max...oh I just LOVED this one!! Really love the idea of a heroine, who's so rough, honest, strong, sexy and still a bit vulnerable at the same time! And Riley; who could not just fall in love with him! I was so happy when I realized there's going to be a sequel to Max Seventeen!! Can't wait to read it!
December 11, 2018
Max is running. From jail, from hunger, and from the hard labour that awaits on the Zeta Secunda Mining Corps' stinking land trains. The train is about to go over a cliff when she is rescued by Riley, who is Primer who has deserted from the service and joined a pirate crew. Fun read.
June 9, 2019
This is not for fans of “Firefly.” “Firefly” is for fans of “Firefly.” Nonsensical with some bits of “shiny” but mostly filled with convoluted segments stitched together with racy scenes and dumb choices.
February 2, 2018
Very enjoyable role reversal sci-fi. The author has done a good job of making characters who are not at all nice very likeable. I'll be reading the next book.
April 21, 2018
Double-crossing, prostitutes, pirates, conspiracy, desertion, betrayal, inexperienced hero, experienced heroine, dark, romantic elements, hacking, selective breeding...
Can't wait to read the next.
Can't wait to read the next.
Read
December 17, 20192 star DNF due to boredom in sample.
May 9, 2025
dnf about 2 chapters in
November 21, 2025
this series is so good!!
February 25, 2023
Very interesting different
different definitely entertaining
different definitely entertaining
August 31, 2025
This is a hugely underrated series. The writing is brilliant, the characters vivid and the dialogue funny and believable. Massive Firefly vibes and would recommend to any fans of that.
March 18, 2017
A fantastic love story set in space with the sort of larger-than-life feisty characters I have come to expect (and love) from this author. Totally believable world-building. It’s gritty, intense and pulls no punches, and the hero is just wonderful!
December 29, 2016
Loved this one!!!! Hope to read more adventures on board the Eurydice with Max, Riley, and the crew. Be careful reading reviews, they could get spoilery very easily.
November 22, 2019
If you are a fan of Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat books, you should read Max Seventeen!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews