Star Chasers

by Viola Grace, Belinda McBride, Gabriella Bradley

Polarium; a huge fictional star visible to all planets and featured in all four stories in our Star Chasers anthology. Polarium’s purpose differs depending on where the story is set but has a huge influence over the lives and loves of the characters involved. Treat yourself, stowaway with us and transport yourself to the stars with some of eXtasy Books’ top authors. Frozen Ember by Viola Grace Locked in stasis within a slow orbit around a star, Ember has to face the fact that something is moving on the surface of Polarium. She had a bright future when her ability for mimicry was developed on the molecular level. Ember had her future stolen when raiders attacked the shuttle taking her from the Alliance to her assignment as a student at the Archive. She was locked up, wrapped up, and frozen for an unknown purpose. While she sleeps she is sold several times, passed along and finally, the ship she is on explodes and leaves her in her stasis cocoon, in orbit around a bright star. The computer wakes Ember when something approaches her unit and the fire wraps around her and carries her off. The moment the unit opens she uses the talent that got her a place in the stars, and she meets the Avatar of the star she was orbiting. The Lion’s Stowaway by Gabriella Bradley & Taryn Jameson Rule number one of a stowaway… Always blend in. At least that is what Isabella had planned to do when the Initiation Two landed on Thauro. But how is a girl supposed to blend in when she wakes from stasis to find herself alone on an alien planet? With no trace of the ship or crew in sight, she is forced into thievery to survive. Rule number two of a stowaway… Don’t get caught. Aliens don’t come in sexy packages that make your skin prickle and your heart skip a beat. And they sure as heck don’t shift from lions into humans. Do they? She is hallucinating or…the ship crashed, she’s dead, and this is Heaven. White Star by Belinda McBride A slave and a gladiator. A nobody and a mega-star. Two unlikely lovers unite to escape a mad king, elude a vengeful trainer, and survive a natural disaster. All he wants is to go home. Brock has it luxury, wealth and fame. He's a star, a gladiator beyond compare. But the clock is counting down on the big fighter. Every match has higher stakes. Every battle leaves the dead on his conscience. And after every fight, his trainer comes to patch him back together, and leaves a new contract, one that Brock dreads signing. She is the King’s Cripple. Verda ignores the ignominious nickname and devotes herself to her studies, and to her uncanny ability to soothe the temper of a rapidly unraveling king. Verda knows things that could save their world, but the world does not want to hear. So she patiently plans her escape. And she waits. When the slave and the gladiator are thrown together, they form an unlikely she has the knowledge to get them off the planet. He has the strength to carry out her plan. But in the sky, the White Star is taking a toll on their world, and before they are ready, their time may run out. Xanadu by Astrid Cooper Is there no beauty in truth? Empire Day is a celebration, but not for Suleah, whose lover, Gilland, was killed in action in the last space battle before peace… When Suleah wakens from a nightmare, she discovers Gilland is not dead, but very much alive in Xanadu—the pleasure dome of their dreams and desires.

298 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2018

Reviews

[Lyndi W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This just didn't really work for me.

[Liz Madill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

A wonderful sampling of short stories told by some truly remarkable writers. I’ll be reading more from them after this!

[Elb4966 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read the 1st two stories.

So the premise of these short stories that they occurred were around the same star. Beyond using the same name for the star, Polarium, nothing in the short stories connect them. If you are going to use a gimmick stating that all the stories are in the same "world" the authors should talk and settle on the background of the world they are building.

For example. Viola Grace bases her short story along the "world" her terra times series built. In this worlds are sentient and have been known to kill/remove everyone from the surface if they are not respecting the planet. The 2nd short story by Gabriella Bradley & Taryn Jameson has earth so polluted that humans had to leave and the portion that could not would die before they reached 30. The basis of these two short stories are in conflict. A meeting to discuss world building would have resolved this conflict.

I did enjoy Frozen Ember by Viola Grace. It was stated that this is a start of a new series which I am looking forward to reading.

I did not like The Lion’s Stowaway by Gabriella Bradley & Taryn Jameson. I thought the story focused too much on the internal, rather than the external. I live in my head enough. I don't want to read about a fake character in her on head and the twists and turns she takes to make a decision. Rather, I would not mind a brief glimpse so that I understand where the character is coming from; not the "all day sucker" I got in this short story.

[Meg Kinch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it...

I really enjoyed this. Yes, the stories were short and a bit rushed, except for Viola Grace' s book and Taryn & Gabriella's book. Viola is known for her fab short stories and this is one of them. The only one I didn't care for was Xanadu, hence the four stars. Otherwise, I liked the variety of stories and characters.

[Aline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad

I thought this books was awful. Would not recommend spending money on it. The only reason I bought it was the first story by Viola Grace, and that one was disappointing, also but much better than those that followed.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only story I liked was the White Star by Belinda. Super sweet and really romantic!

The first two stories are super confusing and needed to be edited.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read Viola Grace's story called Frozen Ember.

[Cc · Rating 1 out of 5]

See review for Dragon series on why 1 ⭐️.