Only Bad Options

Galactic Bonds, Book 1

By: Jennifer Estep

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang, James Fouhey

New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Estep blasts off with an exciting new science-fiction/fantasy adventure with a dash of historical romance. This action-packed space opera features a mix of magic and technology, along with a soul mates and enemies-to-lovers story. Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice.

A woman who sees everything...

Few people know the name Vesper Quill. To most folks, I’m just a lowly lab rat who designs brewmakers and other household appliances in the research-and-development lab at the powerful Kent Corp. But when I point out a design flaw and a safety hazard in the new line of Kent Corp spaceships, everyone knows who I am—and wants to eliminate me.

I might be a seer with a photographic memory, but I don’t see the trouble headed my way until it’s too late. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.

I don’t think things can get any worse until I meet Kyrion Caldaren, an arrogant Regal lord who insists that we have a connection, one that could be the death of us both.

A man who can’t forget his past...

The name Kyrion Caldaren strikes fear in the hearts of people across the Archipelago Galaxy. As the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force, I’m used to being a villain, as well as the personal assassin of Lord Callus Holloway. Even the wealthy Regals who live on the planet of Corios are afraid of me.

But everything changes when I meet Vesper Quill. I might be a powerful psion with telepathic, telekinetic, and other abilities, but Vesper sees far too many of my secrets.

Thanks to an arcane, unwanted quirk of psionic magic, the two of us are forced to work together to unravel a dangerous conspiracy and outwit the deadly enemies who want to bend us to their will.

©2022 Jennifer Estep (P)2022 Audible, Inc.

my kind of scifi

I can't wait for the next one. I love the world, the blend of tech and magic, the romance, and the promise of what's in store for future books. The world is vivid, and the intrigue and plotting kept be hooked the whole way through. The book ends with a great question that leaves me wanting more (not a cliffhanger at all).

Great book!

I enjoyed every minute. Great narrators, good story that kept me interested from beginning to end. Definitely hoping for this storyline to continue!

Fun, Well Performed!

I really enjoyed the story and the performances. Nice space opera, magic, romance plot. Very well executed. Loved the heroes, hated the villains. Cant wait for the sequel and I’ll look for more by this author. Strongly recommend!

Hard to walk away

This was a great sci fi read. interesting world of magic versus technology and Vesper and Kyrion were great characters. The story arc was really entrancing & I found myself sitting in my car way longer wanting one more chapter.

Great read

Another great series from Jennifer Estep. Hope to read many more books in the saga.

Unique plot well-told

No spoilers here. The twist is different from any other SciFi I’ve read. The narrators are great too. Looking forward to the next book(s).

Imaginative

Interesting mix of tech and magic and an interesting take on how being bonded can be dangerous

Great Story & Storytelling!!!!

Such an unexpected surprise. I did not want the book to end. The only negative is that I don’t want to wait until book 2 in the series is released.

my fave Estep story

This is the third time I bought the first book in a Jennifer Estep series and the first time I MIGHT, maybe, get the second book.
Estep runs to much narrative text in her stories, which then derails her action scenes. I did get drawn in by her characters but I feel Estep didn’t do as good a job with plot points. Weakest points: Kyrion’s submission to Holloway and the pair bond. Parts of the logic flow were missing.
My bugaboo: whether a story is murder, thriller, scifi, fantasy or romance, IT’S ALL FICTION. The story has to flow logically in the world the author has created. My personal preferences are romance-life and scifi/fantasy-possibilities over murder-death or thriller-egos acting out. And a well-written story trumps genre every time.
The Publisher’s Summary gives a minimum of the storyline.
Fortgang and Fouhey work as narrators for these characters.

Great Soap Opera Scifi but narration was off

What I appreciated most about this book was that it wasn't the typical insta-love story that I've come across in other "fated-mates" trope books. The forced relationship was actually a challenge to overcome which I found a refreshing change and a more satisfying and believable love story.

However, I did have some issues with the narration. While the male narrator was serviceable, his voice didn't quite match the character that I had imagined in my head. Of course, this could just be a matter of personal preference.

As for the female narrator, I had previously enjoyed her work in the Kill the Queen series. However, in the beginning of this audiobook, her performance left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed. It seemed like she was portraying the main character as being somewhat apathetic or depressed, which didn't quite match the tone that I had expected. That being said, I do think that narration is a highly personal thing and others may have a different experience with this performance.

Despite my issues with the narration, the story itself was engaging and well-written.