For Artemis Ialan, an ex-convict and trash collector living on a planet that has been reduced to a toxic wasteland, the opportunity to compete on an intergalactic dating show starring the prince and princess set to inherit the galactic empire is at once a dream… and a nightmare.
After agreeing to an underhanded deal to win the prince’s heart in exchange for the money and healthcare that her mother and brother both desperately need, Artemis (Temmi) is whisked away to an elite world she never imagined she would set eyes on, much less be a part of. Though she ends up having much more in common with the prince than she ever thought possible, including their shared love of the sciences, Temmi struggles to invest fully in a relationship with a man she can only bring herself to see as a friend. His rakish and rebellious (and entirely off-limits) sister Spielan, however, is another story entirely.
But, when contestants start turning up dead, it becomes clear that everything is not what it seems. Even as Temmi tries to get to the bottom of the mystery and stamp down her growing feelings for Spie, she must also endure the ire of the show’s viewers as well as her fellow contestants. Knowing that, by the end of the show, she’ll either be a queen… or a corpse.
The title of this book, Love Galaxy, seems to imply a lighthearted and romantic romp amongst the stars. What I found in its pages instead was a dark and suspenseful political thriller with entire worlds at stake. Touching on themes of colonization, totalitarianism, disability rights, xenophobia, poverty and privilege—this one definitely exceeded my expectations. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the characterization of our main protagonists: the princely Nix, the sexy Spielan, and the foul-mouthed Temmi. None of them are reduced to their archetypes, and they each have secrets to hide. Over the course of the story, their growth as characters occurs in intriguing and complicated ways.
Written with humor and snark, the plot points hit just the right beats to keep me reading late into the night. I also found the sci-fi elements very well done. Science fiction is a genre that I really enjoy, but I’ve historically steered clear of space operas as they tend to go over my head. While Love Galaxy does feature interplanetary travel, complex science, and a nuanced political system, I never felt lost or found myself constantly flipping back to a map or glossary. I thought that the author did a fantastic job of bringing readers along for the ride, and ensuring that they don’t fall behind.
This next section will include some minor spoilers, so here’s your opportunity to look away if you want to!
In my opinion, the most interesting part of this book is the ending. I found all of the twists surprising; I had an idea of who might not be who they claimed to be, but the reveal still caught me off guard. My only complaint is that the explanations happen so quickly at the end that some information remains unknown. For example, venom is a concept that comes into play, as well as potential immunity to that venom. Some characters are immune, others are not, with no clue as to why. I hope this is something that will be explored further in future books, assuming that Love Galaxy is the first in a series (and it better be, with that cliffhanger)!
I will say, this one does have a lot going on (romance, murder mystery, sci-fi, and political intrigue). I can definitely see how some readers might find that messy or overwhelming, and how that may negatively impact readers’ enjoyment. But, for me, it just worked. I concede that some plot points are somewhat suspiciously convenient, and that some of the characters’ choices were… unexpected. Yet, it all came together in the end, and every confusing element somehow made sense.
Pick this one up if you like betrayal and secrets and yearning and forbidden love. If a book where Star Wars meets The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor sounds appealing to you. Maybe you’ll love it, maybe you won’t. But you’ll definitely have gone on one hell of a ride.
Content warnings: death, murder, classism, confinement, near-drowning, sexual content
Hi! My name is Kit and I love sapphic stories. You can find me at @shelfconscious.library on Instagram.
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