Rating: 3⭐️
Spoilers here.
Chaos Reigning is the last book in The Consortium Rebellion’s trilogy and the youngest High House sibling, Catarina von Hasenberg ends the House drama and galactic empire political thriller.
I feel that Chaos Reigning has some interesting ideas and potentially wonderful characters, especially strong women characters in major political roles. But on the flip side, curiously, it qualifies an horrifically abusive and controlling father, one who has treated his children as subjects for trade or experimentation, as a mere “asshole”. The author’s repeated term.
Not once, through three books, has the author addressed the subject of the severity of the patriarchal father’s damage to all the siblings of the von Hasenberg line. Not that the mother is without any responsibility. We just don’t know enough about her.
We know the brutality and violence and horrors inflicted upon each child. That Ada alone fled. But to continue to address this monster as merely a “asshole” and then use an anonymous method to end him instead of a honest airing of feelings while together feels cheap.
It’s not only emotionally odd but strangely off putting. It’s continued avoidance of their true feelings amongst themselves. The author moving around the issue as well.
Like Cat, herself a prime example. It’s the “oh yes, I’m wealthy but feeding a few poor people” (she’s doing and saying this btw) but ignoring a whole bunch of major issues over in that corner of the narrative by actually considering marrying a problematic man old enough to be her grandfather because her father wants her to.
Yes, there’s a HFN for the siblings but, and here’s an enormous BUT, both male villains, truly evil men (one even cut out the tongue of the older beloved brother) are left without really being held accountable for their actions and crimes.
One, a traitor, gets away completely. And a heinous criminal, a sadist, nothing happened to him. He’s caught but they won’t do anything to him. A win actually for them both.
How’s that for an ending? Didn’t feel satisfying to me. Actually so many traitors were still alive and on the streets. Yeah no.
That 3 rating is being generous.
I read it to finish the series. That’s it.
Now you can decide if you want to.
The Consortium Rebellion (3 book series)
Polaris Rising #1
Aurora Blazing #2
Chaos Reigning #3
Buy link
Blurb
Interplanetary intrigue and romance combine in this electrifying finale to the Consortium Rebellion series.
As the youngest member of her High House, Catarina von Hasenberg is used to being underestimated, but her youth and flighty, bubbly personality mask a clever mind and stubborn determination. Her enemies, blind to her true strength, do not suspect that Cat is a spy—which makes her the perfect candidate to go undercover at a rival House’s summer retreat to gather intelligence on their recent treachery.
Cat’s overprotective older sister reluctantly agrees, but on one condition: Cat cannot go alone. Alexander Sterling, a quiet, gorgeous bodyguard, will accompany her, posing as her lover. After Cat tries, and fails, to ditch Alex, she grudgingly agrees, confident in her ability to manage him. After all, she’s never found a person she can’t manipulate.
But Alex proves more difficult—and more desirable—than Cat anticipated. When she’s attacked and nearly killed, she and Alex are forced to work together to figure out how deep the treason goes. With rumors of widespread assaults on Serenity raging, communications down, and the rest of her family trapped off-planet, Catarina must persuade Alex to return to Earth to expose the truth and finish this deadly battle once and for all.
But Cat can’t explain why she’s the perfect person to infiltrate hostile territory without revealing secrets she’d rather keep buried. . . .
A Sci-Fi Novel Featuring a Clever Spy and a Gorgeous Bodyguard
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 