Starfighter Command: Game 2

This is book #2 in the Starfighter Academy series, featuring Mia and Kassius. Although this book can be read as a stand-alone, it is much better appreciated as the second in the series. We meet Mia in book #1, as well as Jamie & Lily, all gamer friends. Each book focuses on each human female and her counterpart Velerion (alien). I had been anxiously awaiting this book, as next in series, to continue the adventures started in the first book. This book picks up slightly retrospective in order to build the backstory on Kassius and status on what Mia had been up to after Jaime “disappeared” after completing the game. The challenges this couple faces are numerous, mostly due to an enemy of Kassius,’ along with the war between the Velerions and Queen Raya’s fleet. There are moments where they have to deal with issues of trust and insecurities, too. Fortunately this story has its HEA, no cheating, and rounds out to an appropriate completion of an active storyline, but open to next story start without cliffhangers. I highly recommend this series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Mia, the Next Starfighter . . . Lieutenant Kassius Remeas, Planet Velerion, Eos Ground Station shuttle pilot, fingers racing over the keyboard, demanded a chance to become a pair-bonded Starfighter MCS. His commanding officer hated him and wouldn’t recommend him, so Kassius would hack the system and make it happen himself. His cipher implants allowed him to connect directly with the computer systems and he worked at it for hours until he finally logged in as Captain Sponder. Then he began entering his own data as a new recommended candidate for the Starfighter Training Academy. Mia Becker, Berlin, Germany, was in the game. She had such a crush on her gorgeous, in-game training partner, Kassius, that she didn’t bother dating since no one she met could match Kass. But now concentrating on the game, she was closer than before to winning. She just might do that this time. The only bad thing was that she didn’t want to say goodbye to Kass. Her friends Jamie and Lily knew exactly what she meant. They once talked about purposely losing so they could keep their alien partners. Kass piloted them close and Mia guided the hacked shuttle inside. As they raced away, the screen flashed with the explosion of Queen Raya’s warship, her entire fleet caught in the fiery explosion. Mia and Kass had beaten the game and won! But is it a game? What happens when her handsome alien shows up at her workplace in her real life demanding that she travels with him to the Vega system to fight Queen Raya and the Dark Fleet? She has not actually been “playing” a video game, but has been finishing up her training program to become a Starfighter, and it's her duty to see this through! Will she go with him? And will she find out that Kassius cheated the system, hacked into the game, and now intends to make her his own? Will she find out why Jamie disappeared after she had won? The story line is well-paced and, though familiar, builds that world around you that keeps you cheering the players on. The characters are developed well and have qualities that will connect strongly with readers. Grab your copy and see where Mia’s adventure leads her!

I thought that this book rocked! I love them premise behind this series and while I enjoyed book one, I did have some pet peeves with it. I'm very happy to report that this was not a problem with this book. The storyline here grabbed and kept my attention and the characters likable. Mia and Kassius shared a powerful attraction and had intense chemistry. Let me just say that the sparks the be a-flying around these two! The book itself offers a gripping blend of romance, emotion, excitement, drama and action that will have you eager to steal every spare moment you can to read "just a bit more". This series does have an overarching storyline, so I recommend reading these books in order. This is my frank, freely posted review.