What price will humans pay to own starhearts?
Starheart is a fast paced space opera with romantic tension woven through the action. It sits in the Ptorix Empire universe and can be read on its own.
Reviewers say:
“The world you created had me fascinated… so believable.”
“Jess… a mother ready to scratch the eyes out of anyone who came between herself and her daughter.”
“I ended up adoring Hudson… a character who made me change my mind.”
About the book
Freighter captain Jess Sondijk thinks she has her life under control until Confederacy Admiral Hudson orders her ship boarded and has her hauled in for interrogation. The questions she’s buried for years claw their way back. Was her husband’s death really an accident?
Hudson is hunting bigger prey. Someone is trading with the alien Ptorix and offering a prize so great they’re willing to part with their sacred starhearts, the jewels they call the windows of the soul.
When friends and family are abducted and bodies start to fall, Jess’ personal search for the truth meshes with Hudson’s determination to stop crimes so appalling he’s prepared to risk his own career to end them.
Together they’re dragged into a fight neither of them asked for. How much are they willing to lose to make things right?
(Starheart is set in the same universe as the Iron Admiral but the events occur a little before the Iron Admiral books)
If you’re wondering whether Starheart is your kind of read, this will help.
This book is for you if:
- You enjoy space opera that tackles dark themes without sensationalising them.
- You like strong, principled women who choose their own path forward.
- You’re drawn to slow-burn romance built on trust and earned connection.
- You want moral choices where justice has a cost.
- You prefer story-driven tension over shock value.
- You appreciate science fiction where power and consequence matter.
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Space Opera/ Science Fiction Romance. Features non-humanoid aliens and some non-specific sex scenes. There’s action adventure and politics.
FAQ
No. Starheart is part of the Ptorix Empire universe, but it stands alone. You can start here without reading the other books.
No. The Ptorix are fully non-humanoid aliens with their own political agenda. They are not shifters or modified humans. See the series page for more information.
Starhearts form on worlds similar to Enceladus. An alien life form trapped in silicon lava is expelled to the surface by volcanic activity. The Ptorix consider them sacred, the vessels of the soul. Trading them breaks one of their deepest taboos.
Because they are considered sacred, the vessels of the soul. Any human involvement in their trade risks diplomatic catastrophe.
Yes. The pull between Jess and Hudson grows out of danger, distrust, and the choices they have to make. The relationship is woven through the action rather than taking it over.
Moderate spice. Story first, with explicit on-page intimacy.
Jess is an experienced, self-reliant woman who runs her own business and makes hard decisions without waiting for permission. She’s practical, resilient, and used to standing on her own feet. She’s also a devoted mother, and responsibility shapes the way she approaches risk.
He is a senior admiral tasked with overseeing a politically sensitive investigation. Disciplined, controlled, and used to command, he approaches the crisis with strategic focus and a clear sense of duty.
Yes. At its core, Starheart is a cold case murder investigation tied to the illegal trade in sacred alien artefacts. The search for truth drives the action as much as the political stakes.
Power, trust, grief, and the collision between sacred belief and greed.
Alpha hero
Strong heroine
Greed and political treachery
Murder and smuggling
Slow-burn attraction under pressure
Ordinary people caught in power games
Slavery themes