Galactic Hellcats

Even more fun than the title suggests, Vibbert’s debut is a rip-roaring space heist that details the origins of the Galactic Hellcats gang. Ki’s a street rat who steals, scavenges, and scams to survive, so when she inherits a solo-flyer, designed to carry a single passenger through interstellar space, from a friend, she’s not about to give it up just because a repo man says she has to. After escaping the repo man on the solo-flyer, Ki marks Margot Santiago-Nguyen, a Sol Navy veteran who’s been living with her wealthy parents while searching for a new job, as an easy target for a free dinner—a plan that goes awry when Earth authorities arrive and Ki is forced to flee the scene. Margot impulsively follows, and the pair end up on the planet Ratana, where Margot is promptly arrested by the fascist Ratana government. Ki teams up with Ratanian local Zuleikah Mangan to free her, and in return, Ki and a reluctant Margot agree to help Zuleikah save Ratanian Prince Thane from his abusive family. Tongue-in-cheek humor, delightfully absurd (if sometimes over the top) action, and heartening themes of found family keep the pages turning. With snark and hijinks to spare, this high-flying adventure is sure to entertain. [em](Mar.) [/em]