SFRB Recommends #55: Paradox series by Rachel Bach #scifi

Devi Morris isn't your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It's a combination that's going to get her killed one day - but not just yet. 
That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn't misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she's found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn't give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.

(blurb from Fortune's Pawn)

Spanning three books, the Paradox series follows the galaxy-changing adventures of Devi Morris, a space mercenary that gets in way over her head and proceeds to kick backside on her way out. She considers her power armor suit, the Lady Grey, her BFF, names her weapons (one after her grandmother!), and doesn't take "no" or "can't" for an answer. Although this leads to some problematic behavior in the beginning, it's more often what she needs to get her out of the many tight spots she gets thrown into or throws herself into. There's an alien plague, space squid, another dimension, bio-engineering, and international conspiracies hiding the truth, if any of those elements attract you.

The secondary characters and galaxy are portrayed with bold detail and complex morality. Themes highlighted include who watches the watchers and what are acceptable sacrifices for the greater good. Devi's relationship with her love interest, the brooding and lethal Charkov, gets rather rocky during the series, but be assured there's a happily-ever-after for them! The romance may not be the focus of the books, but it is tightly interwoven in a fantastic space opera.

Author site: Rachel Aaron/Rachel Bach: Official Author Site

Recommendation by Lee Koven.