Ever since her family was kidnapped, Azara, a woman of fire mage stock, has survived with a warrior’s will and the hope of one day finding them. Whispers of their fate have finally led her to the Empire, where her brother and sister are now prized possessions of His Celestial Majesty’s court. Unable to immediately negotiate their freedom, Azara reluctantly agrees to the Emperor’s suggestion: accompany his devoted magus Jin across their rival’s border in search of other fire mages while her siblings remain in the Emperor’s hands. Posing as married tea merchants, Azara and Jin’s masquerade begins. For a fierce young woman devoted to a heartening cause, and a man beholden to his duties, it’s an uneasy alliance—but one that quickly turns passionate.
This was a decent story with a strong female lead. I had some issues with it but overall not a bad read.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Overall 3.5 stars.

This book has one of my favorite things - a strong, smart, and capable heroine!

Azara is so refreshing! She is a kind of elemental so to speak, as are the rest of her family, in that she is a fire mage. Sadly though in this culture fire mages are slaves, and Azara's family was torn apart and sold throughout the land. Thankfully she escaped that fate, but has since spent her entire life searching for her family and saving as many fire mages as she could.

Azara's next mission though requires she team up with Jin, his Celestial Majesty's chief mage. This may is smart, able to lead or follow, strategic, and fair. He thinks through situations clearly and is just so kind!

I really enjoyed the relationships between all the characters in this book! They seemed genuine, well thought through, and positive.

My only complaint about the book is the setting. it was really difficult to get a grasp on because most of the locals had generic settings with distinct cultures, but one nation seemed to take its inspiration from China. It was the only country that seemed familiar, and since the story starts there I expected all the countries to feel familiar. So when they didn't I was a bit confused.

I enjoyed the book, and I will definitely try other works by this author.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.