Member Review

The kingdom of Amarra is a kingdom of women, blessed by their goddess to dominate men. A failed rebellion against the matriarchy left them with a shortage of noblemen, which led to a tradition in which high-ranking women kidnap their spouses from neighboring countries. Olerra is a warrior queen candidate who needs an edge over her conniving, politically savvy cousin, so she decides to take the second-born prince of the Kingdom of Brutus, their biggest enemy, renowned for their cruelty and savagery. A mix-up during Olerra's well-planned kidnapping results in Sanos, heir to the kingdom and the first in line to his father's cruelty, getting nabbed instead. He keeps his identity secret as he bides his time to escape, but the more he sees of Amarra and gets to know Olerra, the less urgent it feels to go back home.

It's an interesting twist on men vs women being in charge and puts a lot of bad things in the spotlight while avoiding the pitfall of wanting to make it seem like women in power would solve everything. It's human nature for those in power to take advantage, and that's why it's up to the good people to stand up, which is exactly what Olerra wants to do. This makes her a sympathetic character, even as her kidnapping of her husband is questionable, despite Levenseller's worldbuilding making it feel perfectly logical. I respect all the effort put into creating a world where gender roles are put on their head and having Sanos be our fish out of water guide.

The only reason I'm not rating this higher is that the romance takes a bit of a back burner to the political machinations and complex relationships Olerra has to maneuver if she wants to become the official queen candidate. It makes for fascinating reading, but I would have enjoyed getting to see more moments where she and Sanos build deeper bonds.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and FEIWEL for the spellbinding read!