2023 romantic SF, second of a planned trilogy. Vesper Quill is trying
to pretend she doesn't have an unbreakable psychic bond with Kyrion
Caldaren, so that the Emperor doesn't eat their souls (he has form).
But to get through all the things being thrown at them they'll need to
use not only their own powers but each other's.
It feels odd to praise with negativity, but many things that I
like about this book are its differences from other books in the same
general style. Vesper is a romantic heroine… who has female friends
and confidantes, rather than being all on her own except for the hero.
Vesper and Kyrion meet the woman who was lined up for an arranged
marriage with Kyrion… and there's never a hint of cattiness or
jealousy or even "if only". They have a common cause, they work
together, they become friends. You know, the way people do.
Al right, I'm not entirely convinced that anyone would design a better
handgun with the intention of improving people's lives, and later be
shocked and offended that it was being used by bad people, unless they
were extremely stupid. Maybe it's an American thing.
There's nothing especially surprising here, but it's the expected
thing done very well. There is a minor character who is very
definitely one of the bad guys who's being set up for a redemptive
ending, and I have my doubts about whether Estep can pull that off
convincingly… but I'll at least read the next book, a side story
dealing with him, and find out.
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