Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen. Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward. Lia always believed the Vendans to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.
The first half of this felt like it dragged on a bit. It did help to develop the relationship between Lia and Kaden but it was too much traveling over the desert. Things definitely got interesting once they got to Venda and definitely once Rafe showed up. That Komizar is one evil bastard. Boy...and that ending. This is exactly why I wait until a series is over before I start reading it.
