by C. L. Clark
First published 2021
Touraine carries a rifle through streets she once knew as a child. The empire stole her young and trained her to fight their wars. Now they send her company back to the land of her birth to put down rebels who demand freedom. Her loyalty belongs to her fellow soldiers, but old memories stir as she walks familiar ground. Princess Luca watches the unrest from her palace and sees opportunity. Her uncle sits on her rightful throne. She needs someone who can walk between the rebels and the imperial forces. Someone desperate enough to risk everything. Touraine might be that person. The two women begin a dangerous game. Luca wants Touraine to convince the rebels to accept peace terms that serve imperial interests. Touraine finds herself caught between the empire that raised her and the people who share her blood. Bodies fall in palace corridors and city squares as both women discover that loyalty, freedom, and power all carry prices that cut deeper than they expected.
Genres: historical-fiction, military-fiction, adventure, action
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Africa
Period: 21st-century
528 pages · Kindle Edition · Orbit
Content warnings: violence