Can you say personal power?
The smoke is still rising from her home and from the charred bodies of her parents when Alexa and her twin brother Marcel find themselves in a desperate situation. The soldiers of Blevon have blazed a devastating trail of destruction through Marcel and Alexa's village but now the army of their own king, King Hector of Antion, is on its way. They are as dangerous as the enemy. "The army's coming, Alexa. We have to do it now. If they see me cutting your hair... they'll take you....they'll force you into the breeding house."
Marcel insists on cutting off her beautiful long black hair and convinces her to hide her true feminine identity to become Alex his twin brother. Alex's heart breaks as she relives the horror of remembering a force beyond powerful, a sorcerer, who was able to defeat her highly skilled father in battle. Something about the contest lives on in her mind. It was her father who trained her and she knows just how overpowering he could be with a sword in his hand.
Now, three years later, as our story opens, Marcel and Alex are respected members of the prince's guard. Prince Damian, the seemingly heartless and spoiled son of King Hector, is suddenly in danger and shortly two attempts are made on his life.
Though Marcel is the smarter of the twins, Alex is the better at hand to hand combat. Now at the age of seventeen and having built a reputation as the most highly skilled fighter in the prince's guard, her disguise is beginning to complicate her life in new and unexpected ways. Always keeping her voice gruff and her emotions under check, she is beginning to notice her fellow guard, Rylan, with his warm brown eyes and kind way with children and animals. She's also about to find herself in very close proximity to Prince Damian and his smirking face. Is he the man he seems to be?
Can Alex keep her secret? Will she get the moment she has trained for to avenge her parents' deaths?
This is a compelling story of a young woman who seems to hide her femininity from the men who attract her the most and yet who reveals openly her strength and skill in combat. Alex's strength and mastery in warfare are formidable. The mission to save the kingdom offers the perfect arena of mystery and magic to hold the sparring bodies and simmering emotions.
978-0545597586 Ages 14 and up 323 pages
Editor's note: I rated this 14 and up due to the concept of the breeding house, its purpose and its description in the story
Read alikes: His Fair Asssassin Trilogy by Robin LaFevers
Recommended by: Barb
