After watching his father die at a young age, Caillen Dagan has taken on the responsibility of watching over his three older sisters. Knowing that the world is a jaded and dangerous place has not changed this rogue's spirit. Instead, like they say, what hasn't killed him has only made him stronger. What Caillen doesn't know is that one DNA sample during a routine execution check was about to change his whole world.

Desideria has never been faced with a challenge that she cannot overcome. The half-blood princess to a race of warrior women, Desideria has fought for her survival all her life. Finally proving herself into adulthood, Desideria has been promoted to her mother's guard. Not that life is about to get any easier. Attending a summit meeting that should just be routine has turned into a murder plot that seems centered around her mother and her. Running from one battle to another seems to be the story of her life. Desideria manages to escape into a pod with her rescuer only to find that they have been tossed onto a planet whose sole diet is humans. Running from the assassin on their tails, hiding from the species who wants to eat them, and trying to solve a murder is seriously hard business.

Attempting to keep himself and his new found friend alive is a struggle that Caillen has never had to face before. His loyalty and his trust have never been tested on this level. Caillen knows that he will have to rely on a little help from his friends, which is something he has sworn never to do. With his pride and his heart at stake Caillen realizes that this is the one mission that will define him for the rest of his life.

This new series has been written by a true master of her craft. Ms. Kenyon has broken the mold on space travel with her League series. I really loved that the characters from the first book of the series came back into play. In the beginning of the book, I thought that Desideria would be a woman surrounded and defined by the violence that she knew as a child. I was presently surprised to find that she had grown on me and I was right there in the midst of her danger. While I found myself continually struggling with the plot and who done it scenarios, I found that the book ended in a way I never could have guessed. The twists and turns that Kenyon presented in this book make it an action packed non-stop adventure. The only thing I wanted was for the romance between Caillen and Desideria to have completely bloomed. I felt that these two characters were tossed together and never really got any alone time. While the story line matches the plot, the romance reader in me was longing for a little more.

Book Summary

For Caillen Dagan, a defiant soldier of fortune, survival isn't a right, it's a brutal daily battle. Moving through the Ichidian universe like a wraith, his brushes with the law and death are legendary. But when an act of rare heroism reveals his hidden birthright, he's forced into a world much more dangerous and cold-hearted than the bloody streets where he was raised-one of obscene wealth and lethal politics.

Ferocious and determined, Desideria Denaraii serves as an official bodyguard for her queen. Born of questionable genetics, she will do anything to prove herself worthy of the weapons she carries and the position she's won by combat. But when she uncovers a ruthless plot to assassinate the queen and overthrow her country's government, Desideria is caught in the crosshairs.

With assassination contracts out on both of them, Caillen and Desideria must learn to fight together or die alone. And if they fail, their governments will fall into the hands of an unimaginable evil.