The Talon of the Hawk

Kennedy%E2%80%99s third Twelve Kingdoms novel (after The Tears of the Rose) is a competent romance set in a fantasy world, but there%E2%80%99s very little to satisfy fantasy fans. Ursula, eldest of the three daughters of High King Uorsin, has spent her life training as a warrior. When she returns home from a failed military mission, the anger of her tyrannical father is nearly overshadowed by the strange crowding of the capital city and the presence of foreign soldiers. Ursula soon learns that her father is out of control, and with the help of friends%E2%80%94and an alliance with mercenary captain Harlan%E2%80%94she escapes and attempts to join up with her sisters. Romance blossoms between the uptight princess and the handsome mercenary, and Kennedy ratchets up the explicit lovemaking over the course of the journey. Ursula%E2%80%99s characterization is inconsistent, and anachronistic terms like %E2%80%9Cfan club%E2%80%9D are sprinkled throughout the stilted faux-medieval dialogue, but series fans will find this installment satisfactory. Agent: Connor Goldsmith, Fuse Literary. (June)