The Edge of the Blade

In Kennedy’s second Uncharted Realms fantasy romance (after The Pages of the Mind), warrior Jepp struggles with her new diplomatic assignment to patriarchal Dasnaria while fighting her attraction to powerful Dasnarian general Kral. He insists that their recent one-night stand gives him rights over her; Jepp vehemently disagrees. As they battle through desperate encounters with vicious magical creatures, however, bantering and sexual play gradually bring Jepp and Kral closer emotionally. Kral is confined by an unconsummated royal marriage, and Jepp fears that their cultural conflicts mean they have no future together. After an exceedingly long trip to Dasnaria, the two are separated and Jepp’s mission takes center stage. Jepp connects with Dasnarian women, both servants and royalty, who help her out, but she needs to be reunited with Kral to succeed against overwhelming odds and new challenges. Kral is a boring avatar of his oppressively sexist culture, and his eventual changes of heart are unconvincing; Jepp is much more interesting and well-developed. Satisfying quantities of action spur the plot forward, creating new conflicts for future volumes. (Jan.)