The Sidhe

Popular fan-fiction writer Ashe’s print debut kicks off the Heart of All Worlds series with a mix of fizzy romance and thorny politics in a fantasy realm. The human land of Villalu is a dangerous place for the beautiful elfin sidhe (pronounced sheed), who are captured and used as sex slaves. Human palace servant Brieden Lethiscir is instantly smitten with the sadistic Prince Dronyen’s new sidhe slave, Sehrys, and soon succeeds in freeing him. As the two men escape across the continent, their love for each other grows. Their only hope is to reach Khryslee, a town where sidhe and humans live together in peace. En route, Brieden and Sehrys encounter Dronyen’s soldiers, sidhe kidnappers who can control human minds, a usurper of Dronyen’s throne, and an unlikely ally. If Sehrys can read an ancient magic scroll, he may help win a holy war and unlock the secret to ending slavery in Villalu. Graphic sex scenes, political machinations, warrior women, and humor will encourage readers to overlook the somewhat predictable nature of the plot. (July)