I'm finding that I'm quite partial to Jennifer Estep's independently published fiction. In the dedication, she refers to this as the book of her heart. It's obvious that she did enjoy writing it.
I read it in a day, so my enjoyment is obvious too. It is extremely similar in tone to another recent Estep novel, A Sense of Danger. It is basically a romance novel, but set in a fantasy/ sci fi setting. Estep seems to like corporate set ups. This female character, Vesper, describes herself as a lab rat working for Kent Corp (similar to Charlotte in A Sense of Danger who is an analyst in Section 47). I loved her mechanical aptitude, aided by her magic that helps her see how to fix or improve things. Her magic abilities are also similar to Charlotte's in that both women get magical warnings of danger.
The male lead, Kyrion, is a warrior (rather like Desmond, the assassin, of Section 47). Kyrion's class of fighters are known as Arrows, deadly and rather amoral. His path crosses Vesper's when she is punished by involuntary conscription into the Imperial forces. It is his turn to make sure the “shock troops" do their jobs and he is surprised to see one woman get up, shed her lab coat, put on a pair of coveralls, and start rummaging around a workstation looking for tools. For reasons that he doesn't understand, he helps her remove the device that is suppressing her voice.
I really appreciate that Estep didn't rush the romance in this book. By book's end, Vesper and Kyrion have realized that they may have more of a connection than they hoped for, but they are headed in very different directions. That is a great way to produce plot tension and inspire readers to head to the next book, Only Good Enemies. I haven't read the second book in either series, but I most definitely will.
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