In the future, the world is at war. For the last decade, the mysterious King Lazuli of the Eastern Empire has systematically taken over the world. All Serenity Freeman has known is bloodshed. As the future emissary of the last autonomous region of the globe, she is responsible for forging alliances where she can. Surrender is on the horizon. There is no other option. Now the two must come face to face. But when they meet, something happens. Cruelty finds redemption. Only in war, everything comes with a price. Especially love. I dunno, this felt kind of wishy-washy to me. It could have been so much more. And I’m not sure how I feel about the ‘new adult’ genre anyway. This felt like an interesting setting that had been washed out by a wish to make it into a romance -- instead of seeing what was actually going on, we’re swept away to a castle where the cold princess meets the colder king and sparks fly. I dunno. :/ ( )

It's hard to rate this book because I am judging it against Laura Thalassa's book, Pestilence, which I just read. I decided to read this one because Pestilence was so excellent. I'm afraid I'm being too hard on this book because of it. Don't get me wrong, this was a good book but just not as exceptional as Pestilence.

I wasn't sure if I liked the main characters or not. I think Serenity was a little dry and emotionless, maybe even a bit sociopathic. I get that she lives in a post-apocolyptic hell but she seemed to have no softness àt all.

The king was just a selfish creep to me. I don't know how anyone could like a man who has laid waste to most of the world just to be supreme ruler.

The United States is no onger the United States. It's part of the Western United Nations which is fighting against the king who has taken over the rest of the world. There's so much radiation from nuclear bombs that people have to live in bunkers below ground.

Serenity lives in one of these with other soldiers and the general who is in charge of the WUN. Her father is the emissary for the WUN and she is his apprentice so it makes sense that she would travel to Geneva for peace talks with the king. It's scary though because no one ever returns from talks with the king.

Serenity learns quickly that the real reason she's being sent is to be eye candy for the king and it works. He wants her badly, not because of her looks but because she's dangerous and different. He's willing to give in a little to the WUN in trade for Serenity but she's not sure she can do it.

Despite not liking the protagonists, I enjoyed the book. I'm going to read the next book in the series. ( )

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this.
To say that the characters are morally gray seems like an understatement, but then again, it's hard to be all good or bad in war. I also don't know how I feel about the king. He's not a good man.
What I like, truly, is that the book doesn't make excuses for him, or anyone. I think that's the only reason why I liked this story. I can live with morally gray or outright bad characters, and I can like a good love story for them as long as they are presented as what they are. ( )

DNF.

WOW!!!

What a read, was so surprised with this story and was not expecting to like it so much, can't wait to see where the next book takes Serenity and Monte, absolutely loved the cliffhanger ending a fabulous read. ( )