SFRB Recommends 35: The King's Mistress by Rachel Leigh Smith

Freedom has a cost. Can A’yen pay it without losing his soul?

Liberation of the enslaved Lokmane begins with the king. A’yen and Fae agree to visit the Hidden, a group of escaped Lokmane, to protect his identity while the Shadows make their move with emancipation acts. But he's not prepared for the prejudice rampant in the Hidden, or their lack of patience for him. And his new linked bodyguard is unstable to the point A'yen fears for the young man's sanity.

Upon returning to Titan, A'yen is kidnapped and taken to the largest breeding farm in the galaxy. This time he'll be himself even if it kills him. His resolve to unite his people grows as he wonders if he'll live long enough to do it.

With A'yen kidnapped, Fae returns to the Lokmane homeworld seeking the final pieces of what happened two thousand years ago when they were conquered and enslaved. Getting as far away from her father as possible is the only way to keep her from disappearing too.

Separated by light years, A'yen and Fae have to stand alone and fight for their right to live in freedom. No matter the cost.


Book Two in the A'yen's Legacy series, this book picks up soon after My Name is A'yen ends. Rachel does a skilful job of expanding the scope of the series as well as exploring existing characters' depths. New characters are also introduced, and they settle pretty easily into one's heart. Well, the *nice* characters, that is...

I find Rachel's books an excellent exploration of just how inhuman humanity can be, but she manages to infuse the darkness (and need I mention, pain?) with hope and plenty of surprises. With this book especially, it was a challenge to see just how the story would or could resolve into anything remotely resembling a "happy ending", whether that be HFN or HEA. 

These books are ones I can easily immerse in, and coming back to the real world is a challenge. Great stuff.

Author site: Rachel Leigh Smith | Romance for the Hero Lover