Sophie Jordan is a prolific writer whose creativity spans genres. In this new romantasy series, she returns to a fantasy world filled with dragons, witches and other magical creatures. It will enchant newcomers and bring back fond memories for those who read the Firelight books that inspired Jordan to create this prequel, which is, due to some steamy scenes, very adult in nature. Dragons have disappeared from the skies of this alternate world, killed by mankind. After they were all slain (or so everyone thought), the people killed the witches. But as we find out in this story, and to our delight, not all dragons or witches were murdered.

"The story flows so smoothly that you will be surprised when it's over. And, of course, because this is just the start of a series, it ends much too soon. Suffice to say that I can't wait for the next entry."

Tamsyn is a princess of Penterra. At least she is nominally. What we find out immediately is that Tamsyn is the whipping girl to the princesses of Penterra. She has been raised since infancy as the princesses' sister --- dressed as a princess, taught as a princess, and treated in most ways as an actual princess. But when any of the three princesses misbehave, it's Tamsyn who gets punished. And for the past several years, that punishment has been a whipping administered by a lecherous guy who really gets off on doing it. So she's royalty but not in important ways. No one knows who her parents are because she was left as an infant in the castle courtyard.

Tamsyn's best friend is Stig, whose father is the king's advisor. He is captain of the guard and the one who pointed out that while she might not be truly a princess, she would have a good life after her whipping days ended, once the real princesses were married off. We quickly realize that he's in love with Tamsyn, but she considers him to be a best friend, not a romantic partner.

Tamsyn’s life changes when the lord from the north, Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands --- where the dragons roamed and the kingdom's borders are constantly under attack --- comes to the palace with a demand that he marry one of the king's daughters. Instead, Tamsyn is substituted for a real royal bride, and he's not allowed to realize it until the marriage has been consummated in front of an audience, as is customary in royal marriages. Fell is stuck with Tamsyn as his bride, and he's not happy about it.

Sophie Jordan writes lots of romance novels, so it's no surprise that romantic tension sparks between Tamsyn and Fell almost from the start. But we sense there's something a bit different in the almost electric current that runs between them. We know they are meant to be together, in an almost magical manner. When they are en route to Fell's home, Tamsyn is attacked by one of Fell’s friends, who is furious about the growing bond between Fell and someone he considers unworthy of his friend and lord. That's when Tamsyn's true colors emerge, and she finds out what she is really capable of.

There are hints to the surprise, which isn't that much of a surprise because of Jordan's careful narrative. Both Tamsyn and Fell were found as orphans and taken in and raised to their respective positions. Fell's father had no wife, but he found Fell in a dragon's lair as an infant. He assumed that the dragon had killed and eaten Fell's parents. Lacking an heir, he raised Fell as his son. Tamsyn was found in the courtyard of the castle while the queen was pregnant with her first child. She decided to keep the infant to be her child's whipping girl.

The sexual tension is intense. The mysterious nature of Tamsyn's ability to heal and the fact that wolves loathe her is beautifully written. Jordan telling the stories from multiple points of view works extremely well as we are able to understand the motivations and emotions of the main characters. The story flows so smoothly that you will be surprised when it's over. And, of course, because this is just the start of a series, it ends much too soon. Suffice to say that I can't wait for the next entry.