$2.99 for 36 pages.

I don't think so.

As soon as I read the blurb for this story, I was curious how the author would make this devilishly horrible situation work. One lover forced to "brand" the other the "property" of his father, a cruel king? Apart from the fact it's a totally barbaric way of dealing with the threat this king perceives to his life, it also endangers the prince's relationship with his lover. Or so I'd think.

Prince Coren may be the heir to the throne of this unnamed country, but he is not your "standard" prince. He is loyal to his childhood friends, one of whom has become his lover, the other his bodyguard, and understands their lives better than any of the other nobles at court. He is also compassionate, so having to brand his lover, who is a servant, is hard for him. Not that he has a choice if he doesn't want to give their forbidden love away and endanger their lives, but still.

Bran may be a servant in name, but he is Coren's equal behind closed doors. He is fiercely loyal and deeply touched that Coren has decided to brand him rather than let one of the other servants do it. He also loves his prince deeply and knows there is no way around this. So he ends up being the one to comfort Coren, and I have to admire his strength and the depth of his conviction that, as horrible as it is, it is okay because it marks him as belonging to Coren. And that is only right in Bran's eyes.

If you like stories about servants who deeply love the princes they serve, if you enjoy reading about emotionally torn characters who manage to deal with considerable pain so they can stay together, and if you're looking for a short, intense read with a very hot and sexy ending, then you will probably like this short story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
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