When a battalion gets embroiled in a plot to unseat an emperor, they are sent deep into the desert alongside the Emperor's brother to capture a Sahr devil. No one expects them to return alive, much less succeed.

At the heart of the book are two fascinating, memorable characters - Azleta and the Sahr Devil he captures - whose fates are linked. Azleta's a member of a scorned minority race, who's risen to second in command in his battalion despite his roots. He keeps his head on his shoulders through a careful dance of obeisance and authority, even while he yearns for more. The Sahr Devil he captures is a complicated character with layered motives, who manages to stay one move ahead of everyone else in the game they're playing despite her captivity. These main characters drove the plot, but even the minor characters are vividly written and unforgettable.

The gritty details keep the reader grounded in this brutal desert world, where religion dictates loyalties and having the wrong bloodline could get you ritually sacrificed. I also never dreamed I could find the intricacies of power struggles in a battalion so interesting!

A compelling military fantasy debut that sets up the next book in the series perfectly. I cannot wait to see where the author takes these characters next! ( )