Can one man make both love and war - at the same time? Harmony, one of the first settlements from Earth's Age of Expansion, has a totalitarian government which uses the bleak continent of Esilia as a dumping ground for political dissidents. Now they're surprised that the dissidents want to secede. Gabrel is totally devoted to his colony's battle for freedom. Isovel, daughter of the enemy's invading general, knows exactly why Harmony should continue to rule the exiles. When she is taken hostage by his guerrilla group, he has to draw a line between his personal inclinations and his duty to the insurgency, while Isovel has to remember her duty to escape. There can be no future for two people on opposing sides of this war - so Gabrel will just have to win the war. And the peace. *** Among Margaret Ball's previous publications are Flameweaver, Mathemagics and Disappearing Act (all with Baen) and Duchess of Aquitaine (St. Martin's