But when it comes to light that Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and that Jainan himself may be a suspect, the unlikely pair must overcome their misgivings and learn to trust one another as they navigate the perils of the Iskat court, try to solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war... all while dealing with their growing feelings for each other.
Comment: This book has a good number of positive reviews and in most sites a good average rating. I was curious about it too after seeing one or two reviews by people whose taste is relatively similar to mine in certain genres. I was also led to believe this would include a romantic story within the mainly sci-fi fiction setting.
In a system ruled by the Iskat empire, it is necessary to maintain the peace with treaties and political alliances but the recent death of an important officer, who was also a prince in the ruling royal family, demands that Jainan, his Thean born widower, who originated from a planet with less political power, must be married again so avoid insurgences. The emperor than arranges his marriage to yet another prince, this time Kiem, who has no military background. However they are both a bit wary of each other, especially Jainan, and at the same time, there is a lot to be worried about in relation to the repercussion of Jainan's previous spouse. The more they investigate certain inconsistencies, the more they become involved in what seems to be a conspiracy. Will they trust each other soon enough to fight a common enemy before someone else is dead?
The blurb really made me imagine this would be one of those stories where two people who have very different personalities have to work together to reach some goal while battling their feelings at the same time. A mix of opposites attract with marriage of convenience is often one of the best scenarios in romances, because it usually means sparks and chemistry and sweetness all in one at some point. Sadly, I feel the actual focus of this book wasn't exactly on this element...
The romance is quite subtle, perhaps a bit too much, because while I can totally accept the slow pace of such a relationship, even more so when they both assumed things of the other, if nothing really improves for the better, then what is the point? Kiem is a prince, labeled as extravagant and a bit flighty, never truly committed to anything except parties and social relationships. We see him as being "forced" to marry Jainan so that he can be respectful of his royal family and the empire's diplomacy and I hoped being married to someone seen as serious would make him become aware of the need to act accordingly in the right moments, but also for him to show Jainan that it was alright to be playful sometimes.
As for Jainan, he is a quiet, dedicated man to diplomacy, he knows his planet's traditions and position within the empire isn't always understood and he wants to keep a low profile, so that he doesn't cause problems. But he does have problems and we slowly learn most are related to his late husband, the prince Taam. I wish his relationship with Kiem were to be sweeter and way more romantic than it was, because he is the type of person that feels less than appreciated and I hoped being with someone who was more outgoing would help him feel more confident.
The romance can be summarized to this, in my opinion: they talk and don't communicate for the vast majority of the book, then at some point they need to survive a crash and get closer and in the end they say they love one another. This happens throughout all the book but the big part of it is focused on the lack of communication. I feel we didn't have enough scenes with them, not enough clues they might be longing for one another or that they had evidence the other person was worthy of their love, or something like it. If the romance was included in this story, why not develop it in a more romantic way?
Clearly, the main subject was the political plots that were ongoing and the amount of things everyone kept finding. The world building is amazing, true, as often is when it comes to sci fi worlds someone invents and imagines in such rich detail. But then, there were many characters, some not that important, there were many steps everyone had to take from one point to the other and sometimes it felt the scenes were repetitive, the actions the same, the hints at some kind of new discovery would take too long to have a purpose... I would say some chapters had really boring scenes/situations.
I can appreciate the eye for detail, but I also didn't finish the book with the sense that the world in this book was so captivating or special that I'd read any story about it for the sake of the plot, if there wasn't the appeal of a romance. This happened to me in relation to other series, where now I could happily read stories about those worlds even if not focused on a romance. I think I have to agree with the readers who say they wanted this but with more scenes between the main couple or with less focus on political or military details.
Another one where the blurb seems to promise something then fails to deliver it. I agree with you wholeheartedly: opposites in an arrange marriage can bring the best in a romantic plot, but there has to be page space devoted to developing the relationship; anything else would feel too superficial, like the happy ending was tacked on to something else.
ReplyDeleteThey talk and they don't communicate
ReplyDeleteThat's one of those things where we all know couples (or even friends) who have this problem, and we just roll with it, but "fiction has to make sense", and so it becomes as significant flaw in a genre romance novel.
Yes, very true. Sometimes, as here, that is a pity because the story would be stronger.
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