ALA Booklist

Kora is the first female ruler of the Sepharon in generations, but her ambitious twin brother, Dima, wants to rule in her stead. To that end, he is willing to do anything, including framing Kora for an assassination attempt on her fiancé, Serek. Meanwhile, Kora has taken as bodyguard and confidant the half blood Eros, whose mixed race makes him a pariah among both the nomadic human rebels of the planet and the city-dwelling alien Sepharon, a tall, strong humanoid race with patterned skin, notched ears, and purple blood. In alternating chapters narrated by Eros and Kora, Jae spins a cinematic tale of forbidden love and Machiavellian politics. With detailed history, architecture, customs, inventions, and landscape, Jae creates a fascinating new world to explore. The breathless pace of the plot, smoldering romance between Kora and Eros, and inventive yet comfortably familiar world will engage science fiction and romance readers alike. A true cliff-hanger ending guarantees a sequel. Blogger and college student Jae has laid the groundwork for an entertaining series.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Set on an unforgiving desert planet, Jae's debut starts from a familiar premise-as a "half-blood," Eros is both distrusted by humans and considered an abomination by the ruling Sepharon species. Meanwhile, the Sepharon queen, Kora, struggles to rule a territory where many would prefer her brother take the throne. When Eros becomes Kora's personal slave and bodyguard, a forbidden attraction develops between them-an attraction that's hard to believe, considering that Kora is responsible for the death of Eros's family. Despite the clichéd setup, Jae's smooth worldbuilding and solid pacing make this a highly readable SF romance. Furthermore, Kora and Eros, though opposites in background, share a fierce loyalty to their respective peoples and to each other. As the court intrigue ramps up and the stakes get higher, Jae engages with the brutality of her setting and doesn't spare the central characters, who suffer terrible losses. Many mysteries remain unresolved by the ending, and the future of the Kora's and Eros's romance is unclear as Jae sets up a potential sequel. Ages 14-up. Agent: Louise Fury, Bent Agency. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9 Kora and Eros cannot be more different: one an alien queen who is fighting to keep the throne from her power-hungry brother and the latter a half-breed human who has never belonged anywhere. This work is told in alternating perspectives and is set in the future on Safara, a desert alien planet in Earth's universe. Kora and Eros are thrust together, and the duo are forced to unite after being framed for an assassination attempt on Kora's betrothed, Serek. The three protagonists not only form a compelling love triangle but are also the world's sole hope to prevent a mass genocide. Fierce and beautiful Kora must navigate her way through court politics, revolutions, and secrets while red-blooded Eros finds himself to be much more important than he ever could have imagined. Serek holds everyone together with his calm yet authoritative nature. Jae's debut novel introduces a unique alien world with a thrilling plot full of twists that are bound to appeal to sci-fi fans, particularly admirers of Avatar and Star Wars . The fast-paced and intense plotlines introduce deep concepts including segregation, homosexuality, and racism; however, the concepts and characters are not fully developed. The author builds a beautifully conceived world with unique details, such as language quirks, an alien monarch ruling system, and special meaning for phrases such as "golden eyes." The fun and engaging plot is predictable but enjoyable. VERDICT An engaging and amusing read for fans of sci-fi romance. Emily Bayci, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

Voice of Youth Advocates

A long time ago, Earth found an inhabited planet it could not conquer; now humans live on Safara as nomads, small groups with no home. The Sepharon rule from gleaming glass cities, using humans as slaves, and half-breeds are killed at birth. Eros is a half-breed whose adoptive family is wiped out in a raid; Kora is his opposite, the ruler of a Sepharon territory whose people would rather see her brother on the throne. But when Eros is captured and enslaved, Kora sees him as the one person she can trust, despite his origins. As Kora's brother makes a power play, deep-bred antipathy between cultural enemies wavers in the face of survival instinct.At its core, this is a time-worn tale of forbidden love between pretty, pretty people. Nobody in this book is uncomely, and hormonesas much as survival, desperation, and nightmares of the pastdrive Eros and Kora inexorably together. The world-building is promisingfinally, a failed attempt at human colonizationand the description of vast deserts and sparkling cities tantalizes but ultimately fails to support the story's ambitions. Though Jae shines a spotlight, with some effect, on speciesism, sexism, and homophobia, the depiction of Sepharon society lacks enough depth to provide context, making the Sepharon ultimately seem very human. As for the latter, beyond nomadism and some cute and distracting quirks of language, no hints are given as to how human society has been shaped by decades on this planet. Passionate but honor bound, Eros and Kora cannot quite overcome the predictability of their trajectory toward a cliff-hanger ending.Lisa Martincik.