A young fighter pilot falls for the princess he has been ordered to spy on in this absorbing debut. When a powerful general suspects that his wife was murdered by the Queen of Etania, he tasks his youngest son, Athan, to spy on the queen's children mping him right up against the smart, spirited Princess Aurelia. Sparks fly, and as both teens struggle to balance their loyalty to their family and homelands with their growing feelings for each other, they begin to realize how fraught the political landscape is, and that they both might be pawns in something they don't understand. The action doesn't pick up until the characters' kingdoms collide, but the time the author spends on world and character development is worth the slow build. The politics and geography jumble together a bit, but the forthcoming map should bring the world into better focus. Loyalty, family, duty, war, and deep friendship are explored in this series starter, and readers who love fantasy epics will be waiting for the sequel.

Fantasy without magic, historical fiction without facts: Hathaway's debut defies classification.In a fantasy world featuring early-20th century technology, royals descended from one common ancestor rule the North—except for a new nation under the dictatorship of Gen. Dakar—while the South descends into chaos. This world includes military women and brown-skinned royals, although both remain exceptions. White Athan, the general's youngest son, is a reluctant military pilot; he just wants to run away and fly his beloved planes in peace. Biracial, brown-skinned Aurelia is a Northern princess with a Southern mother who loves horses, dreams of a university education, and believes she is superior for being royal. When the two finally meet as part of a fact-finding mission, sparks fly, although the prologue warns that their Romeo and Juliet-style romance is probably doomed. The politics are subtle and complex, even if the characters sometimes are not, and everyone lies, leaving readers confused. This is a novel about ambition and war, occasionally drowning in details, and much of this series opener sets up the world, with the bulk of the action crammed into the final chapters. Grief and the horrors of war loom larger than the romance, although the love letters are swoon-y.Those who stick around for this slow ride will be left eager to know how events play out. (map) (Fantasy. 13-adult)

In this slow-burning debut historical fantasy, an illicit romance between a princess and a pilot blooms against the backdrop of a world at war. Athan, the youngest son of the cunning General Dakar of Savient, wants nothing to do with his father-s military and political ambitions, but when his mother is murdered, he-s forced to play a role as pilot and undercover operative. Then he meets the innocent Princess Aurelia of Etania, whose indomitable mother stands between the general and his ultimate goals of conquest, and he dares not reveal his true parentage, even after a relationship unexpectedly develops. Meanwhile, a complicated web of alliances, deceptions, betrayals, and intrigues threatens to drag previously unaffected lands into the escalating conflict, and Athan and Aurelia must find a way to prevent matters from growing worse. The leisurely pace and some overwrought prose slow the novel-s momentum. However, once the plot gets underway, the charismatic characters, lush descriptions, a setting inspired by World War II-era Europe, and a charming if subtle romance offer rewards for readers. Ages 12-up. Agent: Steven Salpeter, Curtis Brown. (May)