Nemesis

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The princess didn't expect to fall in love--with her nemesis.

Princess Sepora of Serubel is the last Forger in all the five kingdoms. The spectorium she creates provides energy for all, but now her father has found a way to weaponize it, and his intentions to incite war force her to flee from his grasp. She escapes across enemy lines into the kingdom of Theoria, but her plans to hide are thwarted when she is captured and placed in the young king's servitude.

Tarik has just taken over rulership of Theoria, and must now face a new plague sweeping through his kingdom and killing his citizens. The last thing he needs is a troublesome servant vying for his attention. But mistress Sepora will not be ignored. When the two finally meet face-to-face, they form an unlikely bond that complicates life in ways neither of them could have imagined.

Sepora's gift could save Tarik's kingdom from the Quiet Plague. But should she trust her growing feelings for her nemesis, or should she hide her gifts at all costs?

A thrilling futuristic fantasy in which the fate of the world's energy source is in the hands of a prince and princess who are rivals, by the New York Times -bestselling author of the Syrena Legacy.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Sepora, princess of Serubel, is the last of the Forgers, who have the hereditary ability to expel spectorium, a prized element, from their skin. With silver eyes and a defiant spirit, she escapes her father's grasp, hoping to avoid a war among the five kingdoms, but is captured by traders who sell her into the harem of neighboring King Tarik of Theoria. Although Theoria and Serubel are rivals, Sepora finds 18-year-old Tarik intelligent and good-looking. Staying incognito, she wins his favor by brokering a deal with the flesh-eating Parani and fashioning weapons to fight her father's impending attack. But with the Quiet Plague killing Theoria's citizens and King Tarik's impending marriage to a Hemutian princess, Sepora leaves, only to discover an even more perilous situation. Banks's (Joyride) worldbuilding is thorough and vivid, yet the intricate customs of the kingdoms and Sepora and Tarik's inner thoughts, shown through alternating viewpoints, cause the story to lag. The instant infatuation between the two main characters drives the story, but can be shopworn and syrupy ("Every time he touches me I feel melted in place") at times. Ages 12-up. Agent: Lucy Carson, Friedrich Agency. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

Gr 8 Up-Princess Sepora is sick of her evil father's greed for spectorium, the highly sought after substance that only Sepora can produce. Because of his uncontrollable avarice, she has been locked away in a cell, doomed to spend her life forging spectorium for her father to trade with foreign countries. With the help of her mother, the princess fakes her death and flees to a nearby kingdom, where she is kidnapped and unwittingly becomes a member of King Tarik's harem. Sepora convinces King Tarik to make her a servant instead, but she soon begins to fall in love with the ruler, someone she knows she can never have. Meanwhile, a deathly plague threatens her new home, and though spectorium is the only thing that will save people's lives, Sepora must hide her secret ability from her father's nemesis. The plot is creative and intriguing but also slow to develop. The story begins with an info dump, and although Sepora's romance with King Tarik is a critical piece of the narrative, it feels forced and at times cheesy. Sepora's character is fairly well-developed, but the rest of the cast is comprised of one-dimensional characters. The uniqueness of the plot almost makes up for its flaws, but not quite. VERDICT Purchase only where the author's previous series are popular.-Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Sno-Isle Libraries, Marysville, WA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

In the kingdom of Serubel, Princess Sepora has the peculiar talent of secreting precious metal from her hands, which is essential to her father's war efforts; but she prefers running away to building more weaponry. Prince Tarik is the newly crowned king of Theoria, and his immediate worries include a mysterious plague that is killing his people and the imminent threat of an attack from Serubel. When Sepora turns up as a very reluctant member of Tarik's inherited harem, sparks fly. Interactions between Sepora and Tarik are right on target in terms of tenor and pacing, and the few stolen kisses and caresses are doubly satisfying because of that. The story unfolds through alternating chapters, although Sepora's chapters are told in first person, while Tarik's are third-person omniscient, tipping the narrative toward Sepora's point of view. This combination fantasy-romance novel touches on issues of trust, allegiance, priorities, and self-sacrifice and ends in a bit of a cliff-hanger. First in a planned duet, Nemesis will leave readers wanting more. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Banks' Syrena Legacy series was a best-seller, and her fans will be eager to get their hands on her newest endeavor.--Welch, Cindy Copyright 2016 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Sepora and Tarik, a princess and new king (respectively) of neighboring kingdoms, cross paths after Sepora runs away, fleeing her father's plans to weaponize a valuable metal only she can create. The pair's growing relationship is tested by secrets and conflicting loyalties within the complex, well-developed futuristic fantasy landscape. Deftly paced shifts between perspectives sustain tension, and the (abrupt) ending hints at a sequel. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.