Great story full of insight into the affect of torture and imprisonment. Michael, an heir to a dukedom, is well developed as a man who is at risk of losing his sense of self. Dodd does well at showing readers the inner workings of Emma, his rescuer. The writer also does well at creating a setting that reflects a crumbling aristocracy and a world that in transition. We know what has happened to the French aristocracy in the 1790s. In this fictional place about 50 years later, readers visit the painful circumstances for those suffering under corrupt government. The story reflects an acceptance of relationships across class divides. Great work on descriptive details, hot sex and historical believability.

The reason the book did not get a higher rating was because I felt the ending was too abrupt. I felt there wasn't and closure on the characters and their stories.

Fictional yet entirely riveting and maybe a tad bit historical with scenes that will make you captivated by their journey!!!!!! LOVED IT!!!!!!

Night Owl Reviews Website When ladies companion Emma Chegwidden travels to Moricadia with her malicious employer, never did she imagine herself as an active participant of a rebellion. Of course she never dreamed of defying her mistress, nor of catching the eyes of the heir of a dukedom and the prince of a kingdom. Michael Durant has been the prisoner of the Prince of Moricadia for these past two years. They've isolated and tortured him, hoping he would lead them to the rebels. Recently his captors have decided to give him a bit of freedom, believing him to be a coward, they feel there is limited reason to keep him under such tight reign. Little do they suspect the key role he plays, as the Reaper. Emma quickly becomes involved with the Reaper, the ghostlike figure inciting a crushed nation to believe in heroes once again. Together can they abolish the cruel dictator? When their feelings become entangled, can they merge their lives together for a future of love and happiness? ***** While I enjoy all the different genres Christina Dodd writes, I'm extremely happy that she has chosen to return to a historical setting, but I did notice a subtle little nod to her Chosen Ones series, which made me smile. I really liked that while Emma and Michael are British characters, this book did not take place in a London ballroom, but in a foreign country in political turmoil. Emma and Michael had a good chemistry and many similar characteristics. Both had buffaloed others into believing that they were easily cowed, but the opposite was soon apparent. I also felt all of the secondary characters were well drawn out, making some of them easy to love, such as Lady Fanchere and others easy to hate. The bad guys were a bit over-the-top, but it worked because it underlined how terrible things were in the fictional country of Moricadia, though I was a little confused as to why a ruler as controlling as Prince Sandre, would not call himself King, but instead used a lower ranking title. Also, I was disappointed that there wasn't a lager presence of revolutionaries. It seemed like it was mostly the Reaper vs. the Prince. I understand that the current regime had taken EVERYTHING from the people of Moricadia, but I would have liked to seem more fight out of them. I can't wait to read Raul's story, but I have to wait until March of 2011 to get it!