The Edge of the Blade by Jeffe Kennedy is second in the series The Uncharted Realms. Jepp, a scout and a warrior for the Thirteen Kingdoms, finds herself in the unlikely role of an ambassador on her way to the far-away land of Dasnaria. However, she is not going there on just a diplomatic mission — she is there to spy.
Further complicating the situation is that the man transporting her across the sea in his ship Hakyiling, General and Imperial Prince Kral of Dasnaria, is also her lover. But coming from a very different society, where men are dominant and women little more than chattle, their relationship is a rocky one.
The situation becomes even more difficult when they arrive at the Imperial Palace in Dasnaria, where Jepp faces opposition from Kral’s brother the Emperor, as well as his female relatives, all of whom want something from her. And separated from Kral, her only ally, Jepp doesn’t know where to turn.
Full of intrigue, action, and sex, The Edge of the Blade is an excellent read. In addition to The Uncharted Realms series, Jeffe Kennedy is also the author of The Twelve Kingdoms series which precedes it. As much as I’ve enjoyed The Edge of the Blade, I might check those out as well.