Kidnapped by slavers, Lizzie Petrule was dragged in chains across the Great Sea to the corrupt empire of Meridal. There beneath a floating citadel and an ocean of golden sand, lies a pleasure den for gladiators—and a prison for the maidens forced to slake their carnal thirst.

Despite impossible odds, against imponderable magic, three men have vowed Lizzie’s return: Justin, her suitor; Leon, her father; and Ril, the shape-shifting but war-weary battler. Together, this broken band can save her, but only with a word that must remain unsaid, a foe that is a friend, and a betrayal that is, at heart, an act of love.

L. J. McDonald is a fresh new voice in fantasy romance. Her first book, The Battle Sylph, was published by Dorchester in 2010 and named one of the top five romance novels by Library Journal that year. She quickly followed her debut with two sequels: The Shattered Sylph and Queen of the Sylphs. McDonald earned a degree in anthropology from the University of Victoria and joined the Canadian Air Force in 2002. She currently lives in Embrun, Ontario.

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“Wonderful, innovative and fresh. Don’t miss this fantastic story.” —Christine Feehan, New York Times bestselling author

“Lovers of Stardust and The Princess Bride rejoice! A must read for every fantasy library.” —Publishers Weekly