Review: Top-notch Science-Fiction Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 24, 2013
(I read a review copy of Shrouded provided by the author.)Shrouded is best described as a science-fiction romance. It is best placed in the tradition of Lois M. Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga, where the story is not about the technology or the science, but about the people and the culture.Vashia, running from her ruthless dictator of a father and the horrific mercenary that he wants to force her to wed, signs a contract and boards a shuttle for a strange world. The contract: to agree to be what is essentially a mail-order bride for the planet known as Shroud. Meanwhile, Shroud is teetering on the edge of a royal succession crisis: seven princes and not a single bride to be had to crown the next King. The Heart, a mysterious stone which communicates the bond between two people, waits for the Kingmaker to arrive. When Vashia arrives on Shroud, she meets eyes with Dolfan, the prince who wants the throne the least of all his brothers--but are they destined to rule Shroud, or is something more at work?Full of betrayal, intrigue, romance and action, and serving as a very interesting deconstruction of the idea of "love at first sight", Shrouded is a riveting story that should be on the list of any lover of far-off worlds, likeable but flawed protagonists, and political intrigue.Highly recommended.