Review: A female archer and the man who refuses to lose to her
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 18, 2014
This novella is a lovely addition to Amy Raby's Hearts and Thrones series. Characters from Assasin's Gambit, Vitala and Lucien, make an appearance, but the hero and heroine of this piece, Nalica and Justien, steal the show.Nalica is an archer entering a tournament to win a place in the city guard. Work is hard to find (who can't relate to that these days!), and this job is her only option. But first, she has to best several male archers to prove herself the best candidate. One of her fellow competitors is Justien, a big bear of a man from the same province as Nalica. As they get to know each other during the competition, they find they have a lot in common, but conflict arises from their budding friendship and romance and the fact only one of them can win the city guard job. They both need it, and they're both playing for keeps.Nalica is a strong heroine. Amy excels at writing strong, smart, down-to-earth heroines. Her heroes are strong and sexy, too, but they have a quiet quality about them that sticks with me long after I've put the book down.The story arc of this novella is tight with Amy's trademark swift pacing that never skimps on the world-building. I loved every minute of it.