Nemesis by Anna Banks (review)

Sepora wants to be free of her overbearing, greedy father, the king, so she escapes, only to land in the harem of the ruler of a nearby kingdom. She has no intention of sitting idly as a pretty bedmate, so she demands time with the potentate and insinuates herself into the political workings of this land. The young king has no idea who Sepora really is or that she is one of the last Forgers, someone who oozes the substance spectorium, upon which everything in the kingdoms runs. The increasingly complicated political machinations (war between the kingdoms seems inevitable) keep everyone busy, but not so much so that these two teens don’t find time to make out on the regular. Can their infatuation survive lies, battles, and political obligations? Sepora’s a bit too successful at everything she attempts, but her new guy, Tarik, is memorable as a new king juggling the recent death of his father, a local plague, and all the trouble Sepora brings. He fumbles as much as he succeeds, but his clearly earnest intentions make him relatable and admirable. Romance fans who like some adventure mixed in with their love stories will be the likeliest fit for this dramatic novel, and they’ll eagerly anticipate a sequel to see what awaits Sepora and Tarik.