This is a good story on its own but won’t make as much sense without reading the rest of the series. It ends in a bit of a cliff hanger and so do several others in the series. I’m anxious to get to the end of the story to figure out what is going on. It is an intriguing series.

Evians are like no other species. With superhuman strength, ability to learn and retain perfectly, and capability of healing within minutes from almost any injury, they are the leaders of the world. Among evians, the royalty—the closest descendants of Eve—are even more skilled and live in luxury as they run the world. Yet life as a royal is far from peaceful. The six royal families are filled with backbiting, treachery, and plotting, both between families and even in their own ranks. Millennia ago, a prophecy foretold that one of Eve’s daughters would be the “queen of queens” who could bring harmony to the fractured evian society. From a young age, Melina, daughter and heir of the most powerful of the six empresses, has known that she is different. She does not crave power. Her mother doubts her ability to make the ruthless moves necessary to hold the kingdom together. Her father hopes that she can be the one to bring about a better world: one in which all have equal opportunities. Although she seriously doubts her ability to do that, Melina accepts it as her life’s calling. She believes that “we must choose good, no matter the sacrifice.” Putting her own desires behind her, her yearning for a peaceful life and true love, she begins to push for changes, to let her voice be heard, and prepares for the day she will step into her mother’s shoes. And then…her mother gives birth to twin daughters and Melina is moved to third in line for the throne. Further, when she fulfills a promise she made to her mother to protect the throne, she is banished from the island. Far from her family and her kingdom, Melina wrestles with her destiny. What is her purpose? Why did she work so hard to fulfill it, only to have it taken away before she could effect any real change? Does she even know who she is anymore…and did she ever know? As she ponders the meaning of everything, she remembers her father’s life. Always in her mother’s shadow, all but forgotten after his death. Yet because of him, Melina overcame her uncertainty and was ready to lead her people. She realizes that one’s purpose in life doesn’t have to be obvious greatness. Melina’s father believed that his was simply to prepare her for her purpose. Melina slowly comes to believe she may also have the role of preparer and protector. It’s not what she expected but it just might be her true calling. While she may never rule, her kingdom still needs her…every ounce of courage and wisdom that she has acquired through her royal training as well as her years of solitude. As her father told her, “You may be inspired to act by a feeling, by attraction, but love is something you do.” Can Melina show her love for her family and her people…and even herself? This book added a new depth to Chancery’s saga. Melina is seen earlier as not only a villain, but mentally unstable. Now we can see how each move was a deliberate act, committed in the firm belief that she was doing what she believed was best, not only for her people but for the future of humanity. And how she may be instrumental to Chancery’s ability to fulfill her own destiny. As always, Bridget Baker's writing is both action-packed and beautiful. Her ability to capture emotion without long, boring descriptions, her realistic and varied characters, and her cleverness in weaving in real-life events (Pearl Harbor, 9-11, etc.) make this series a delight.