3 stars - I liked it

Xanthe, a Dark Fae assassin, has always hidden her emotions to do her duty. But when her identity is compromised and she trades undercover work for guarding the Queen, she finds herself showing emotion again, especially around Chancellor Aubrey Riordan. When an attack on his life happens, Xanthe finds herself taking care of him and fighting her feelings. 

This was an enjoyable dark fae story. I like that we are revising the Other land and the Dark Fae court. Xanthe was introduced in the previous story, Devil’s Gate, and she is now returning home after her mission. I liked Xanthe. She was strong and capable but also compassionate and kind. She has had feelings for Aubrey for a while but taking care of him makes them grow and bloom into real love. 

Aubrey slowly falls for Xanthe as she watches over the queen then takes care of him while he was injured. I liked how once he realized he wanted her, he didn’t hold back and let her know how he felt about her. Their relationship was sweet and low-angst, which is always great. 

Overall, this was a good novella and I liked revisiting the Dark Fae court. It was also great to see how it has changed and how Ninaine and Tiago are doing.