THE EDGE OF THE BLADE is book two of The Uncharted Realms series and book five in The Twelve Kingdoms series by fantasy writer Jeffe Kennedy. Kennedy writes strong women, whether she is writing romance or fantasy, and I love how her women will take agency if they are not given it in their world. This, along with her great world- building skills, endears her writing to me. THE EDGE OF THE BLADE is another great entry in this wonderful series exploring the Twelve Kingdoms.

At the end of the first Twelve Kingdoms trilogy, new High Queen has risen from her former rank of captain of the imperial guard now to ruler of the whole Twelve Kingdoms after killing her corrupt and evil father, the former king. Ursula sends out her chief librarian Daphe to be ambassador to the nearby threatening kingdom of Dasnaria and sends her best spy, Jepp, along to protect the ambassador. But Daphne is sold into marriage by Kral's scheming and left behind in a strange land with her new husband (in book one of The Uncharted Realms, THE PAGES OF THE MIND) and so Jepp must step up to act as ambassador, a role she clearly has no skills for. Jepp is forthright, sexually liberated, and skilled at combat- things that definitely do not endear her to the oh-so-not- progressive misogynistic Dasnarians that she is intended to negotiate a treaty with.

General Kral of Dasnaria, also Imperial Prince of the royal house of Konybgrr and heir to his brother the emperor, escorts Jepp back to his kingdom to treat with the emperor. The first night they meet, Jepp and Kral have a lust-filled night of sexual delights. Due to his culture, Kral thinks that this means Jepp is exclusively his- his to bed and to protect and shield- but Jepp quickly demonstrates that is not so. This puts Kral and Jepp delightfully at odds for most of the book. I love their the tension between the two, and their banter and growing closeness.

Lively action, political scheming, and witty banter characterize THE EDGE OF THE BLADE. Even the secondary characters are skillfully done. The Uncharted Realms are a delightfully imaginative world of magic and shifting alliances, and each book in the series brings another couple together as well as advancing the overall story. While this book could be read on its own merits, reading the series in order will give the fullest appreciation of the story. Kennedy's THE EDGE OF THE BLADE is sure to please those who love fantasy and romance.