(The Chronicles of Ixia) By Maria V. Snyder

Yelena is about to be executed for murder, but in Ixia even self defense is not an excuse to be pardoned. She is granted a reprieve by becoming the Commander’s new food taster.

Yelena can choose to die straight away during her execution, die any time as a food taster, or by the hands of those out to seek revenge. If she tries to run as a food taster she will still die because Valik, the Commander’s assassin, gave her Butterfly’s Dusté, a poison the requires a daily antidote.

Follow Yelena as she tries to navigate the obstacles she faces in staying alive, not to mention the magic that she secretly possesses in a land where magic users are killed.

This story will always remain on of my favorites. The story is so well written from a strong but beaten down female character to an assassin with many hidden layers to his personality. Ari and Janco are a great team and very funny. The story has a good pace and flow with a slow-burn romance and a mild spice level.

There is not really any negatives about this story. Part of the plot is a little strange, but I cannot say too much without giving away any spoilers.

Overall, this book is well worth the read and contains a little bit of everything from, mystery, magic, romance, danger, and action.

Trigger Warnings – Violence, reference to sexual assault with a flashback

If you are interested in purchasing this book, please select the link below for easy access to the Amazon site.

https://amzn.to/3WwXBAS (Paid Link)