Lord Vellem had a rough life growing up. His father was an abusive alcoholic, his mother was not very present, and his brother couldn't do much to help. But Vellem managed to make a living and name for himself as a member of the Royal Army Corp of Engineers. And his work there, along with some help from his brother, led him to a new path: marriage to a prince of a neighboring kingdom as a means of supporting diplomatic relations. It's not something Vellem expected, and it's certainly something that he knows may take him out of his element, but it's a way for him to finally get away from those parts of his past that still haunt him. And he's heard nothing but good things about his betrothed. But a major incident on the first night of celebrating Vellem's arrival in his new home leave his husbands kingdom in dire straits--and Vellem realizes he just might be in over his head.

There are a lot of moving parts in this story and more names to keep track of than one might first expect. So one needs to follow along closely to know who the major players are as they step in and out of the narrative, but it's an engaging read with a plot that has a great deal of forward motion at every turn. ( )

Excellent fantasy, great read. ( )

Described as "M/M romance I enjoyed that focuses on a marriage meant to unite two kingdoms after a war. There are some big dramatic events, but a lot of it is about the importance of engineering and infrastructure in conducting a war and recovering after it."