Uncovering one’s identity, confronting bigotry, and forging intimacy are issues at the heart of this impassioned fantasy romance series launch from Alien (Golden Dawn). In the kingdom of Demarn, spellster (magic user) Dylan joins the king’s army to see the world beyond the oppressive tower where he grew up. Military service comes with the price of having his magic controlled by a handler via a special collar. On Dylan’s first outing with the army, he is ambushed and breaks his collar; this leaves him at the mercy of the Hounds, an elite task force who apprehend uncollared spellsters. Tracker, the Hound who finds Dylan, brings him back to the tower only to find its inhabitants slaughtered. The pair race to warn the capital city about the attack; along the way, Dylan uncovers shocking information about himself and his kingdom, and he and Tracker begin to forge a romance despite the many social and practical obstacles. A well-crafted narrative about self-acceptance is tucked away inside of a grand adventure with lots of well-executed battles, though the endeavor is bogged down somewhat by excessive sex scenes and a wandering plot. (BookLife)