Content levels
Trigger warnings
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
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Synopsis
****Master storyteller Sharon Shinn created the thrilling and enduring world of Welce in her acclaimed novel* Troubled Waters*. Return with her to that elemental universe in this tale of secrecy, romance, and a battle for power...*** Josetta is a princess of one of the Five Families. But she is far from the throne, so she is free to spend her days working in the poorest sections of the city. Rafe Adova, an outcast since he was born, lives the life of a career gambler in those slums. He has no ambition other than cheating at the card tables--until the night he decides to help a girl named Corene, who looks like she's stumbled into the wrong bar. She, too, is a princess--sister to Josetta, who finds her with Rafe. Josetta has never encountered anyone like him--someone seemingly devoid of elemental blessings--and he fascinates her. Rafe is drawn to her, though he thinks they are unlikely to ever meet again--but their connection grows strong when she nurses him back to health after he is assaulted by foreign mercenaries. And when they learn the reason he's being hunted, they know that the truth about his history could endanger not only their love but also their very lives... This description comes from the publisher. *Royal Airs* is the second book in the Elemental Blessings series, the first of which is *Troubled Waters*.
Is Royal Airs appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
Parents should know this adult fantasy romance features a princess and a gambler from different social worlds who fall in love. It includes moderate violence (an assault on the hero) and romantic content including kissing and nursing scenes, with fade-to-black intimacy. Class tensions and political intrigue drive the plot.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, moderate sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include violence and class struggle.
Publisher ages reflect reading level; our rating reflects content maturity — they can differ.
Who'll love this
Teens will be drawn to the cross-class romance between a noble princess who works among the poor and a street-smart gambler who helps her discover dangerous secrets about his past.