Commandant Safire is obsessed with catching the criminal known as the Death Dancer and, when she does, is shocked to discover that Eris is female and they share an attraction to each other. Despite this, Safire believes Eris is a threat to her beloved cousin Asha, while Eris is preoccupied with staying safely out of reach of Empress Leandra. Events send them on a collision course with everyone who loves them as well as those who wish them dead. This is the second book in the Iskari series, following The Last Namsara (2017), and as she did in the previous book, Ciccarelli splits readers' focus by telling not one but two seemingly unrelated tales simultaneously. One is background for the other and is an excellent way to parse key information while deepening understanding of the characters and their motivations. Not one but two love stories are told; one with a bittersweet ending and the other hinting at more to come--and, yes, the dragons are here, too.