Amid Stars and Darkness

Gr 9 Up–In the future, aliens from the planet Xenith have made contact with Earth and live among us. Mistaken for an alien princess, Delaney Grace is kidnapped by Ruckus, an alien soldier. Through alien technology, Delaney's appearance has been altered so that she looks exactly like Lissa Olena, a princess of the Vakar people. In an effort to escape an arranged marriage, selfish Lissa hides on Earth while Delaney assumes her identity to prevent war between the two factions on Xenith: the Vakar and the Kint. During her time on Xenith, Delaney must undertake royal duties; fool Olena's fiancé, Trystan, into believing she is Olena; deal with her growing feelings for her guard Ruckus; and survive multiple assassination attempts. Feener's world-building is excellent, and readers will feel engulfed in the culture, politics, and technology. The romance between Delaney and Ruckus develops slowly and satisfyingly. Delaney's insecurities about Ruckus not being able to see her true face are believable and add vulnerability to her character. There is plenty of action to keep teens engaged and wanting more. Sexual content makes this book suitable for more mature readers. A cliff-hanger ending will leave readers anxious for a sequel.