A hidden island. A prince in disguise…and a lady torn between love and duty.

Lady Tayte Bashan never desired the distinctive black hair that marks her as Undae royalty, but when her family perishes in a devastating tsunami, the burden of leadership falls upon her young shoulders. Even as she prepares her island for the prophesied prince, she fears the duty to marry him is truly meant for another.

Sent from the King to an island untouched by the outside world for centuries, Prince Geoffrey Athan D’Ambrose’s mission is to lead its people to the ultimate truth. The first sent out, he desires to serve his King, but how is he supposed to win the heart of Undae’s princess when the King sends him disguised as a tutor?

Betrayal stirs within Castle Bashan, a threat as deadly as the rising wave. Now Tayte and Athan must brave the maelstrom or watch as the entire island succumbs to treachery’s destructive tide.

I accidentally read book three of this series first, but they can be read out of order, which is great. This book reads a bit like a historical, but that’s part of the speculative element — many contemporary elements make it into the book (which isn’t really a time slip or dual timeline).

What I really enjoy about Clover’s series is the allegory of it — I haven’t read many contemporary allegories, and she does it well. The prince (an adopted son of the king) isn’t perfect and doesn’t have all of the answers, but he pours the king’s love into the land as he teaches people about the king and a relationship with him. I love the creativity of it.

My one hesitation (that kept this from being a four-star review) is the explicitness of the final scene. I’m hardly a prude when it comes to what I read, but — for me — it took the emphasis off the King/child relationship and ended with flesh. It wasn’t overly explicit, but it just didn’t fit well for me.

If you’re looking for a story that points back to Christ in an interesting, entertaining way, I recommend this book!