Affairs of State - by Calvin James (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A lavish vortex of politics and romance among the stars. Levar Boylan is hurled into a world of diplomatic galas and impossibly high stakes to rekindle things with his lover, the demon empress Astrid.

A deft, witty and sexy read for fans of A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine and Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell.

In this sweeping story of high-stakes romance and cut-throat politics amongst the stars, dashing junior supply officer Levar Boylan finds himself unceremoniously pulled from the front lines to serve as a diplomat for abruptly arranged peace talks with the Empire. All because he once dated an Imperial baroness.

Levar gets more than he bargained for when his former lover, Astrid, is revealed as the reigning Demon Emperor and despite the years, the war, and their difference in rank, their mutual attraction still burns bright.

The re-ignited relationship with the towering, horned Emperor threatens to drown the lovelorn soldier in a whirlpool of conflicting agendas. Levar's superiors suspect his loyalty is waning, while Astrid hopes he will abandon the defeated Commonwealth to become an Imperial noble. As sinister schemes bubble to the surface, Levar must dodge assassins, outfox kidnappers, and battle militant insurgency to save his country, his love, and his life.

About the Author

Calvin James is an aerospace engineer and role-playing game designer. He is best known for creating the popular Age of Aether, a historical steampunk fantasy RPG. Calvin is an avid historian, and loves researching life in prior times. Often, he finds knowledge of a historical period can help with worldbuilding, even in a magical land or on a faraway planet. His expertise in aerospace engineering is also a huge help. The science in his novels utilize his real-world knowledge of technology and space exploration, and his worldbuilding reflects the attention to detail required to resolve spacecraft anomalies.