YA book review: nemesis by Anna Banks

Nemesis by Anna Banks

The teenaged Princess Sepora is the last known forger in the five kingdoms, meaning she has the ability to create Spectorum, a substance that provides energy. But she’s sick of her father using her gift for his own gain, and when she discovers he’s weaponized Spectorum to wage war, she flees her kingdom in the hopes of sparing innocent lives.

Not long after she runs away, however, she’s captured in Theora, the sworn enemy of Sepora’s homeland, and she is sold as a slave to the King of Theora’s harem.

Tarik has just been crowned King of Theora. He’s a teenager and thought he’d have years to study under his father, but then a strange disease killed his father within a matter of days.

Now Tarik’s attention is on fighting the disease that's spreading through his kingdom, and he realizes he needs fresh Spectorum to try and fight it.

After talking her way out of the harem and into the palace, Sepora and the King fall for each other. But Sepora battles the moral dilemma of showing off her gift to help cure the disease against the fear of Theora using the spectorum to wage war.

Based on the ending, more installments are in the works.