Book 2 in Vendel Rising · Science fiction · by Ellie Masters writing as L.A. Warren
About the book
Hero: Gregor Ulysses vlor'Malita, Emperor of the Vendel
Heroine: Elise Comwell, one of the few survivors the Vendel collect
Life is but a collection of moments, some more memorable than others.
The Vendel claimed to come in peace. Then death began with a simple cough or sneeze. Like the Black Death of the Middle Ages, people who were healthy in the morning were dead by nightfall. Billions died.
A few of us weren't touched at all. At least not on the outside. The Vendel collected us, tested us, ranked us and remade us, although it would be a long time before we understood what that meant.
I remember two things: the warm, rich scent of a powerful man, and the agony of the braklav.
Tropes, heat and content notes
- Tropes: alien invasion, enemies to lovers, captive heroine, revenge, found family, space opera
- Heat: low. The romance with Gregor is a slow burn, with no explicit scenes.
- Point of view: third person, past tense, following Elise, with first-person passages from her later history of New Terra
- Ending: a cliffhanger. Elise's story continues in The Price of Power.
- Content notes: an alien plague that kills billions, slavery, torture, psychological breakdown, sexual violence in a side character's past. Adults 18+.
Where it fits in the series
Women of Rank is book 2 of 4 in Vendel Rising. Read the books in order.
- Before it: It Begins With the End.
- After it: The Price of Power.
Questions readers ask
Do I need to read It Begins With the End first?
Yes. Women of Rank picks up right where book 1 ends.
Who is L.A. Warren?
L.A. Warren is the science fiction pen name of Ellie Masters.
Is it in Kindle Unlimited?
Yes. All four Vendel Rising books are in Kindle Unlimited.