Dionne City; Dakar City, Dakar – Future

By the rest of the Federation of Worlds, Dakar is considered a backwater planet. Its citizens have very little to do with people not from Dakar. Princess Rianna Chartier has run away from her home on the planet Salazar to escape an arranged marriage to Prince Saris A’Sarah of the arid world, Turnis. Rianna wants nothing to do with him.

She is being pursued by unknown mercenaries, paid to make sure she does not return, and instead of a soft landing, Rianna crashes, and upon exiting her ruined craft, finds herself surrounded by the three pursuers who have decided to have fun with her before they kill her. She does not surrender, but shows them defensive skills that are not part of a princess’s training. Still, three against one are not good odds, and she is very glad to have help arrive in the form of Jhaan san de Cain and his friend, Markin de Gens.

Jhaan is days away from having his status as heir taken away from him. He has yet to find his psi-mate, and if he does not beat the deadline, he will be declared sterile and lose all rights as his father’s successor. He is stunned, not only to find that the victim of the three attackers is a woman, but psychically knows that she is his longed-for mate. He never thought the woman fated for him would be an off-worlder! Now he has to figure out how he can convince this beautiful woman to be his wife.

Neither Jhaan nor Rianna tells the other exactly who they are, and when he persuades her to participate in a ceremony at the Lunar Festival, he neglects to inform her that it was a Linking Ceremony…their marriage.

Bertram Chartier is determined to have his niece returned and imprudently treads on the toes of Jhaan’s father and mother when he comes to fetch her. Also on the unwanted guest list are Saris A’Sarah and his supposedly secret paramour, Ilena Torane who sets her sights on Jhaan. Then, through a tragic chain of events, Jhaan may lose everything anyway. Jhaan’s cousin, Demitry con Bruna, would like nothing better than to unseat Jhaan as heir. Count Gerrard de Gens and his wife, Countess Laurine; Magistrate de Mallori; Thea Chartier; and Captain Conlan Tammar are important secondary characters who wish to protect Jhaan and Rianna.

PROMISE FOR TOMORROW is a rousing delight of a read. Dakar is a lush, wonder-filled world with limited, carefully selected technology, and I want to visit. Danger, deceit, betrayal, love, and surprises both good and bad, abound and surround them all. Liz Kreger has created a world and circumstances and personalities that are so necessary for an excellent story of an intriguing culture and a paradise that should remain unspoiled with dreamy style and colorful prose. Get it, read it, KEEP it.

Vi Janaway