Dance of Thieves Duology - Mary E. Pearson

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger. 

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.

While I still think Mary E. Pearson writes too long descriptions, I think this book was so much better than The Kiss of Deception - I was far more interested in the characters and what happened to them.

Both Jase and Kazi are badass warriors who care about their families and their romance is just adorable. I mean, Jase is unapologetically emotional and he confesses his feelings openly many times. Kazi on the other hand is a bit more reserved at first, but when she loves, she loves fiercely ♥

I really believe Kazi to be a wonderful character - she is flawed, but she tries her best. She sacrifices her own desires to complete her mission multiple times. She knows when the right time is to fight and when it's better to let go.

The plot moves at a decent pace but I won't apologize for skimming all the descriptions, I ain't got the patience for that 😂

In any case, this is one of the best duologies I've read and if Mary E.Pearson ever decided to write spin-offs based on Jase's family or Kazi's friends, I'd read that 😂