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Affairs of State
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Expected 28 Jul 26A lavish vortex of politics and romance in 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.
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.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!
So… the book was okay but only just. I keep reading so many reviews that praise this novel for both the romance and worldbuilding aspects but in reality it has very little of either.
Let’s start with the romance. Boylan and Astrid were in a relationship ten years or so before the start of the novel, apparently a hot and heavy one too. But when they’re reunited and have a chance to rekindle that fire, there’s almost nothing there. Sure, Astrid tosses him around a bit and some sexy words are exchanged, but there’s barely any kissing and no on-screen sex. If the author wanted me to think these two had previously had the type of relationship where they could barely keep their hands off each other, then he needed to show it. Plenty of authors have been able to do this with closed-door sex, too, so it wasn’t just that aspect that disappointed me.
Now let’s move on to the worldbuilding… or lack thereof. Why do so many authors these days think that just saying you have several political parties means that you’ve got a strongly structured world? Astrid is meant to be the emperor of this massive multi-political entity, yet does nothing to rule except throw parties and wear pretty clothes and dance. Warfare is conducted the same way as every other novel, nobility is the same as every other novel, even the hover steeds don’t seem completely original anymore. It felt like the author thought he was George R. R. Martin with his supposedly deep and intellectual politically intriguing dialogue but in reality it felt very amateurish and lacking in depth. Maybe I just wanted this to be more of a space opera than it was willing to be.
All in all, I can’t really tell what this book wanted to be. It wasn’t quite a romance, wasn’t really a sci-fi, wasn’t very adventurous, definitely wasn’t space opera. So I have no real emotional attachment to the plot or the characters. It was easy enough to read, though, so there’s that.
So… the book was okay but only just. I keep reading so many reviews that praise this novel for both the romance and worldbuilding aspects but in reality it has very little of either.
Let’s start with the romance. Boylan and Astrid were in a relationship ten years or so before the start of the novel, apparently a hot and heavy one too. But when they’re reunited and have a chance to rekindle that fire, there’s almost nothing there. Sure, Astrid tosses him around a bit and some sexy words are exchanged, but there’s barely any kissing and no on-screen sex. If the author wanted me to think these two had previously had the type of relationship where they could barely keep their hands off each other, then he needed to show it. Plenty of authors have been able to do this with closed-door sex, too, so it wasn’t just that aspect that disappointed me.
Now let’s move on to the worldbuilding… or lack thereof. Why do so many authors these days think that just saying you have several political parties means that you’ve got a strongly structured world? Astrid is meant to be the emperor of this massive multi-political entity, yet does nothing to rule except throw parties and wear pretty clothes and dance. Warfare is conducted the same way as every other novel, nobility is the same as every other novel, even the hover steeds don’t seem completely original anymore. It felt like the author thought he was George R. R. Martin with his supposedly deep and intellectual politically intriguing dialogue but in reality it felt very amateurish and lacking in depth. Maybe I just wanted this to be more of a space opera than it was willing to be.
All in all, I can’t really tell what this book wanted to be. It wasn’t quite a romance, wasn’t really a sci-fi, wasn’t very adventurous, definitely wasn’t space opera. So I have no real emotional attachment to the plot or the characters. It was easy enough to read, though, so there’s that.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Affairs of State is a masterclass in genre-blending, perfect for fans of Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire or Everina Maxwell’s Winter’s Orbit. It follows junior supply officer Levar Boylan, who is thrust from the front lines into the treacherous world of interstellar diplomacy simply because of a past fling with an Imperial baroness.
Why This Is a 5-Star Read:
The Ultimate "Secret Identity" Twist: The tension explodes when Levar’s former flame is revealed to be Astrid, the reigning Demon Emperor. Their chemistry is electric, and James expertly balances their burning mutual attraction with the "towering, horned" physical reality of Astrid’s position.
High-Stakes Political Chess: The world-building is incredibly dense and detailed. James, an aerospace engineer, brings a level of technical realism to the space travel and diplomatic galas that makes the high stakes feel grounded and urgent.
Non-Stop Thrills: From dodging assassins and outfoxing kidnappers to navigating militant insurgencies, the plot never slows down. It’s a "lavish vortex" that keeps you guessing until the very last page.
Why This Is a 5-Star Read:
The Ultimate "Secret Identity" Twist: The tension explodes when Levar’s former flame is revealed to be Astrid, the reigning Demon Emperor. Their chemistry is electric, and James expertly balances their burning mutual attraction with the "towering, horned" physical reality of Astrid’s position.
High-Stakes Political Chess: The world-building is incredibly dense and detailed. James, an aerospace engineer, brings a level of technical realism to the space travel and diplomatic galas that makes the high stakes feel grounded and urgent.
Non-Stop Thrills: From dodging assassins and outfoxing kidnappers to navigating militant insurgencies, the plot never slows down. It’s a "lavish vortex" that keeps you guessing until the very last page.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
really enjoyed this book and am jealous of Boylan because i wish I had an eight foot tall demon girlfriend. Found the politics a bit basic and derivative but can forgive that because this is a romance novel and not a politics novel. Best character is unequivolcally Tilly the hoversteed. Love her.
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April 10, 2026I received a free copy from Titan Books via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Release date July 28th, 2026.
Review held until July 1st by request of the publisher.
Review held until July 1st by request of the publisher.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5⭐️
Great piece of sci-fi/fantasy. The worldbuilding, especially the political lore, was fantastic. Highly recommend
Great piece of sci-fi/fantasy. The worldbuilding, especially the political lore, was fantastic. Highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews