This is a book I couldn’t put down until I had finished it.  Like Folger’s coffee, it was good to the last drop.  When Marcel and Alexa’s parents were murdered by a black sorcerer (an evil sorcerer who could cause fire), they knew they would be taken by the king’s soldiers back to the castle.  Boys train for the army and girls go to the breeding house.  The girls’ fate was worse than death, as they were repeatedly raped and starved and held prisoner in the house, giving birth to future soldiers or breeders.  They weren’t given a chance to be mothers.  Knowing what lay ahead for them,  fourteen-year-old Alexa decided to pass as a boy; after all, she was tall and could fight as well, if not better, than her brother.  They cut off her hair, she lowered her voice, and they both became recognized fighters in Prince Damian’s guard.  Alex, as she/he was now known as, was the best fighter of all the guard.  Alex becomes the Prince’s personal guard and learns his secrets to overthrow his father, the king.  The plot is strong and the characters are well developed.  This is a book that displays a strong female lead character, a young lady who gains the strength to stand up for who she is and what she can become.