The three Satyr brothers, Nicholas, Raine and Lyon, are heirs to a successful winery in Tuscany. The three brothers are not what they appear to be, however. They are half-human, half-Satyrs, born from the ElseWorld and living in the EarthWorld.

One day they receive a letter from King Feydon telling them he is dying. The kings informs them he sired three daughters who are half-faerie, and the brothers must find and marry them, to protect them. Reluctant at first, the brothers decide that they must do their duty.

Nicholas found his Jane, and now Raine is in search of his bride. He goes to Venice to look for her, and is planning to attend a lecture on the dreaded phylloxera, which destroys vineyards. On his way to the lecture, though, he inadvertently stumbles into a lecture hall where a different kind of talk is taking place, a scientific study of La Maschera, a hermaphrodite.

Jordan Cietta was born into a wealthy family. She was also born a hermaphrodite. In order to inherit the family fortune, Jordan’s mother, Signora Celia Cietta, and her physician, Signore Salerno Signora strike a deal. In exchange for him proclaiming Jordan a male, and keeping silent, he will be allowed to display her to the medical community once a year, on her birthday. She wears a mask, however, to protect her identity.

When Raine sees Jordan, he’s intrigued. When he meets her later in the streets of Venice, and takes her to his lodgings, he realizes she is the one he is searching for. But things aren’t easy for the two. Jordan, who longs to live life as a woman, won’t allow herself to be controlled by anyone. Raine, who had a disastrous first marriage, knows he must protect Jordan, but refuses to love her.

He takes her to his home in Tuscany, where they fall under each other’s spell. But other forces are at work, and Raine must fight to keep Jordan safe, and to keep her in his arms.

Provocative and beautifully crafted, Raine is a fantastical trip that is part fantasy, part historical. Ms. Amber takes her readers on a trip back to the land of Satyr, where things are not always as they seem, and everything has more than a touch of magic.

I loved revisiting this world, and once again fell in love with the characters, both old and new. Both Raine and Jordan must fight against prior experiences, which have left bad tastes in their mouths, to find their destinies. The fact that both these characters are strong-willed and must learn from each other made this book fascinating to me.

Both Raine and Jordan are dark characters who have learned to live with the hands life has dealt them. Watching them learn to love each other was a true joy.

I Joyfully Recommend Raine, and eagerly await Lyon’s story in the third Lords of Satyr book.