‘The Lily and the Crown’ is a sci-fi story in which the universe is ruled by a human empire under attack of both pirates and extraterrestrials. In this context, Ariana is a recluse botanist, daughter of a space station commander. Her world is turned upside down when she is given a slave to assist her. The nameless slave is beautiful, intelligent and sexy and will change Ariana’s life forever.

This book is mainly a romance with the sci-fi story in the background. Written from the point of view of Ariana, the story mainly focuses on her relationship with ‘Assistant’ – as she calls her slave – and is set mostly on the botanist’s garden. Ariana is 20 years old, an innocent believer in human virtue, while ‘Assistant’ is beyond 40, a streetwise and conflicted character. They couldn’t have been any different though somehow they complement each other perfectly. It is interesting to see how the dynamic mistress-slave changes as their bond grows closer. Ms. Sinclair presents the characters in all their imperfect, contradictory layers, with an intense chemistry and deep humanity. A pleasure to read.

Overall, a very entertaining read by a debut author. 5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.