A lavish vortex of politics and romance among 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.
Calvin James is an aerospace engineer and role-playing game designer. He is best known for creating the popular Age of Aether, a historical steampunk fantasy RPG. Calvin is an avid historian, and loves researching life in prior times. Often, he finds knowledge of a historical period can help with worldbuilding, even in a magical land or on a faraway planet. His expertise in aerospace engineering is also a huge help. The science in his novels utilize his real-world knowledge of technology and space exploration, and his worldbuilding reflects the attention to detail required to resolve spacecraft anomalies.
"Captivates from start to finish" –Publishers Weekly
"You will not find better yearning. Every demon emperor should have a tiny man to swing about like a bolas, and every war that keeps them apart should be immediately suspended. I genuinely cannot wait to see what Calvin James cooks up next." Greer Stothers, USA Today-bestselling author of Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die
“Vividly balances swashbuckling action with diabolical political intrigue.” Gareth L. Powell, award-winning author of Embers of War and Jitterbug
"Hard military SF meets spicy court intrigue meets a romance for the ages in this truly compelling novel. Affairs of State is one of a kind." Juliet Marillier, award-winning author of Daughter of the Forest
"Affairs of State hooked me from the start with its waltz of political intrigue, courtly machinations, and rekindled love, all conducted by Calvin James’s deft hand. The twists and turns—backed by sharp prose and striking world-building—are as intoxicating as fine brandy. But really it was the central relationship between Astrid and Levar that captured me like a star’s gravitational pull: electric, sexy, fierce, and tender all at once." Nathan Tavares, author of A Fractured Infinity
"Affairs of State is a gorgeously imagined space romance full of inventive world-building, adventure and political intrigue. An exciting debut that left me wanting more." Emmi Itäranta, author of Memory of Water and The Moonday Letters
"Captivates from start to finish." Publishers Weekly
A lavish vortex of politics and romance among 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.
Creators
Calvin James is an aerospace engineer and role-playing game designer. He is best known for creating the popular Age of Aether, a historical steampunk fantasy RPG. Calvin is an avid historian, and loves researching life in prior times. Often, he finds knowledge of a historical period can help with worldbuilding, even in a magical land or on a faraway planet. His expertise in aerospace engineering is also a huge help. The science in his novels utilize his real-world knowledge of technology and space exploration, and his worldbuilding reflects the attention to detail required to resolve spacecraft anomalies.
"Captivates from start to finish" –Publishers Weekly
"You will not find better yearning. Every demon emperor should have a tiny man to swing about like a bolas, and every war that keeps them apart should be immediately suspended. I genuinely cannot wait to see what Calvin James cooks up next." Greer Stothers, USA Today-bestselling author of Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die
“Vividly balances swashbuckling action with diabolical political intrigue.” Gareth L. Powell, award-winning author of Embers of War and Jitterbug
"Hard military SF meets spicy court intrigue meets a romance for the ages in this truly compelling novel. Affairs of State is one of a kind." Juliet Marillier, award-winning author of Daughter of the Forest
"Affairs of State hooked me from the start with its waltz of political intrigue, courtly machinations, and rekindled love, all conducted by Calvin James’s deft hand. The twists and turns—backed by sharp prose and striking world-building—are as intoxicating as fine brandy. But really it was the central relationship between Astrid and Levar that captured me like a star’s gravitational pull: electric, sexy, fierce, and tender all at once." Nathan Tavares, author of A Fractured Infinity
"Affairs of State is a gorgeously imagined space romance full of inventive world-building, adventure and political intrigue. An exciting debut that left me wanting more." Emmi Itäranta, author of Memory of Water and The Moonday Letters
"Captivates from start to finish." Publishers Weekly
