Damsel by Elana K Arnold

Everyone knows the story. A brave prince defeats a dragon, rescues a beautiful maiden and marries her. That must be what's happened here. Even though the maiden has no memories, craves heat, and her bethrothed is oddly off putting...

The language in this book is just beautiful. Proper folktale style. It's a very dark story, and readers should be aware that there's a certain amount of sex and sexual harrassment. Also, look at that cover. In real life it glows, it's fantastic.

Ama is a very interesting character. With no memories, she has no preconcieved notions of behaviour, and while Emory clearly expected this to make her pliable it instead makes her determined to stand up to unfairness wherever she sees it. Emory himself is deceptive at first; he seems polite and dedicated to her, but it's not long before his real self appears. Parts of the story involving Sorrow nearly broke me.

The ending doesn't answer nearly enough questions, but only in that I want very badly to know what happens next; we actually do find out everything we need to know to make the story make sense. I hope Elana returns to this world, to this writing style, because I'll definitely want to read them.

The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.

When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court.

However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her.