"The Commander and the Den Asaan Rautu" by Michelle Franklin

From Goodreads: "Captain MacDaede and Frewyn's armed forces face defeat at the hands of the Galleisian infantry. The young captain searches for men to join the fight and defend their homeland when she finds a mysterious and mountainous creature sitting within the hold of the armoury. Seeing no other choice than to enlist the help of everyone she can to save their kingdom, she asks the callous colossus for assistance in exchange for his freedom. She realizes that he is one of the Haanta, a reticent race of noble giants who follow a strict code of conduct and do not deviate from their tasks.

When the impossible battle for their outpost is won, Captain MacDaede is made Commander of Frewyn's armies and honours her promise to giant responsible for their victory. When the giant claims he must redeem himself in the eyes of his leaders to be called back to his home, the commander offers him a place at her side to continue to defend her nation against invasion and the giant reluctantly agrees.

One year later, Frewyn has suppressed the Galleisian threat and the Den Asaan Rautu receives an invitation to return to his home with honour. When he extends the offer to the Frewyn commander she readily accepts. But when the commander and the Den Asaan arrive at Sanhedhran's white shores, they uncover a plan of war by the neighboring Thellisian Empire that will change the relationship between the Haanta and Frewyn forever."

I was quite hesitant to read this book initially because at the tine I had been savoring some easygoing YA paranormal romances and I assumed that this book would be a quite heavy period-ish piece with an almost undecipherable old English style of writing but this book is anything but that- it is a really lighthearted and enjoyable read with all of its snark and dare I say, sexual tension. If you are a fan of Tamora Pierce or authors similar to her YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK (seriously, you will not be disappointed).

Though a relationship between Den Assan Rautu and the Commander seems totally unconventional and somewhat strange (as he is a grey skinned giant with a superiority complex/ is extremely possessive and she is a lighthearted and snarky female farmer turned military bad-ass) you cannot help but root for them and want to see their relationship succeed.Their bantering back and forth was truly the icing on the cake of this fantabulous book- I cannot even remember the number of times I burst out in laughter while reading the two of them trying to up one another in their snark.

All in all, I think that if you skip over this book by thinking that it is not your cup of tea you will truly be missing out on a great read- seriously, I cannot convey to what extent I loved this book. I truly look forward to what Michelle has in store for us next!

Rating: 10/10

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for my review.