<p>A spectacular space opera debut perfect for readers of Ann Leckie''s <i>Ancillary Justice</i> and Arkady Martine''s <i>A Memory Called Empire</i>, inspired by the lives and loves of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.<br><b><br>LOYALTY, LEGACY AND BETRAYAL...<br><br>Princess Altagracia has lost everything.</b> After a bloody civil war, her twin sister has claimed not just the crown of their planet Szayet but the Pearl of its prophecy, a computer that contains the immortal soul of their god. Stripped of her birthright, Altagracia prepares to flee the planet - just as Matheus Ceirran, Commander of the interstellar Empire of Ceiao, arrives in deadly pursuit. Princess Altagracia sees an opportunity to win back her planet, her god, and her throne . . . if she can win over the Commander and his distrustful right-hand officer, Anita.<br><br>But talking her way into Commander Matheus''s good graces, and his bed, is only the beginning. Dealing with the most powerful man in the galaxy is almost as d