Virginal Marin has been tormented for weeks by increasingly erotic dreams, never seeing her dream lover, but always left just before completion, awakening in a state of ever increasing frustration. Her frustration unlikely to be sated any time soon as she and several other are slated to be transported to a prison planet to do community service as classroom teachers to atone for political pranks they pulled during their pervious term in college.

The ship transporting them is to be the Revenge, captained by Seamus Drae, last of the Tiogar Clan wiped out by a virus released by the women of the Madras Clan in a vicious an attempt to wipe all males from their planet. The battle won the Madras their freedom and independence at the cost of all the males on their planet, and the undying hatred of most of the rest of the galaxy for their brutal disregard for the lives of the male half of their population and for trying to subjugate other worlds to their bloody rule and dominance of any planetary males.

Marin is the daughter of the rabid leader of the Madra's Clan, a fact she has tried to keep hidden almost her entire life, esp since her mother had disowned her and sent her away early in her life. With Drae as captain of the ship transporting her and the others to the prison planet, Marin can only hope that he doesn't find out who her mother is, as the Tiogar Clan was her specific target after being refused by one of the Tiogar Men.

Unfortunately, Drae did not get to where he is by not knowing things and having the daughter of his sworn enemy on his ship is something he does indeed know. His intentions to force Marin into a kind of sexual slavery as revenge against her mother though is set to backfire big time, as he discovers his target, while gentle and compassionate, also has a backbone of steel when pushed.

Drae, discovers, to his surprise that all his maneuvering in Marin's erotic dreams has ensorcered his as deeply as her but as their love blooms, the ship is attacked while Drae is incapacitated by the Conversion. Marin is taken prisoner by her mother and sent to the Convent planet of Clohar, known for its vicious and sadistic ways of gaining compliance from its "guests." Where they force an very painful and unwanted abortion on Marin.

You would think that this would be enough for any one book, but there is much, much more yet to come in this wonderful book. This book is action packed from beginning to the end with the sensual scenes amazingly hot but also tender and loving, the horrors Drae and Marin face, extreme. It's their love, honor and trust of each other though that shine through their trials and bring them even closer together. All of Charlotte's books are keepers but this one is one of my favorites. Her work constantly amazes me with its sheer depth of feeling and insight. Always a heart quickening read and this story is no exception.

Synopsis
Marin Deringnoe and her friends from the exclusive boarding school they attended were in deep trouble. Protesting the policy of no women in government, they had egged the chief tribunalist's runabout and earned for themselves a lengthy stay at the Fiáin women's prison where they would perform their community service.

Taegin Drae, the captain of the prison transport ship, frightened the virginal Marin more than the strange dreams she'd been having of a tall, dark and lusty lover. He was the most intimidating male she had ever seen and one look from his golden eyes made her knees weak. But was it from fright or a building passion that seemed to come over her each time the handsome shape-shifter was near?

In the vastness of space beyond her ruthless mother's reach of power, Marin would become a woman in the arms of her mother's worst enemy.