King Samed has ruled Raalek for many years and is used to unquestioning loyalty from his subjects. Each Duke who lives within his kingdom has sworn his allegiance to the King and Atan the new Duke of Ishtba will be no exception. But this time something is different. Atan is the first Duke to look the King directly in the eyes while taking his oath.

Although she had been born a commoner, Raphela always knew she was destined for greater things. When she meets Atan she feels a bond between them so decides to present herself at his castle as a potential concubine. Soon after she arrives she starts to increase her position within the household until she becomes the only concubine that Atan wants. When she becomes pregnant their relationship becomes stronger until they finally marry.

When he hears tell of a plot to overthrow him, Atan realises that Raphela may be the best person to discover the identity of the conspirators but no one could possibly realise the extent she is willing to go to.

If the Reward Were Right is the first book in a new series – The Envy of the Gods and follows the lives of Atan and Raphela as they become Duke and Lady of Ishtba. Raphela is a very strong character who knows what she wants and will let nothing stand in her way. I have read other fantasy stories with similar characters but usually their desires run to personal power. In the case of Raphela she also works to improve the life of the people within Ishtba providing education and training and enabling people to develop their interests. But regardless of the power she gains and the rise in her social status she never forgets where she has come from and the people who helped her get where she is.

It seems relatively simple to write a mediocre fantasy novel – as can be seen by the number that have been published over the years but it is rare to find one quite as good as If the Reward were Right. I absolutely loved this book and I am definitely looking forward to the next one in the series. Get writing Andrea – you have a great future ahead of you.

From the Back Cover
DUMFRIES, Va. – Human beings have always been fascinated with space and the unknown that exists beyond our world. As we explore the universe beyond the realm of Earth, there is one question that remains – are we really alone in our universe? Many believe that we are not, and the recent discovery of water on one of Saturn's moons further supports the idea that there could be other civilizations out there in the vast and widely unexplored blackness we call space. Whether these societies are made up of humans or extraterrestrials remains to be seen, but the possibility exists that they are light years ahead of us developmentally. If we do discover there is human-like life beyond Earth, how will that impact our own way of life?

Andrea Savitch, takes readers to a distant planet with a society much like ours of the past. This first book in the Envy of the Gods: If the Reward Were Right trilogy is set in the world of Raalek and chronicles the rise to power of Atan, Duke of Ishtba, and his indomitable wife, Raphela. Through their shared vision, they seek to usher their world from a dark age into a golden era of ingenuity and equality.

The book begins with the new Duke of Ishtba's discontent with the world in which he lives. Not only has his father idly let the surrounding duchies nibble away at their borders, but the entire kingdom of Calcoran exists in a lethargic state of peace, where new ideas are scorned in the fear that change might lead to destruction. A man of vision, Atan begins a methodical campaign to conquer his neighbors with the help of his driven second-in-command, Mahtso. However, as his duchy grows in wealth and his people in prosperity, Atan is plagued by loneliness. Enter Raphela, the beautiful and ambitious daughter of a humble cloth merchant. With charisma and determination, she has won for herself an education that most women are forbidden. When the Duke visits her village, she recognizes in him a kindred vision for the world. From their first passionate meeting, the two are destined to reshape the world around them.