Adon is a strong healer for his people, and the son of the prime minister.  When his kingdom is overtaken by the strong Parsadi Empire and the well-known General Istrak, he is not surprised to be picked as a war prize, especially as he is Chief Physician.  He is relieved as this will allow him to escape the advances of a conniving woman who wants him only for his position and not for himself.  What will astonish him even more is the true identity of General Istrak, which he won’t find out until he is at the Parsadi Empire palace.

When Adon arrives at the Empire, he is surprised to be given to the Emperor’s youngest daughter as a war prize slave.  Princess Istrak longs to find a man who will love her for who she is, and all of her accomplishments.   She is initially confused that she is so drawn to this slave, but soon sees him for what he really is—a compassionate man.  Adon continues to be drawn to Princess Istrak and hopes in some way she will care for him as he is beginning to care for her.  To further add difficulty, as a slave, Adon is forced to wear a collar that limits the pleasure that he feels and amplifies the pain.  What are the princess’ true feelings and can she love a slave?

The Sword and the Slave portrays an interesting view of war prizes.  Having read about the concept of war prizes in other books, the idea was not foreign to me.  What was foreign was the kick-butt woman warrior who was also princess.  I found the story intriguing by the way the author portrayed that a person’s true value does not lie in their title, but in their actions.  I found The Sword and the Slave to be an enjoyable read.