Romance in a veil of fantasy - Citizen by Natasha House

Set in the world 1000 years or so on from what we know and things have changed. The planet is no longer ruled by humans, but by aliens known as citizens. Humans are slaves, dogs that are kept in control by threats and brutal punishments. Lend is a young man living in the wild, until he is captured and taken to the city. He is bought by a female citizen, wanting him more to make a point to a would be mate than for practical reasons. With his defiant ways and her reluctance to discipline him by burning, a bond develops and each sees the possibilities of the other race.

The action builds quickly with some form of relationship blossoming. Her father is a very powerful man and she has grown up with his hatred of humans all her life, so trust is hard to find. When things spiral out of control, they need to make a life or death decision, and everything will change forever.

This book quickly jumps into action, one minute Lend is with his family the next he is being tortured and dragged to the city to be sold. The first thing that came to mind when reading this, was planet of the apes. A world turned upside down, humans under tight control not allowed to speak, and death is a common theme. Of course the human spirit will not rest and there are always undertones of rebellion. To me the writing wanders a little at times, I felt it could be a little tighter and the relationship between Lila and Lend grows a little too quickly. Almost from the moment they meet, there is a connection and would have liked to see the aggression between the two of them a little longer. The editing is good and the pace moves you along nicely. If you would like romance with a fantasy feel this would be a good read for you.