The Immortal Crown, By Richelle Mead

Book two of the Gameboard of the Gods provides an intriguing mix of politics and religion as a backdrop to the action and romance. This time investigator Justin and super soldier Mae join a diplomatic mission to Arcadia, formerly the south of the USA. The region has become a religious autocracy along the lines of the Handmaid’s Tale and Mae has a personal agenda in going there – a rescue mission. Both are struggling to come to terms with their destinies as elected by the Gods and how this affects their working lives and relationships, especially with each other. Of course many problems would be prevented if they could only trust each other and communicate, but this is something they are still learning to do. The gameboard is getting crowded, with all kinds of gods and their devious representatives bobbing up in supposedly religion-free RUNA to complicate everything for Mae and Justin. Will be interesting to see where book three takes them.