Being condemned to slavery is a common enough occurrence on the desert planet of Livre, but this time, priest Shan Polli is determined to prevent the corrupt, soul-eating system from destroying one more life. Temar Grazer was sentenced for what amounted to a criminal prank—but Shan soon finds that the dangers extend far beyond Temar’s crime. Caught between guilt and hope, Shan must find his true path in either the priesthood or in a man whose strength and survival defies the odds. Can the two men unravel a plot that threatens the entire world before Temar is broken by a system of slavery that has twisted out of control?

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New ambassadors Temar Gazer and Shan Polli stopped one disaster on Livre, but the battle isn't over. Temar is still struggling to work through the abuse he suffered. Livre, too, is stuck: it could ally with the breakaway planets—risking strange and dangerous beliefs—or the older alliance, which offers human rights protections but seeks to control the planet. It's a delicate balance, but they manage… until crisis takes Shan away from Temar. It's up to Temar to get them and their planet through the crisis safely. But just because he and Shan have chosen each other doesn’t mean their love is strong enough to survive when the stirring sands around them change.

Desert World: Book Three Lieutenant Commander Verly Black is ready to leave the atrocities of war behind and immigrate to the planet of Livre, where he can build a future away from the ghosts of his past. He doesn’t expect to find a kindred spirit in councilman Naite Poli—a man with secrets as dark as Verly’s own and bearing the scars to prove it. Both men have done what was necessary to survive—Verly in battle and Naite in defense of his family—and they’re haunted by memories that leave them wary of trusting others. As they circle each other, the political maneuvering around them grows more dangerous, with the outer worlds trying to force Livre into one alliance or another. Some still view Verly as a killer and a spy, and they’re determined not to let him forget what he’s done. Others fear the implications of a military officer sharing the bed of a councilmember. When the rebel alliance moves beyond threats, Verly and Naite must push through the pain of their pasts and stand together to fight for the future of their world.