Review of The Engineered Throne by Megan Derr

The Engineered Throne by Megan Derr 4*
BLURB: Lord Vellem is a man desperate for escape. His father hides from his problems in alcohol, his mother hides from her misery in drugs, and his brother fled to the relative safety of the royal palace. Vellem eventually found solace in the Royal Army Corp of Engineers, but still could not entirely escape. Then his brother provides him with an unexpected chance, and now Vellem's marriage to the young prince of a neighboring kingdom is only months away.
The marriage promises not just a fresh start in a new land, but a challenge to his famed skills in building roads and bridges. But before he can settle into his new life, tragedy strikes, and Vellem isn't certain he's up to rebuilding the ruin left in its wake.

My Review: I would have given this one 5* if not for the poor copy editing. There were words missing in sentences and wrong words used or even double up of words where only one was needed. Apart from that though, this was an excellent story of how a humble engineer becomes the Regent of an enemy country and ends up in a war with his native country. There is a small hint of a romance between the prince and the engineer but mostly it focuses on the politics and strategies of war with more than enough action to keep most readers happy. What made this one even more enjoyable for me was the inclusion of dragons and a plethora of really well written secondary characters. I especially liked the brother and his wife.