Memory Monday: Hawksong, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

I remember reading this a while back and really enjoying it. For some reason I thought it was in high school, but it wasn't published until 2003 so I guess it wasn't as long ago as I thought. At any rate, I recommended it to Trackgeek and thought we'd do a duo review here for those of you that never found this gem:

Hawksong, by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Young Adult, 2003

From fantasticfiction.co.uk:
Danica Shardae is an avian shapeshifter, and the golden hawk's form in which she takes to the sky is as natural to her as the human one that graces her on land. The only thing more familiar to her is war: It has raged between her people and the serpiente for so long, no one can remember how the fighting began. As heir to the avian throne, Danica will do anything in her power to stop the bloodshed-even accept Zane Cobriana, the terrifying leader of her kind's greatest enemy, as her pair bond and make the two royal families one. Now Danica must convince her people that Zane is just as committed to peace as she is-though she can't help fearing that, despite his word, he will strike as swiftly and lethally as the cobra that is his second form. Among the serpiente, she'll have to pretend to be in love, though when they're alone, her reserve threatens to keep her and Zane worlds apart. And in their midst are dissenters who will do whatever it takes to destroy this union.

Trackgeek:
A very intriguing plot. I really enjoyed the plot idea and the development of the romance is well done.

Graded a B+.

Raspberry:
It's been so long I'm afraid to grade it, but I do remember I really enjoyed it - the plot was original and rereadable. Which I will do soon, after I read her latest book Token of Darkness first. For anyone that hasn't read Atwater-Rhodes, her ideas are fabulous and her writing surprisingly well done, so give her a shot.