Empire of sand (2018)

Mehr and Amun are drawn together under an authority that wants to turn their inherited magic into imperial service. A romance built around care and consent consequently becomes part of resisting the system, not an escape from it. The ritual magic and Mughal-inspired hierarchy make their intimacy politically dangerous. Expect a patient, emotionally intense relationship with some on-page sexual intimacy. Its main story resolves here; Realm of Ash is a related novel rather than a required second half.