I bought all of Van Dalen’s books on bundle sale and decided to dip my toes in The Prince’s Dearest Guards series first. While there are some typical independent author fumbles like continuity and awkward phrasing, The Prince’s Dearest Guards magnificently accomplishes what it set off to do: tell a mega-hot, sexy tale of love and acceptance between a trans prince and his two cis guards. The magic-hating monarchy takes a backseat to character work, leaving plenty of questions for the sequels to answer. The novella is tender, sweet, and wholesome. If you’re looking for a gentle trans man polyam romantasy, I definitely recommend!