Stormweaver Trilogy 1. Stormweaver

A mysterious stranger. A murderous ambush and a sinister plot in the deep desert. Alissa's attempt to save the life of the young and charismatic Talin throws her into a whirlwind of hidden agendas and a ruthless military attack. Only her mental and physical skills can keep her alive in this vast expanse of sand, heat, enormous lizards and poisonous scorpions. And a giant condor. Returning to the city, she confronts greater danger as she comes face to face with the invaders--and the terrifying Captain Reith who has haunted her dreams ever since she saw him on a grainy vid-recording in the desert.
A compelling attraction she still does not understand. Maybe love will prove more powerful than war. But the heart of the enemy is a dangerous place.When Alissa and Reith escape from the devastated prison on Eden. they face a dangerous journey back to the capital with vital information. All they have to do is cross an unstable swamp inhabited by giant eels and carnivorous plants, get past the enemy slave camp on the coast, and somehow make it across the ocean to Pangaea without getting captured.
The sinister threat already implanted deep in Reith's history could make the task impossible, but if they can learn each other's skills and work together, they might have a chance. Books 1, 2 & 3 of the Stormweaver series, the far-future fantasy epic by Jay Aspen.