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A disappointment. The writing is fine but the characters and everyone in their surroundings suck. ( )

Such a beautiful story ! Loved every bit of the characters. ( )

I enjoyed the first half of this, despite it being a bit fantastical (for me). But the heroine lost a lot of what she had going for her when she returned to her family. She had been pretty tough and capable, and then becomes kind of soppy and is too easily influenced by those who haven't at all shown themselves to have earned that merit. Then there's quite a bit of drama that felt excessive and unnecessary until nearly the end. The heroine spent a lot of time feeling sad and "torn" and acting prickly, and I just lost sympathy for her I suppose. The book also would have benefited from some substantial editing I think, but I know it's a top favorite just the way it is for a lot of people. This was my first from this author, and I will try another. ( )

Never has my blood run cold so many times while reading a book because I was scared for the characters (even though I knew everything would be okay). Normally, the tropes used in this book would rankle, but since I fully understood both Jenny and Royce's perspectives, I couldn't get frustrated, which shows good writing. I just wanted everything to get resolved as quickly as possible because it was as painful for me to read about these characters' anguish as it was for them to go through it. Royce is such an honorable hero, and I adored him for what he does at the end. (My only qualm is that McNaught incorrectly names Richard III as Elizabeth of York's father, which took me aback a bit.)

I thought reading about a dog dying was bad, but a warrior's horse might be worse. I was on the verge of tears for poor Thor :'( ( )