Review: A lovely read.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 12, 2013
**3.5 stars**This was my first read by Alex Beecroft and I have to say, I'm super impressed with her writing. The story has almost a magical feel to it, so much so that I had to double check to see if this was fantasy or historical fiction. It is the way the author phrases things- everything sounds so poetic and thoughtful. It was beautiful to read.My favorite part of this story was learning about the people that Vali and Mahai encountered, whether it be random peasants, bandits, or healers... anyone, really. The new person would be introduced and **BAM**, I felt like I knew who these people were. The author did an amazing job crafting each individual personality in just a few words.That said, I had a little bit of trouble engaging in the romantic aspect of the story. I'm not sure if it was because it was a historical (a weak genre for me) or because the writing was so floaty (if that makes sense) that I had difficulties feeling connected to Vali and Mahai as a couple. I never became that invested in their relationship. I also sometimes felt a bit lost as to what exactly was happening. I'm not sure if that is just me being slow or if this book lends itself to some confusion.Despite some minor issues, this book was a really lovely read. It was a nice balance of action and romance and a success in my book.**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**