Review: A great start to the series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 9, 2012
I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. It's an enticingly otherworldly paranormal, with all sorts of fantastical creatures, including dragons. Who doesn't love dragons?We dive straight into the action here, as a battle rages through Lourdes' city. To avenge her parents, and protect her people from further attack, she agrees to marry Rhys the Cold, known for his brutality, and a member of a clan feared because they cannibalise their fallen enemies.Lourdes, despite being the eldest daughter of the wealthiest clan in the world, is shrewd, intelligent and capable. She is a true heroine, a tough woman capable of doing what needs to be done, with no whining.Likewise, Rhys is a hero I can definitely get behind. He is darkly funny, and tough and caring all at once, and holds the requisite dark secret about his past. The physical descriptions throughout the book are minimal, not just of Rhys and Lourdes, but of the fantastical creatures and the world they inhabit, but it's a minor flaw.There is a wonderful romance here. It stops and starts, both characters are unsure of the other, things never quite work out, and there is a palpable tension between the two which keeps the reader turning the page.There is a plot behind all the romance though, and this is the driving force of the book. In the chaos that follows the battle, Lourdes' sister has disappeared, and is feared taken by the enemy. Lourdes offers Rhys a deal- she'll wed him, and give his impoverished clan the money and armour they need, if he returns her sister to her. So off they set, travelling on the backs of bears through this realm, encountering all sorts of mysterious creatures and other clans.If I were to have another criticism of the book, it would be that I felt it needed a little more world-building. I couldn't describe the worlds, the cities or its various peoples right now.The romance, the relationship between siblings, the dialogue is all very realistic. This is the first in a series, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next one.