Review: One of the best m/m stories I've read in a while
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 8, 2013
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.Rating: 9/10PROS:- The premise is intriguing, which is quite a compliment from someone who reads almost nothing but m/m romances.- Crane is an unusual aristocrat: he possesses all of the breeding of his class, but suffers few of the hangups typical of his contemporaries. And he doesn't give a hoot about propriety, which lends him a devilish quality. His behavior toward his manservant, Merrick, is particularly fun: they constantly toe the line of propriety regarding how members of the aristocracy and the working class should interact.- I love reading about characters who aren't physically perfect. Stephen's plainness only highlights his other fine qualities...and those are the ones Crane is attracted to.- The brief mentions of Shanghai made me want to see more of the city at that time--its culture, its inhabitants, etc.- The sexual angle was spot-on for me. It's not the focus of the story, nor is it at all detailed. But it complements the story well: the blossoming of plain little Stephen mirrors his simultaneous proving of his worth as a practitioner of magic.CON:- Parts of the story could afford to be more fleshed out. Some important scenes are seen only in pieces in brief flashbacks, and others are skipped over almost entirely.Overall comments: I liked the story very early on, and my interest only grew as the story progressed. The writing is smooth, the characters are likeable, and the fantasy/historical world is well formed. A lovely book throughout.