This book was surprisingly cute from the beginning, and I was getting all into the whole dynamic between Ildiko and Brishen as spare heirs who were content with their unusual fate of marrying outside their race. I do really like them as a couple, and I enjoyed their banter and growing affection for each other. It set me up for a less drama than they inevitably had to deal with. When it came, the conflict was swift, brutal, and kind of horrifying except for the fact that it went out about as quickly as it came in. Other than those tone and pacing issues, I thought it was a pretty fun read.