This story hooked me from nearly the first sentence. The characters grabbed my attention, and the world they inhabit is richly drawn and beautifully described. Admittedly I was already intrigued, as the whole history of the period surrounding the reconquista has always fascinated me, particularly the aspects surrounding the clashes between the (generally) fairly tolerant Muslim kingdoms, and the decidedly less tolerant Christian ones.This book looks like it will explore that in an interesting way, and I'm eager to learn how.