I REALLY liked this one... Wholly original!

I won a copy of this in a contest. The concept and blurb really intrigued me, and the cover was cool and eye-catching. When I started reading it I was initially sucked in, then a little afraid it'd be too swords-and-sorcery for me - but kept reading. I'm SO glad I did! It was not what I expected - rather, it WAS what I expected from the blurb/excerpt, but not what I expected from some of the earlyish pages. It was a wholly original tale, full of gender-bending and genre-bending, and I found it captivating. Teo is a fantastic protagonist, full of aspirations and fears and a never-ending dissatisfaction with the role the world wants her to play. Cielo is a brilliant character who burns like a bonfire on a midsummer night - there's danger, sure, but also comfort and warmth if you dare to look for them... Capetta has crafted a world that is dangerous and tricksy and fascinating with its blend of magic and Machiavellianism, and I for one hope there's more to come for these characters and their world!