The opening of this novel is arresting at best. The mature themes and language is some what shocking, but adds to the realism. It is a beautiful mix of history, fantasy and humor. The way the author handles the use of third person present tense is creative and suprisingly easy to read. The use of such a bold choice of style would leave lesser authors struggling to engross the reader. Her use of imagery is also astounding. Interwoven into the story is a delightful mix of realistic characters, historic events and mystical intrigue. The blending of realisim and fantasy - along with the authors mastery of the technical aspect of writing - is what kept me turning the pages. I highly recomend this novel!