Longtime Lackey readers will feel a sense of familiarity as this book returns to the world of Valdamar, the setting of the author’s many other series. In addition to showcasing Lackey’s strengths in worldbuilding, this work also highlights her skills in creating realistic characters, the primary drivers of her stories and a delight to read. For fans of Lackey, this new jaunt through Valdemar is not to be missed.
Some logical inconsistencies are distracting, such as Livy repeatedly mentioning moving to San Diego to attend college in Long Beach (they are 100 miles apart). New readers might welcome this coming-of-age fairy tale, but existing fans will be underwhelmed.
Although she shifts gears between an oddly girlish interest in pretty dresses and hardheaded hunt master, Rosa remains a typical, strong Lackey heroine. The author has an army of fans, and while this series lacks some of the satisfying emotional angst of her Valdemar books, it will be in demand with those who can't get enough Lackey.
Lighter in tone with more emphasis on romance than some of the previous titles, this fairy-tale homage offers a variant view on the usually tragic love between humans and selkies, and should attract both series fans and Lackey's sizable following.
Lackey's urban fantasies always reflect her keen sense of time and place, and her vivid characters and respect for other cultures make her a standout storyteller with a broad-based audience. Lackey's fans and urban fantasy readers will want this.