I know I've said it before, but the art in this series is amazing. This volume, it's particularly focused on animals, as Karluk spends the winter with his brother in law, learning how to train and hunt with hawks. The detail on the illustrations is just incredible, and the hawks especially are rendered so beautifully.

I've seen a few reviews of the later volumes of A Bride's Story that are a little critical because they say the story itself is floundering, and making little forward progress. In one sense they're right - though I don't care at all, I'd read this no matter what - but in another I wonder if it's just not a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose here. These stories are as much about daily life - bread-making, embroidery, hunting, taking care of horses - as they are about the romances, and really, that's the appeal of them for me. I enjoy the romance bits, but I'm here for the history and culture. They're wonderful books, and I love them.