Forget the glossy, beautiful hardcover; this should have been published as a mass market paperback in the romance section.

I was cautiously optimistic when I cracked this supposedly epic fantasy novel and found (yay) a map! But, when the author frequently mentions cities, countries, and other geographical features that I could not even find on said map what, really, is the point?

Frustrating.

Tepid world building, some dragons, some sort of magic, nothing really well explained, and of course a hot prince who falls insta-in-love with the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.

Prince Corin, most eligible bachelor, is caught up in a struggle between the Emperor that rules his country, some dragons who no one really knows too much about, some wizards, and an invading barbarian horde.

Corin is hot stuff and he knows it.
"The table-maid appeared a few minutes later and refilled the glass. his fingers brushed against hers as he took it...their eyes met. He thought she would not slap his hand away. He wondered if she knew who he was. He was tempted, but she was too young and too ignorant. It would not be fair."
Gag.

He also has had a bevy of lovers, including his current (married) mistress, but he quickly ousts her when he sees the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world, a girl who turns out to be a "commoner" (in fact a wealthy daughter of a doctor, just not a noble). Tam of course is unaware of her extreme charm and besides being gorgeous is a paragon of virtue and talent. Cue romance, balls, dresses squeeee, and long talks and smoochies. Tam falls desperately in love, and she can barely restrain herself from bonin' the brains out of Corin. So they don't wait very long. Honor and country be damned (don't worry it will all work out in the end).

Oh wait, what about the dragons? Apparently after getting the hots for each other, both Tam and Corin find out they have POWERS. Cue epic battles, lots of love making, worries about the future, and oh now the king says we can be married, yay happily ever after.

What just happened? I'm still not sure.