Charlie Holmberg may be in the running to be my new favorite author after one book. Her writing is elegant but accessible, charming and kind. Her characters are competent and grounded, despite the magic that surrounds them. Everyone is competent in their own ways without punching down or putting others on pedestals. And, most importantly to this reader, the romance and the payoff feels EARNED. In general, "women's fantasy" always feels like there's a shoehorned romance and sexy times in the books, but this feels cozy and real, and happy to be what it is. It's refreshing. It's delightful. I hope it's a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre to you as it was to me.