I liked this, but not as much as most of the rest of the series. In fact, it reminds me in that way of volume six, but for entirely different reasons. I find the most appealing part of this series to be the slice-of-life historical and cultural aspects, which allow me to be educated and entertained at the same time. Volume six, which also got three stars from me, was almost entirely focused on battle. It was very action oriented, and so that part of the story that appealed to me most was kind of pushed to the side a little. The same thing happens here, with Pariya and Umar's developing courtship. There's so much focus on this: both prospective bride and groom spend a lot of panels blushing and trying to make awkward conversation, and while this focus is sweet and appealing, it's also pretty universal. Those awkward conversations could be had by any courting couple ever, and while so much of this series depends on being able to empathise with the characters and find common ground with them, I'd really rather see more of the food preparation of the time, or the different types of embroidery stitches used, for instance.