It's [a:Anne Bishop|26897|Anne Bishop|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1237258217p2/26897.jpg], I read it for that reason alone. Her style of fantasy romance appeals to me for reasons I still can't quite express. I think there's something about her world building and the way in which her scary characters are nice. The men are less pretty in this series, but the dogs are cuter so it's about an even trade.
I swear, there's something between a paper and a dissertation on depictions of female power and agency in Anne Bishop.
Probably a paper. The W.S. dissertation would likely be Anne Bishop, Anita Blake and Jacqueline Carey or Anne Rice. Not sure. Any takers?