I’ve read two other Emma Hamm books and this one is a bit lackluster in comparison if I’m being honest. I think there was one thing in particular that caused me to feel this way over anything else. There was an ongoing metaphor in the book about how merrow men are hideous and treat the women in their society in a demeaning and condescending way. It made it feel like the message was that ugly people aren’t great people but people that are more handsome are, and that message rubbed me the wrong way. It is a bit ridiculous for every single person of a single gender in a society be that horrible. If the author was attempting to come off as progressive I think it failed. Instead it came off more as a discriminatory metaphor, which to her defense, I am sure was not her intention, but my criticism still stands. 

In addition, Saorsia was given somewhat of a compelling reason to escape with Manus, however I do think their feelings for each other were a bit intense for the short amount of time they knew each other. I also wish that the world building had been a bit more thorough. The small amount of time Manus and Saorsia spent exploring the local town was nice, but there weren’t any details about the town that didn’t feel generic, so I would have wanted for the city to have various cultures, foods, smells, etc. I’m hoping I have a better time with the next book I read from her, because so far 2/3 of the ones I’ve read have been good. If you don’t like this one like me, try reading Heart of the Fae and Veins of Magic. They both have much better writing.