After Lan learns that her betrothed might not really love her, she insults Bao, which causes him to run away. As he tries to flee, he meets witch who puts a curse on him--one that can only be broken by love. In order to make up for her mistake, Lan promises to help Bao break the curse. But they might just fall in love in the process.

A twisty, magical book, but one that didn't always hold my interest. For me, the characters weren't fleshed out enough; they mostly relied on their stereotypes and their motivations, rather than character development. This book, for me, was much more plot focused, which I always have a difficult time getting into. The descriptions were beautiful, though, and I appreciated being able to learn more about this culture.