This was a really interesting book. It felt like a culture clash between fantasy and science fiction, a real examination of the old idea that magic is just science we don't understand. It's told from the perspectives of two different characters - a princess seeking the aid of a sorceror to help her defeat a demon, and the "sorceror" who is actually an anthropologist from another planet. 

The plot is fairly basic, as might be expected from a novella, but it works well and I really liked the ending. The characters perhaps lack a little bit of depth (again, understandable with the short page count) but are likeable and I appreciated the focus on mental health issues. Mainly though it's the clash of cultures that I found so fascinating. 

I definitely plan to read more from Adrian Tchaikovsky.