This was everything I could have hoped for in a Li Tau redemption arc! These two characters are compelling from page one, and their push-and-pull, constant power play, and continual negotiation with each other create such delicious tension and heat. The political machinations in this installment are even more complex than those in Butterfly Swords and (thankfully) more integral to the character conflict and development. Lin's prose - and especially her imagery - is rich and propulsive, and I absolutely loved every beat of this. 

Maybe it's just because I read two Jeannie Lin concubine/soldier romances back to back, but I found this to be VERY long and with only minimal amounts of payoff in the third act considering how long it took to get us there. I did love Shuyin's character arc though and I'm determined to read at least as much of Jeannie Lin's work in 2023 as I did of Sarah MacLean's last year.