I spent the first 70% of the book thinking that a spell must have been cast on me. Despite a lack of plot and murky characters, I was loving the book, and unsure why. The reason, much like with The Wolf and the Woodsman, is Reid’s writing. It’s just so gorgeous and captivating and exactly what I like. Having said that, I recognize that her writing (and her stories as a whole) are a love it or hate it situation. I’m a big fan of fairytales and dreamy, meandering plots. Not everyone is, and if you aren’t, you’re going to hate this book.

The back 30% has the bulk of the plot, and decisively pushed the book to a maybe 4 to a definite 4.5.