I received ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. True rating is 3.5 stars. Overall I enjoyed the book, I liked the story and the characters, especially the main heroine Cyrene. But I was not impressed with king Edric, his character was one dimensional and a little shallow. I didn't understand his motives, didn't know what he thinks, and learnt very little of his relationships with other characters. I was also confused about king/queen/consort dynamic. There is Queen Kaliana, Edric's wife and there is Consort Daufina. The definition of consort is the wife of the reigning king. Does that mean that King Edric has two wives? If Daufina is king's advisor, friend and companion she should not be called consort, this title is reserved for the queen. I wish Daufina's and Edric's relationship was better explained.