I loved this story! It is a fresh retelling of the beauty and the beast where there is no beast per se, just a crippled man with a very sad and, in a way, horrible ancestry. The story is really captivating and the plot moves on fast. Although I suspected what was going on early in the book, I enjoyed it immensely. I've been reading a lot of retellings of the beauty and the beast lately (my favorite fairy tale), but never found one quite right. This story satisfied me and my mood to read this retelling, for now at least. 
 The amount of romance is just right, the way I love it, being part of the story but not taking over the plot. NO LOVE TRIANGLE to ruin it. It is obvious from the start that they feel attracted and interested in each other, but it progresses slowly and by bits. They help each other to find courage which prove to be the catalyst for their character development. I'm in love with Anluan and want to step into the book to give him a very big hug. 
 I have a book hangover right know and don't know what to read next :(