Something is rotten in the state of not-Denmark. Scratch that--EVERYTHING is rotten in this book. It has the visceral sense of foul disgust you get from a Swift poem. I'm surprised my kindle hasn't begun to stink. The royal family in the story is rotting inside and out, and the land is affected. If only something could be done about their mysterious illnesses. But it's the Renaissance, so the best their doctors can do isn't good enough, and a seamstress and a black slave must find another way to save the kingdom. 
 This was well done. I see it is marketed as young adult and I think it's more adult fare--there's very little nothing taboo, creepy, or disgusting that isn't present in this book, including sexual violence. There's isn't really magic either, unless we count the short italicized fairy tales that echo the plot.