Uh oh, it's the unpopular opinion parade! 
 I like a romance now and then, I do. I like slow burners especially. I like fantasy. I like strong ladies. Radiance has all of these ingredients, yet 3 stars is all I could muster. 
 So many people have given this novel 4 or 5 stars and honestly, I feel like I'm missing something. Yes, it was pretty cool that Brishen and Ildiko find each other totally gross and don't really want to look at each other at first. And though it was fun to see them trade insults over their respective looks, I was never left guessing whether they would end up getting together or not. They like each other from the get go, and while it might be nice to see friends become lovers, it doesn't make for very exciting reading. 
 I understand that the plot is not necessarily the reason you might want to read this book. But if it is, don't read this book. The plot is bland. I'm reasonably certain I've read a very similar story in the form of Labyrinth fanfiction when I was 13. That should really tell you all you need to know. I nearly stopped reading at 40%, but wanted to see how the sex scenes turned out (only one explicit scene, if that's what you're into, and it's...meh). I nearly stopped again at 75%, but decided that I may as well see the whole thing through. 
 I might be able to forgive all of this if the characters were in-your-face amazing. Brishen is very much the noble yet dangerous gent that appears very often in fantasy romance. He's protective and good-hearted and does his duty. I was more excited about Ildiko, who has been hailed in other reviews as a fantastically strong heroine. Again, I feel like I'm missing something. She's very good and kind and smart and beautiful (for a human), she can kill scorpions with minimal fuss and share barbed quips with Brishen's highly intimidating mother...do you see where I'm going? This woman has no flaws. She's understanding 100% of the time with everybody, she never loses her temper... she's strong, but also one of the most amicable heroines I've ever come across, and therefore totally unrelatable to me. 
 If you like Elizabeth Vaughn or C L Wilson (or fluffy fanfiction with the bare minimum of jeopardy), then this book might be for you.