Silhara was the man. Let's just say that and start from there. He was powerful, had the best comebacks, and even if he didn't know how good he was, he was so unselfish. He was being tempted (more like bullied) by Corruption, evil incarnate who wanted to use Silhara's body and magic to rule the world. Martise was sent as Silhara's apprentice, but in reality she was sent to spy on him, find some damning evidence so the 'good guys' could execute him. But what happens is a love neither of them expected. Although that love was a very, very slow burn (read: this was slow paced), in the end, it was a true and loyal love that they were both willing to sacrifice themselves for. The sex was definitely worth the wait because it was HOTTTTT as hell. Silhara knows his way around a spellbook and a lady. Lol 
 The magical element, while always present, didn't really captivate me until the end when everything came to a head. Silhara shows glimpses of how powerful he is here and there. Martise's gift had yet to be uncovered when she first came to stay with Silhara, but her power becomes both a curse and blessing. 
 Gurn, Silhara's servant, was one of my favorite characters as well. Although he couldn't speak, you were always reading of his disapproving eyes or scowls and I found him so funny and loyal. 
 Like I said, this was a slower pace than the other books I've read from this author. It took a while for Silhara and Martise to realize their feelings for each other and even longer to act on them. There were moments where magic come into play, there wasn't enough magic for me, until towards the end. Overall, a pretty good read.