It's really hard for me to review this book, because while I really enjoyed reading it there were a few things that put me off. 
 The plot.. There is a beast terrorizing the Kingdom that the knights, who have become soft due to peace in the kingdom, cannot kill. To get the job done the King organizes the Great Hunt - anyone can join and whoever kills the beast marries Princess Aerity, Heir to the crown. I didn't have any major problems with the premise, but I think the beast could have been more terror inspiring, I had a bit more of a detached curiosity regarding the beast. 
 In this Kingdom and others, there are people who possess magic. They are called the Lashed because every time they use magic purple marks appear underneath their nails - like lashes. A few years before we enter the story a Lashed one from another kingdom tried to seize power using his magic but was defeated, and now the Lashed are feared in a sense but more hated than anything. Which is sad because they are able to heal and do so much good. The people have somehow oppressed them and they are not allowed to use any magic or they will be killed. How they managed to oppress a group of people who can kill you without touching you is a bit unclear.. Interesting concept and I really hope that the next book will revolve a bit around them. 
 The two main characters were quite enjoyable - Aerity is not really anything like I imagine a princess would be, she has a good heart and is not at all pretentious. She puts the Kingdom first. 
 Pax I loved, but I always enjoy the broody characters. He is honest and unashamed of who he is and I really enjoyed his POV. While there was no insta-love there was definitely insta-attractions but it was at least plausible. 
 The side characters could have been more developed, I always enjoy it when a book is about more than just the two main characters but I hope in the next books they will grow! There is a lot of potential for them to be a great part of the story and solid ground work for them has been set.