London, late April 1812: a month that had seen violent civil unrest, savage battles on the Continent, and the rumblings of aggression from the new American nation. It was also the month in which Queen Charlotte--after a two-year hiatus--returned to the practice of holding drawing rooms for the presentation of young ladies into high society. A battleground of a different kind. 
 My goodness, this book was delightful! 
 It's got everything I like! Historical romance? Check! Magic? Check! Murder?! Check!!!!!! That's not to say that something with all of these elements is bound to be good, because clearly other books with fantastic elements have gone awfully, terribly wrong, but this book did it just right. And boy was it fun to read. 
 Young Lady Helen is about to make her debut in society - presented to the Queen, no less, when people start disappearing. As a young noblewoman, people expect her to say "Ain't nobody got time for that!" Helen, being the intelligent girl that she is, decides to not leave it be and actually figure out wtf is going on. Otherwise we wouldn't have a book, now, would we?! 
 Interspersed between the normal Regency stuff like balls (Almack's!) and manners and possibilities of ruining one's prospects is the mystery of Helen's parents, and the strange things that are happening to her. Helen is a great character. She behaves as befitting a young lady of her era, and despite the book's blurb of will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap, I did not find her TSTL in the least. 
 The problem I have with most Regency novels is that the main female character often mistakes bitchiness for independence. No such problems with this book. Helen knows when to keep her head down, to keep quiet when necessary, but she is most definitely not without a sense of humor. 
 "But look, at least twenty-five frogs on the bodice alone. Is it too much to ask for a dress that won't scare the horse?" 
 Aunt Leonore gave her loud cackle--the one that had earned her the title Lady Laugh amongst her friends and Lady Hee-Haw amongst her enemies. "Not this Season, my dear. It is all military flimflam." 
 "Bonaparte has a lot to answer for," Helen said. "First Europe, and now our fashion." She flipped the magazine closed and rested it on her lap. 
 "You really do have your mother's grim sense of humor." 
 There is a wonderful friendship between Helen and her maid. The actions between Helen's secret investigation and her normal life as Lady Helen felt natural, as are her natural doubts and fears between choosing between the life she was born to, and the life she could choose. And again, contrary to what the book blurb says, the romance is barely there. 
 I have read Alyson Goodman's excellent Eon series before, and I'm so happy to say that she's done it again with this one.