I loved this book. Full of sass, sex and murder set in a magical alternate version of regency England, it really enjoyable to read. The world was fantastic, the characters were thoroughly entertaining and the plot was full of murder and mystery! What’s not to like?

The thing I enjoyed most was the relationship between Leaf and Nic. I loved how quickly they settled into being best friends. I also think that it was hinting at Leaf being aroace, which was fantastic representation!

I feel like this is a book I’ll go back to and read again, because murder mysteries are always very satisfying the second time around! But I’d also love to see more from this world.

A regency era magical murder mystery with a queer romance sounded like the perfect book for me…but unfortunately this book didn't quite deliver on the premise that was promised.

The world building left a lot to be desired. The magical system never gets fully explained, or explored, which is a shame because it sounds so intriguing. The setting was a little disappointing too, because the book captures more of the aesthetic of the era, rather than being accurate to the language or legalities of the time period.

I loved Leaf’s character, she is the standout highlight of the book. However, with the book being sold as a mlm romance, I expected more focus on the relationship between Nic and Dashiell–whereas the platonic friendship and partnership between Nic and Leaf gets most of the focus.

If you're looking for a murder mystery with the flair of the regency era, a modern flavour, and a strong platonic partnership, then I think you'll really enjoy this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

i'm really disappointed i didn't love this like i thought i would. this sounded right up my alley - historical fiction, fantasy, queer romance, and a murder mystery / amateur detective plotline. I love historical fantasy to bits, and magic based on something physical or adapting to a real world concept. but I struggled to keep reading this. i didn't really care for the characters or the relationships or the murder mystery. maybe i just wasn't in the right headspace but the characters and world felt only half-built. i liked the promise of the concept of the world and magic in it, but a lot of the time i felt like this was a sequel and the reader was expected to know a lot of things already or the world was a half-finished stage set. the background drawn maybe, partially painted, and some sections built. the characters felt much the same.

there was also little bit of too much crammed in one book or storyline and i found it hard to care about the outcome. the ending when i eventually go there was also quite sudden and a bit all over the place. this just wasn't for me.

A Regency queer romance mixed up with a locked room murder mystery - what could be better? Add lashings of comedy, intense family dramatics, unexpected friendships, rivals-to-lovers tension and a generous pinch of horror to spice it up and you have a mesmerising and very enjoyable story.

The worldbuilding is light touch, setting the scene easily with a Regency nobility flavour, whilst the magic and politics are far more interesting: power is kept and maintained through complex magical contracts and bound through marriage. As a result, the dissolute Nic, who would rather be a simple conjurer, is locked into the crumbling family mansion to negotiate such a contract, along with his tyrannical father, unstable mother, prospective fiancée and family, and a whole host of other characters. Oh, and his unbelievably hot and talented ex, who’s there to craft the whole thing. What could go wrong? Well…

One death might seem accidental. But as the murders mount up, Nic begins to tug on threads that might unravel a whole tapestry of lies and collapse the power structure around him. But will he even make it out alive… and unmarried?

A fun story that kept me guessing, great for fans of Freya Marske.

I have been so looking forward to this release - and I'm so thrilled it lived up to my very high expectations. I loved every moment of this and I couldn't recommend it enough.

This was a cute little historical fantasy romance with some interesting ideas. It didn't really wow me and the writing style wasn't for me, and I never really felt much for any of the characters, but it did serve me perfectly well as a palate cleanser between all the denser novels I was reading. It really isn't much more than that, though.

"The Gentleman and his Vowsmith" tells the story of Nicholas, mostly called Nic (which I didn't like to be honest, made it feel more modern), who is supposed to marry a young woman he doesn't know yet in order to save his noble but secretly impoverished family from financial ruin. As is custom, the family of his bride arrives at his estate with their vowsmith in tow - magical contract lawyers, if you will. This magical contract lawyer, Dashiell (not a fan of that name either) just happens to be Nic's childhood friend and crush who once was his father's vowsmith apprentice before abruptedly leaving their estate, breaking Nic's heart. While the contract is being negotiated behind closed doors, more and more people get killed in mysterious ways. So not only does Nic have to deal with his complicated love life, but also he's been thrown right into a murder mystery.

I feel like there are a lot of great ingredients in this book, but maybe it's a case of the author wanting too many things in too small a story. Murder mystery, historical fantasy shenanigans, family drama, romance, comedy, exploration of identity with a dash of coming of age drama - all of it is in here but none of it is fleshed out. Due to this imbalance I never really got a feel for the central romance between Nic and Dash, because there was barely anything happening before a weirdly disjointed and awkwardly written sex scene and I just did not feel the chemistry here. The mystery part is also more than convoluted at times, though it was still the most interesting aspect of the story for me. There is barely any magic, or brilliance as it's called here, in this book, and honestly I never really did understand how this brilliance actually works for the most part. How does a vowsmith's work make contracts unbreakable? What happens if people do try to break them? I couldn't tell you.

So yes, a nice little romance, rather bland and forgettable with mostly uninteresting characters that could have been much better if it focused on one or two things instead of being twenty and fleshed the romance especially out more. But as I said, a perfectly fine palate cleanser and it does have high ratings from other reviews, so maybe it's just an "it's me, not the book" kind of situation. Check it out yourself, you might still love it!

By the time we got to the fourth dead body and we were only 60% of the way through the novel, I gave up.

'The Gentleman and His Vowsmith' is packed full of interesting ideas and executes none of them. It has no reason being the length it is - close to 500 pages - considering the plot and characters introduced. With stronger writing and a better plot, there might be something to it, but it just lacks on all corners. The magic system / fantastical element is so underbaked it's raw, with little time being spent on exploring why the system is there in the first place and the impact it has on the characters' day-to-day lives. The queer romance needed more in the moment action points - a chance for these two to play out their 'wounded love' romance in little touches and conversations and flirtations before they made out randomly.

The problem with locked room mysteries is it's so easy for an author to write themselves into a corner and then struggle to get out again. You confine yourself to such a small corner that coming up with ways to move the plot forward get more and more complicated and you could see it in this book. I felt like I was getting deja vu - the same things kept happening over and over again with little to no development, nudging the plot forward instead of driving. I found all the characters to be rather two dimensional in their execution and, particularly with the supporting cast, liable to blend into one mass blob.

It started well, but I found this to be a rather messy, lacklustre attempt at fantasy-historical. I wasn't even really sure during what time period it was supposed to be set, that's how little detail had gone into the novel's contextual work. I think there are stronger options out there.

I adored this. If you liked Freya Marske's The Last Binding trilogy or Swordcrossed, and if you like a murder mystery in a locked house you are in for an absolute treat.

Nicholas Monterris is the sole heir to a remote dukedom in the north. Trapped at home by his father he is exceptionally bored and lonely spending the day building automata and the night enticing local handsome rogues to bed - both much to the disgust of his father - until the day he must marry to continue the family line. When his father comes home and announces his betrothal to Lady Leaf Serral, Nic assumes the worst part will being locked in with another family until the contract is signed. That is until he learns the lost love of his life Dashiell Sa Vere will be the vowsmith.

Trapped in the crumbling manor, tensions rise between the parties and Nic and Dash, even as they befriend Leaf who absolutely does not want to marry anyone. But then the bodies start dropping and Nic, Leaf, and Dash must find the killer be they are killed.

Ide spins a fabulous tale the simmering tension between Nic and Dash is exquisite as they both try to claim closure and hide their true feelings whilst trying to survive the scheming machinations of Leaf’s Uncle and Nic’s father and the bitter history that spins the tensions between the two families into over drive. The murders are truly devastating too as both Nic and Leaf lose people they truly care about and IDE is talented enough that the reader cares too. Except one, I cheered at one xD Additionally the twists, the slowly revealed secrets, and treachery and ulterior motives of so many of the characters keep you shocked, guessing, and worried for our main trio right up to the denouement. I loved the magic system and the way the very believable way the elite have codified and legalised and bound up magic in vowsmithed contracts to maintain power and keep it away from the hoipoloi and the way that some forms of magic vowsmithing, are seen as superior to Nic’s conjuring skills.

This book is brilliant and I would definitely read more from Ide!

Thank you to Tor/Pan MacMillan for sending me an eARC - it has not affected my opinions.

4.5 Rounded up to 5.

I absolutley adored this book!

The characters were entirely charming and felt well developed. Although at times Our MMC's can be a little aggravating in their communications with each other and somewhat self absorbed, they were never unlikable and I found myself rooting for them and wishing for their successes. The romance is a second chance one and you know they were always meant to be together. As an aside, Lady Leaf is a treasure.

The plot is one of mystery and murder and was well paced and highly intriguing. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and the Automatons brought a creepy and high stakes atmosphere that I absolutely delighted in.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys their Romantasy with a wonderfully crafted Mystery murder plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Pan Macmillan for the ARC. All opinions are my own and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

I loved this! I don't often go for murder mysteries but this was fantastic. A strong cast of characters with complex motives, a real sense of jeopardy and an intriguing world. I might have liked a little more background world building but there was a good amount to get a sense of it all. I very much enjoyed the second chance romance and the character growth Nic goes through. Bonus points for ace rep. I really hope to read more I'm this universe.

Recommend for fans of Freya Marske, KJ Charles & Alexis Hall

This book is absolutely amazing. I have read this author's work under the name Devin Madson before, and so I had a bit of an idea what to expect, but I still found this far exceeded everything I anticipated.

Lord Nicolas Monterris is set to inherit a title, but his impoverished family need him to marry some money. Lady Leaf Serral is chosen, and the families enter the traditional “lock in” at Nic’s family estate to complete the magical marriage contracts. Unfortunately, one of the vowsmiths who will be working on the marriage contract is Nic’s first flame, Dashiell sa Vare. When things start to go wrong with the contract, and the bodies start appearing, Nic needs to work to figure out what is going on, and who (and what) he can trust.

Published under the name Rebecca Ide, it has some consistency with the deep and huge world building of Devin Madson stories. This story on the surface sounds like it has too many different things happening to be able to deliver. It’s a Historical Romance AND has family politics AND has a locked room mystery AND has magic BUT ALSO has steampunk elements. The story is told carefully and at a speed that allows each of these different elements to be built up, without feeling like the story is trying to do too much.

The characters were enchanting and the mystery had me constantly guessing and looking for clues and included a number of delightful twists and turns. I am loving this author, in every form, and am off to work my way through back catalogues!!

dnf 25%

If this book were food, it would look good, smell good, and have all the ingredients I like. But then I take a bite, and it's just... stale.

I tried with this one. I let the book rest and restarted it after a few days, but I'm just not enjoying it. There are plenty of interesting things that make me sad that this book didn't work, but the plot was just all over the place and after a hundred pages I still had barely an idea where the story was going.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This was a beautifully written historical queer romantasy with a unique magical twist.
While the romance was a bit more on the spicy side than I usually prefer (I prefer minimal spice), I know many readers will consider that a highlight. The chemistry between the characters is undeniably strong and adds a lot of intensity to the story.

What really stood out to me was the intricate and well-developed magic system. It was fully integrated into the worldbuilding and played a significant role in the unfolding plot.

Nic, the main character, was fantastic. I found him very compelling and relatable. The murder mystery he’s pulled into was actually my favorite part of the book. It gives the story an edge of suspense and kept me turning the pages.
I didn’t expect the automatons to be quite so unsettling, but they were written in a surprisingly eerie way. Their presence added a touch of creepiness that I really enjoyed.

Overall, this book is definitely one to check out if you’re into queer romantasy!

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a book that is set in a world that is similar to Regency Britain, but with magic. It combines a MM romance with a locked-room/house murder mystery that has strong gothic vibes.

I liked how the author blended the genres. There's this old dilapidated mansion suddenly polished for the lock-in to impress the bride's family. The parties arrive and at first it feels like a story about a house party. albeit with contract negotiations looming in the background; not to mention neither bride nor groom actually want to get married to each other. Nicholas is openly gay and Leaf seems to be asexual. When the first murder victim is found, everyone believes it was an accident. No one can leave before the marriage contract is signed, so the negotiations continue, but the bodies start to pile up. Leaf and Nicholas start investigating the murders, with the help of Nicholas' lost love, the vowsmith Dashiel, and Leaf's cousins.

Here's how I understood the magic system in this alternate Britain. People with magical abilities, called Brilliance, are mainly part of the upper classes and nobility. Those people have different degrees of Brilliance and also different abilities. Nicholas, for example, partly trained to become a vowsmith, but his Brilliance affinity is conjuring. Vowsmiths are trained in the art of making magical contracts, magical lawyers? Contracts need to be 'smithed' in order for them to be legally binding. They cannot be altered after signing and the wording of the contracts is binding for all participants. Novel women, as always, only get basic training in Brilliance and hence are mere broodmares for the next generation of Brilliance wielding male offspring.

As mentioned above, I liked the house party gone wrong part and the amateur sleuthing part, as well as the familial duty and familial ownership criticism the book makes.

The author hinted at further books set in this world and I am looking forward to finding out more about Brilliance and vowsmithing, and hopefully Leaf, Nicholas and Dashiel get to have a cameo.

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to read this title - it sounded right up my alley from the very start.

Magically locked in a house with his bride-to-be, Leaf, her entourage, and his own family, Nic isn't thrilled about signing a marriage contract to a girl he's just met. Especially not when part of the proceedings are to be led by his ex, and very much not forgotten, lover, Dashiell. However, the forging of the contract is endangered by multiple deaths within the party, making everyone appear suspicious and feel unsafe. Nic and Leaf find themselves unexpected, fast friends and begin to investigate the situation, while Nic also struggles to resist his unstoppable attraction to Dashiell. They all just need to survive long enough to solve the mystery...

First of all, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this novel, especially the dynamic between Nic and Leaf. They made such a fun pair with their banter and quickly-developed loyalty to one another. It was a great twist to see unwilling fiancés become allies throughout the story! They also made an excellent investigating team, combining Nic’s magical knowledge with Leaf’s ideas drawn from the murder mystery books she wasn’t even supposed to have read. I also really liked the atmosphere in the house - suitably creepy and haunted, making me want to jump out of my skin on behalf of the characters. The twists were compelling and kept me guessing right up until the end.

On the other hand, I struggled with some of the dialogue, which sometimes felt stilted or clunky, and with the pacing, which slowed down considerably in the middle before suddenly racing through huge, explosive reveals in the final 15%. I enjoyed that I couldn’t predict those reveals despite my best efforts, but I wish they had been spread out a bit more rather than served all at once. Another point of dissatisfaction for me was the lack of explanation regarding the magic system and world-building. It sounded intriguing, but I was left with just as many questions at the end as I had at the beginning. I know magic is somehow important and "vowsmithing" is a powerful skill, but I still know next to nothing about it.

Overall, I’d rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. Although I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped, it was still an enjoyable read that I would recommend to readers who love a blend of genres - in this case, a fantasy murder mystery.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith had <u>such</u> a great premise—an alternative Regency setting with magic, some steampunk vibes, an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, and a queer romance at its heart. It sounds like a dream. But while the ingredients are all there, the execution just didn’t land for me.

There are some cool worldbuilding ideas—like the bizarre talking birds (echos), the concept of marriage equality in this society, and the walking automaton 'ghosts' that might be behind the murders. And I loved Leaf’s character—smart, thoughtful, and full of suffragette energy, a century ahead of her time. But key concepts like the idea of being "sasined" weren’t properly explained, and that lack of clarity made it hard to stay immersed in the story.

The murder mystery fell flat too. Despite multiple deaths and culprits, the plot never gripped me. By the end, I couldn't remember who had done what—or really care. And the central romance between Nick and Dash lacked spark, weighed down by constant miscommunication. Oddly enough, Nick had more chemistry with his arranged marriage bride-to-be, Leaf, even though their relationship was platonic.

All in all, this felt like a book with great potential that never quite pulled it all together. 2.5 ⭐ for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC, this is my honest opinion.

When I first heard of The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, I got excited, and not just because Rebecca Ide is the pen name of Devin Madson, whose fantasy books I enjoyed over the years. The Gentleman and His Vowsmith promised to deliver everything I enjoy – murder mystery, M/M romance, fantasy, dressed in banter and set in the Regency era. Although the last is not a particular interest of mine, but I’m certainly not complaining. All that said, I had high expectations going in, and I wasn’t dissapointed.

Being the son of a poverished duke, who has strong magic abilities, it was always inevitable for Nic to get married off for good money to save the Monterris family name. The problem? His intended bride is not only a Serral, a family with whom the Monterrises have a strained relationship, but she is also a woman, while Nic prefers man. And when he thought things couldn’t get any worse than that, he ends up locked in for weeks with his childhood love (along with the whole Serral party and), who left him behind years ago, while the negotiations last and the contract gets vowsmithed (made magically bonding). And then the mysterious deads start happening. So Nic has to deal with ALL the feelings while playing a generous host which leds to unexpected discoveries.

The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is a mash of genres that works really well. It’s part closed space murder mystery, part M/M romance with a dash of fantasy just to spice it up a bit. Well, a bit more, because the romance has enough spice to it as it is 👀 Which is to say it has some steamy scenes, but it’s not overdone and doesn’t take away the focus from the mystery, well, not too much anyway, lol.

As for the characters, it took me a bit to get connected with Nic. I mean, I liked him, and his voice as we get the story from his POV, but sometimes I found his “woe me” attitude a bit tiring. Then again, it’s kind of understandable he is having a hard time, between a father who technically owns him, and doesn’t seem to care about him much, a mother who is absent most of the time, retreated into her own fantasy world, a fiancé whom he didn’t want and the temptation that is Dashiell, well, I think we all would be having a hard time. Not even talking about all the tension between different characters that comes out even stronger now that they are all closed in together, with nothing to do but bring old hurts and frustration to the open.

I liked how each person in the story was well characterised, their personality really came through, although, I admit I found Dashiell just a touch too bland for my liking, then again, most of the time he wore the mask of the professional vowsmith whose only role is to make sure his employer gets his wishes in the contract. It’s just that, it was hard for me to see what Nic saw in him, exactly, outside of his looks. They sure had chemistry, at least, so I’m complaining too hard. Leaf was an unexpected surprise for me. She is the bride to be, the daughter of the marquess, well bred, intelligent, and a sense of dry humor that I like. And also no filter between her brain and her mouth so that makes her witty comments just more fun. But she is also kind, and good hearted, and of course she also has her own dreams and ambitions – marriage is not one of those. I appreciated how Nic and Leaf ended up coming together forming a deep bond of friendship amidst all the chaos around them, and despite the high strung emotions on all sides.

I’m not going to talk about the mystery plot of The Gentleman and His Vowsmith, because of spoilers, but I can tell you it was well executed – as someone who reads many mysteries, it even had a couple of surprises for me too, and I kept guessing who might have been behind everything. Closed space mysteries are tricky, because you only have a limited selection of culprits, so you need to make sure everyone has motives and secret agendas to make sure you keep up the interest of the readers. Ide pulled that off quite well.

To bring this review to a close, I really don’t have much to complain about. If I really want to nitpick, then I would say that I would have liked to get a bit more about the magic, because the Brilliance thing was just a touch confusing, given the fact that the higher you are registrated, the more you are worth, but other than that, I enjoyed the mystery aspect, I enjoyed the romance aspect between Nic and Dashiell and I enjoyed Nic’s budding friendship with Leaf. And I didn’t even mention the steampunkish bits with the automatons. I don’t know how Rebecca Ide made all the different elements work, but the result is speaking for itself. And I can see why it’s compared to the works of Alexis Hall, and I probably would add AJ Lancaster as well. Either way, I highly recommend The Gentleman and His Vowsmith if you need a bit of bloodrush in the form of a spicy murder mystery.

What is unethical is ... a society where we’ve turned magic into a cage and love into an impossibility, such that murder is an easier resort than words... [loc. 4733]
A delightfully Gothic country house murder mystery set in a Regency-flavoured queer-normative England, with magic, automata, dark family secrets and a legal mechanism for severing one's family ties and owning oneself.

Nicholas Monterris, our viewpoint character, is 'gay as a spoon' [do not expect historically-accurate slang here] and has seldom left the draughty and probably-haunted decay of Monterris Court. He's aghast to discover that his father, the Duke of Vale, has arranged a marriage between Nic and Lady Leaf Serral, daughter of a wealthy family. Worse, the bride-to-be and her family have descended on Monterris Court, where all those in possession of Brilliance (magical ability) will be locked in while the marriage contract is vowsmithed. And worst of all, the master vowsmith engaged to make sure that contract is watertight and magically binding is Nic's ex -- Dashiell sa Vare, who left abruptly and without explanation nine years ago.

Monterris Court has all the trappings of a Gothic mansion: Nic's mother, gently mad and reclusive; the mysterious fate of Nic's uncle Francis; a grotto full of automaton parts, and the sigil tape on which automaton-instructions are magically encoded; secret passages, rumours of ghosts, crumbling stonework and moss and mould. Leaf, who is an avid reader of murder mysteries, wants to start a school for young women, and does not want to marry (or have sexual relations with) anybody, is a breath of fresh air for Nic. And soon enough there's a murder to solve... and then another...

Meanwhile, Dash and Nic warily circle one another, failing to communicate. (Indeed, Dash's version of 'closure' seems to be anything but.) Who's the murderer? What really happened to Lord Francis? Why did the Duke not marry the man he loved? What is the Duchess writing so obsessively? And why is it so vital that Nic and Leaf's marriage be accomplished as soon as possible?

Despite the presence of books by Mrs Radcliffe and Laurence Sterne, it's not 'the Regency' -- for one thing, there's a king -- and the history of this alternate Britain is only lightly sketched. The magic seems to be syllabic, and can produce startlingly vivid effects. Nic, though immensely talented as a magic-user, has seldom left Monterris Court: instead, he's devoted his time to making mechanical frogs, and to reading. Leaf quickly becomes a friend (a much more pleasing development than the all-too-common 'obstacle to true queer love') and Dashiell and Nic manage to resolve the issue of Dash's sudden departure all those years ago. The epilogue ties everything up neatly, and the author's afterword explains the notion of 'sasine' ('a historical word meaning the conferring of possession of feudal property') and how it can be used to confer self-ownership -- something Leaf has requested nearly thirty times since her eighth birthday, and you can see her point.

I enjoyed this immensely, and forgave the occasional typos. Nic and Leaf were delightful, the villains were suitably wicked, the victims were sympathetic enough that their fates were shocking. I'm fascinated by this world of Brilliance and sasine, and would love to read more about it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

DNF at 24%. Unfortunatly I couldn't get into this story. I wanted more worldbuilding and explanation of the magic system, and couldn't connect with the characters.

I am an incredibly busy person. I work full-time. I'm completing a postgrad in my free time. I still have all the social obligations of an adult person in the 'weddings and babies and houses' stage of my life. Which is to say, a book has to be really, truly excellent for me to sacrifice any of my exceptionally scant 'do nothing' time to read it, and boy was I willing to give up all the time for The Gentleman and His Vowsmith.

In an alternative England, where the aristocracy are kept in power by the magic they all too often squander, Nicholas Monterris is quietly getting on with a life that is smaller, and colder, than his title would suggest. When his hard-hearted father informs Nic his marriage has been arranged, well, it was only a matter of time, and Lady Leaf Serral is far better than he expected. The small inconvenience of his homosexuality has already been factored into the paperwork, all of which is being prepared under the careful eye of the Serral's Master Vowsmith, Dashiell sa Vare... Nic's... well, ex would imply they were ever more than two boys infatuated with each other. So the lock-in begins, and Nic thinks the most he will have to contend with is mean-spirited in-laws and a man who sets him alight with heartbreak, as much as lust... then someone dies.

Part romance, part murder mystery, part regency drama, The Gentleman and His Vowsmith is an engaging, emotional, suspenseful and intriguing novel, which nevertheless retains a certain cosily Gothic charm in its setting, and vibrant humour in its dialogue. Unputdownable, this is a book which, although perhaps a tad longed out in the middle-section, captures one's attention from the off. Although character-driven, the world of this novel does not escape the author's attention, and small details are peppered throughout, building a sprawling, well-conceived alternative England.

I throughout enjoyed this from start to finish, it losses .5 of a star for two reasons: 1) I think it does get a little repetitive and drawn out as the mystery spirals on, I was really invested, and wanted to get through that passage, but it was harder than I would have liked, and 2) there are some language mistakes here (using 'hung' instead of 'hanged' repeatedly jumps to mind.) That being said, there is far far farrrrrrrr more good than bad to be said about this novel, and it has sent me straight into a reading slump!

4.5 well deserved stars.