- #1
All around a thoroughly enjoyable read. Rather than centering fast paced action, it's a much gentler story that focuses on relationship building and court politics. The characters all feel very well rounded, having distinct motivations and understandable conflicts. I felt like their interactions made sense and built off past conversations.The romance could've been better built up, to be honest, but it isn't awful. I liked how the historical setting seemed to be well researched and how the author took into account how social attitudes change over time. The main characters older brother is mentally disabled, but it isn't treated as a joke and he is never reduced to comic relief and his character is still taken seriously by the author.I felt like there could've been more conflict--after a certain point it felt like any real danger the main character experienced disappeared.It's really a feel good, lighter read. There are hints of deeper ideas regarding court politicking, but they aren't really a focus for the story.Finally, I'd like to note that the translation is really good. The translators put in notes explaining cultural and historical references that I felt really enriched the experience, and I never felt like the writing was stilted or full of errors.
