This book has a lovely turn of phrase. The plot is well planned and paced. So...why didn't I like it more? I spent more time admiring the writing style than I did what the writing was about. By the time I neared the end of this book, I realized I truly didn't care about the characters as people, therefore, I couldn't care about what happened to them. So I stopped reading it. I have not read the ending and I don't care. Why three stars? Because I understand the lure and hype. Just because it's not my cup of tea, doesn't mean I think it doesn't deserve to be read and admired. Some people I know have really enjoyed this, but for me, it left me cold.
This is one of Dare's better stories. I agree with criticisms about the characterization (or lack thereof) of Ori and wish more time had been spent with him. More detailed world building could have made this something great instead of just good. Having said that, this story does exactly what it sets out to do: entertain, turn you on, make you feel something, make BDSM more mainstream and let you escape; it does all this while being unique and interesting. It's just a fairytale after all.
