This is one of Friesner's earlier published novels, and not part of a series, but many of the hallmarks of her novels appear here pretty fully formed. There's a feisty heroine, much magic, and demons and dragons a bit too human-like for my taste. I found the first half far stronger than the second. Both main and secondary characters were clear and believable, information about the world was shown and clued in passing, not info-dumps, and events were given time to have consequences. The story is fine as our heroine moves from lover to lover to, um, customers, but at the midpoint, the demons and dragons take over and it all becomes rushed and unsatisfying. For a while, the book felt like a fantasy version of What a Way To Go, and that really wasn't a very good movie. Things improve a bit in the final chapters, except for a final resolution that may have made the characters happy but left this reader going phbbbttt. In a book about sex workers, even a comedic one, the issues of rape and exploitation can't be ignored, though their treatment here is brief and marginal.

Recommended to fans of Friesner and light romantic comedy, if you don't mind the background theme. ( )

I have purchased this book 4 seperate times. EVERY time I let somone borrow it I have had to eventually purchase another copy. I can't even begin to explain the story of a young girl who goes off in search of her "talent". She gets in one dire situation after another with spectacular results. This one should be in anyone's library when they just need something to make them feel happy!! ( )