I did not love this book, but it wasn't terrible. Overall, I just found it a little boring. Some of the dialogue was awkward and I found myself skimming pages at a time because nothing was happening. I have read Yasmine Galenorn before, but it has been a really long time and I don't remember if this was typical of her writing style or not. To me, this book would have made a wonderful short story introducing the world and the characters, and setting up a full length book. I just didn't find enough meat in this book to truly enjoy it.

Here's a more detailed listing of my issues. While I won't include major spoilers, there will be some details of the book, so if you prefer to remain surprised, stop here! :)

So one of my biggest issues was the way the Ember is drawn into The Wild Hunt. Someone she is close to overhears something that they shouldn't, and it puts them in danger. But after the whole mess, what is overheard doesn't come back up. I fully expected her to have stumbled on to a piece of a bigger plot...but nope. That whole section of the book seems very contrived, and a little too convenient.

Also, Ember had a tragedy in her past that has shaped how she lives her life. So, naturally, the whole thing is discussed, that's cool. But it is discussed multiple times, with nothing really new to add each time. To me, it gets watered down and loses it's impact. Either give her a tragic past that is mysterious and pieced together over time, or share it with us, but then don't describe it the same way again and again.

I didn't really like Ember either. I mean, I kind of did, but she didn't quite feel fully developed. We're told she wears corsets and leather, but I kind feel like that's in there to create an image, more than to show us who she is. I also don't feel like she was developed at all through the book, I never really connected with her.

Ember's relationship with Angel felt forced. I don't feel like BFFs have such stilted interactions. Not only that, but it is frequently pointed out how close they are and how envious everyone is of the closeness. I felt like she told me they were close, but she didn't show me.

And don't get me started on the potential love connection. I felt zero chemistry there.

Overall, the book just fell flat. I enjoyed the world, so I will probably try the next book to see if it gets stronger. ( )