Radiance

3.5 stars, rounded up. I loved the fact that Ildiko and Brishen talk to each other right from their first meeting and that their love grows slowly as they get to know each other. Their pet names are the unflattering descriptions they good-naturedly admitted to each other early in their marriage (“dead eel” and “boiled mollusk”), and they mine a lot of gentle humor out of the differences between them. They were absolutely an adorable couple.

I had two issues with the book, however. One is that the relationship between Ildiko and Brishen is so even-tempered that the passion between them that appears late in the story is slightly anticlimactic and not fully believable. The other is the passive role that Ildiko is forced to take on too many times in the story. I get that Brishen is the warrior, not Ildiko, but I wanted her to make some kind of heroic, courageous gesture other than facing down Brishen's parents and eating his stomach-churning food.

Still a charming, different fantasy romance. Not sure if I'll be on board for future books in the series but I don't at all regret reading this one.