The second book in the "Bitterbynde" series, this book builds nicely on "The Ill-Made Mute," but again ends abruptly. Dart-Thornton's strength is in creating characters that feel magical and beautiful, and her idea of weaving together traditional "Earth" fairy tales from different traditions with her overarching story is a good one. The only problem is that the fairy tales end up overtaking the greater story at points... but if you can ignore the discontinuity, the words are beautiful--if at times overabundant. Worth a read if you're fond of fantasy and magic.

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