Risky undercover excursions with Mare and cozy evenings à deux heighten the tension between the young women. Denna is stymied by rigid gender roles in her efforts to help investigate two royal murders blamed on reviled, magic-using rebels. Homophobia is a nonissue, as heterosexuality is refreshingly not assumed to be the default, yet sexism is very much present. Only two characters seem to be of color (one described as dark-skinned and one who hides shyly behind her glossy black hair). The plot unfolds slowly as the green-eyed, white-skinned Denna, with her scholarly ways, is at first unsure what to make of Mare, most comfortable in the simple stable clothes that cause her to be mistaken for a boy. Neither royal realizes that Denna’s secret, stigmatized ability to control various elements will soon spiral out of control, as do her feelings when she meets Mare, her bold, gray-eyed future sister-in-law. Sixteen-year-old Princess Dennaleia departs for the kingdom of Mynaria, home of her betrothed, the blond, blue-eyed Thandilimon. Murder, mayhem, magic, romance-and horses, lots of horses!
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