Elliott James's Pax Aracana world is steeped in folklore, grounding it in the details and giving it the sort of substance that's all the more necessary when you're dealing with fantasy. Charming and Sig are both strong, complicated leads. Sig's determination that she has to break things off with Stanislav before becoming involved with Charming- or even if she doesn't become involved with Charming- is a welcome change from the too often seen trope that it's ok for one of the leads to cheat on the lover they started with when they meet the other lead. That Sig and Stanislav's relationship is treated as a real thing with a history that grew and is now dying on its own rather than just an impediment for Charming also goes towards making her a sympathetic person in her own right rather than just Charming's prize.
I am eager to read more in this series.
Overall Grade: A