The fairies in this story are very traditionally cruel, arrogant, frivolous and selfish. The main character, Isobel, is a human painter who often paints portraits for them. This is how she meets the faerie prince, Rook. Once she paints a portrait for him it essentially flips her life upside down. The story feels like a fairy tale in terms of its narration. However, we do get a fair amount of characterization for the characters. They feel fleshed out and their motivations are complex, but clear by the end of the story. Everything is told from Isobel's perspective which makes the fairies seem that much more terrifying and intimidating yet beautiful and fascinating at the same time. There is a lot of political scheming behind the scenes and Rook and Isobel must find ways to work together to survive the viciousness of fae society. Their relationship develops quickly but is done in such a way that it feels organic. I thought the world building and premise were interesting and very intelligent by the end. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Margaret Rogerson. I think she excels at encapsulating the vibes of a modern fairy tale in ways that are intriguing and pull you into the story.