I liked that the author presented the racial diversity as just the way things are, without needing any explanations for how a person of colour came to be in the position they're in, considering the time period. This is just the way this world works. All the teenage angst and drama made this a very entertaining read. I also liked that Keston was the same age as Ela and not a lot older as you would usually find in historical romances. It did feel like they were a bit young for this level of intrigue and manipulation, but maybe that's just me. Keston was cowed by his father at 16, but suddenly at 19 he was strong enough to stand up to him? That's not a lot of time to mature that much, especially if you consider that these kids grew up fairly sheltered and spoilt, even if it was without a lot of unconditional love. But I'll quit my nitpicking now, and despite these reservations, I enjoyed the romance, the obvious attraction between Kes and Ela, and all the Machiavellian scheming.