MixedAssociated PressTreads overly familiar territory ... Miranda is an author who always writes to her strengths, but in this book, she is sticking too close to them ... Fails to grasp the electric undercurrent of intense female friendship Miranda usually has a knack for ... The reader never feels the magnetism of Adalyn or the emotional weight of Beckett’s relationship with her ... Miranda’s ability to establish the settings of her novels as characters is present here and remains effective ... The revelations in the last third of the book are rushed, hollow attempts at twists and lessen the impact of an ending that struck a genuinely poignant, tragic note. Miranda is a genuinely compelling thriller writer, but my hope is that she breaks her traditions and tries something new with the next book she writes.
PositiveThe Star TribuneEnjoyable and sometimes unwieldy ... Alix...emerges as a compelling heroine ... A highlight of the book is her sometimes awkward, but humorous journey as a new lady-in-waiting to the princess ... It[\'s] difficult to keep engaged in the mystery at hand. The book gets bogged down in its mythology and is slow to give us plot developments. Further challenging the pacing of the novel are the constant additions to an over-large cast of characters ... All of these elements lead to a clunky conclusion that too easily ties up loose ends and loses the impact of the tragedy that started the story ... A fun, elevated beach read for those who enjoy their mystery novels with supernatural leanings and a dry British sense of humor.
