Meh, too many spells and rituals. Otherwise, It felt like too much a setup for the next books and not enough development of the relationship. I like Nicolas, especially after his ego enlightenment, but Lara didn't have much personality. I hope we see her in later books a little more settled. Kinda like Syndil, she needs time to heal, but I'd like to come back to her story to see her whole. Plus, I felt like their story was left incomplete. I enjoy the series, this one just didn't hit the mark for me.