I am not one to lead the pack in reading brand new books or even DRitC stories. I usually wait to see what bubbles to the top so I can make more informed choices (thanks GR friends!). But I do like AU slavefics, and I do like cozy mysteries, so I grabbed this puppy soon after it was released. Lucky me.
It didn't take long before I had a squee of delight realizing that this is an exceptionally special story. Talk about imaginative. Think of a literary version of Iron Chef where the author is given The Maltese Falcon, Gone With The Wind, Captive Prince and The Godfather. What could you possibly do with that? Well, Gillian St. Kevern does something wonderful with it, with writing that just gives me happy shivers.