I *REALLY* liked this book. I think Stasheff is at his best when he's playing the sexes off one another - especially in the context of a good, solid relationship and how men relate with women and vice versa.

At the beginning of this volume, King Tuan tells his son Prince Allain that he should get married. He responds instantly with, "I'll go tell the Lady right away" and heads off to tell Cordelia Gallowglass that she gets to be married to him. Even though they both have assumed that they'd be married since they were children, Stasheff can't abide to allow the institution of marriage to be as perfunctory as all that. So Allain delivers his intent awkwardly and Cordelia (of course) takes offense and tells the good Prince to take his offer and shove it. And the rest of the story is bent around Allain trying to earn Cordelia's respect and affection and both Allain and Cordelia doing what they can to make sure that they do truly love one another.

Of course, it all ends up well with the two having been fated to mated - but the story-telling is a great deal of fun. Geoffrey acts as an excellent life-tutor for Allain - getting him drunk, leading him to quests for honor, and putting him in a position to experience life and decide what it is about life that is good. In the end, both Allain and Cordelia are tempted by beauty and allure, but both decide that their true loves are far, FAR superior to a pretty, but shallow substitute. ( )