I honestly love this book. It’s a great fantasy book that doesn’t get too bogged down by world-building. It also makes me very happy that the prince in the book is dark-skinned (and, if memory serves, Rath is also not white). The book also gets bonus points for the portrayal of sex work as not being inherently shameful and that Rath isn’t ‘saved’ by the prince.
Watching Rath win all the challenges while actively trying to fail is super amusing. So is how confused and befuddled he is whenever he succeeds. The book does a great job balancing the romance and tournament. We spend enough time with the couple to actually feel them falling in love without detracting from the pacing and excitment of the tournament itself.
Michael Stellman does his generally adequate job, although I do wish he hadn’t tried to pull off a not-so-great british accent. It will eternally grate on me that british accents have become like the default ~fantasy~ accent. Why. Just… why.