Hmm. The same issue I had with The Magpie Lord and the sneering and sniding— I really did not see it before until I read enough of the opposite— but this one did go a long way to recompense for that part. Don’t get me wrong: I love a prickly, ruthless heroine. I love jewel thieves and morality that is questionable at best. I love all that the most. It’s the tone that’s throwing me; so much sneering and seething when I’d rather have camaraderie and joy.
I thought it was either/or for a while, but now I’ve seen how I can have my prickly ruthless darlings and my joyful openhearted tenderness and it’s hard to give up one just to get the other.
Again, though: Charles really does do a lot to bring it around by the end. And femdom is too rare so any little hint of it is YAY.