Not a real review, just stating why I gave up with only 50-60 pages left. I liked the premise a lot, but the execution failed, at least for me. I didn't find any chemistry between the two, and while I understand it wasn't written as a love story I still wanted to see something. I didn't get why Trystan was calling her by her first name on practically the first meeting (worse yet, but a nickname "Isa") when they are strangers and she's the High Queen FGS. I couldn't ascertain whether Trystan was Pagen or Christian, but either way I couldn't see someone in that period cursing by saying "Jesus Mary and Joseph" and "Christ" to name two. By the end I was beginning to feel I was in an action/adventure movie with Butch, Sundance and Etta (who were really really good) battling the bad guys (who were really really bad).