This is gorgeously written with some fine imagery - and really, the stylish prose and vivid pictures it conjures up are more important, in some ways, than the narrative story-telling. This draws on European fairy-tales but also Classical myths (the bull-fighting made me think of the bull-dancers in the Theseus/Cretan myths, for example), and the ring-structure points back to archaic poetry as well as duplicating the circle of the seasons.
A little Angela Carter, for sure, but Gilbert has managed to absorb her influences to create an original voice.
Oh, and an absolutely stunning cover!
Roman C, Reviewer
