Though this story needs to be on library shelves because of its uncommon setting, historically and ethnically, I found the characters to be cumbersome and shallow. I wish I’d found their intrigues interesting enough to hold me. I didnt finish.

A prince and once-famous general disgraced by accusations of treason and murder. A beautiful princess whose sheltered life suddenly gets entangled in lies, deceit, and a prince’s quest for vengeance. Villains out to ensure they do not get to live another day. Wrongs that need to be set right. A love that is unanticipated, and born at a most inopportune time.

Interesting plot. Strong, dependable, and well-suited hero and heroine. Scenic description of places and events. Neat and clear writing.

Then comes the very syrupy delivery of romantic lines, periodic mentions of the protagonists’ strikingly flawless attributes, the glaring use of deus ex machina plot device in a scene or two, the hero’s pigheadedness and the heroine’s nauseating crying outbursts... even a love affair that could’ve been realized early on had the protagonists been of a mind to effectively communicate with each other.

Such banalities in any romance story--in whatever genre or form--are usually often enough to spoil my reading pleasure and rouse the cringe person in me. But this book has kept me awake even in the wee hours of the morning, charmed by its story and totally accepting of the protagonists’ cheesy moments and dramatic turn of events.

One word to describe this novel, and in Filipino: kilig.