Lilith Saintcrow always writes well, but here the writing is exceptional. A girl slowly emerges from family tragedy into a place where love is possible and learns that she is stronger than her history. The girl is a subtle and living portrait, as are the other members of her family, whereas the villain is guignolesque and the Baba Yaga figure steps directly out of fairy tale, so that the reader is left wondering whether they may not be hallucinations. A very fine piece of work.
