"Highly recommended for all fantasy and general-fiction collections, as the potential readership is wide, from urban-fantasy readers looking for something lighter but still complex to young women who grew up reading the Princess Diaries series." —Booklist

"Recalling The Count of Monte Cristo and The Prisoner of Zenda in plot and theme, this cross-world fantasy/romance should appeal to YA and adult fans of the genre." —Library Journal

"History aficionado and champion fencer Aurelia Kim Murray investigates her taciturn grandmother's European roots and her own identity in Smith's sweeping, feminist Ruritanian romance....Kim is thrust into the complicated and potentially deadly politics of a small, haunted kingdom threatened equally by its neighbors as by its scheming ruling families. Smith engages readers with humor and rapier-sharp wit, and extensive details from Central European history…make the nation of Dobrenica terrifically real.... A lively heroine, mysterious ghosts, and a complex and intricate plot." —Publisher's Weekly

"This is a rousing adventure of doubles, political intrigue, and doomed romance.... Quaint customs, handsome noblemen of uncertain trustworthiness, intrigues, and a rather backward country where cell phones and the Internet refuse to work provide the necessary Old World backdrop, while more ghosts and hints of other supernatural doings add a welcome soupçon of fantasy (and a hint of Brigadoon). It’s a delightful romp, with just enough loose ends to leave some hope that the doomed romance might not be so doomed after all." —Locus

"Kim is a brash, bold and utterly irreverent character as she confronts a variety of situations outside the scope of her experience and frequently preserveres. Fast pacing bolstered by a broad range of occasionally predictable twists and turns, this lighthearted fantasy with just a touch of romance and magic will leave readers wondering what’s next for Kim." —Monsters and Critics