I was excited to read a dark fae world where Mab is icy and manipulative. Unfortunately, the romance was too rushed without a lot of build up, beyond glamour, and Alana seemed to many, many unanswered plot points.

However, the world building and atmosphere were really well done. I loved the way Leclercq weaved the fae and human worlds together. It reminded me a lot of Keats' La Belle Dam Sans Mercy. That drowning optimism, tendrils of gauzy fantasy going horribly wrong.

The court reminded me a lot of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series in a best way. I could see what the author offered. I even liked Tynan's character, the hunter and prey aspect really intrigued me.

I just didn't buy the fated mates push because Alana was bamboozled and it didn't feel like a choice to continue. And that was such a huge motivation that it dropped my rating quite a bit.

Final rating: 2.5 stars. While the short story wasn't a favorite, I will read more by the author. The world was excellent. I would love more about Mab. She's always a winner for me as an addition.