Really interesting worldbuilding that Peterson has done here, and IMO her interconnected works get stronger together as more of the world is revealed. This one is the first in the Waterman series so I came into it cold, not knowing any of the setup, and it took me a little while to get oriented. Not too info-dump, but there was quite a bit of detail.

The characters are complicated and sometimes their motivations are not transparent to the reader. I was guessing until the end on what the final resolution would be between Carr (the young master) and Jesse (the foreign visitor).

The book ends on an uncertain note.

I quite enjoyed this one, although it did not linger as indulgently on erotic master/servant interpersonal dynamics as I might have hoped. This is not a porn book and not really a romance, but rather the tension focuses on Carr's evolving understanding of the hierarchy he was brought up in and questioning the teachings of his parents and others, ultimately making a choice about how he wishes to conduct himself within his place in society. ( )