I love this book. I love the bastard hero trying to better himself and the girl who falls in love with him against her will. Lovely touching scenes between them. The only thing that keeps it from being 5 stars is the bit about the women only valley at the end. Just don't like all that mystical women shamanistic power stuff. Not just here but in any book and I realize that it's just me. ( )

Raised since childhood to redeem her families honor, Kalena is the the youngest surviving member of a High House. Contract for a trade marriage in hand, she arrives in Crosspurposes with assassination on her mind. But her new husband's honor, bastard though is is, is more than a match for hers. Kalena finds herself not only married, but falling in love with the trade master known as the Fire Whip. Will the bonds the two forge between them be strong enough to face both fire and ice? If not, the consequences will be dire, and not just for them.

Ridge isn't always the most likeable hero, but Kalena deals with him well. ( )

Fantasy vom Besten!!!! Hier bringt Krentz das ewige Thema der zwei Polaritäten: männlich und weiblich, Feuer und Eis, Yin und Yang, zu neuen Höhen. Sie ist eine der besten Romance-Autorinnen überhaupt, aber ihr Genie kommt in ihren phantastischeren Stories am besten zum tragen. Denn für sie sind sie keine simplen Vehikel, um versiegende Ideen zu tarnen, sondern Erweiterungen dessen, was Liebe bedeuten kann. Crystal Flame ist vielleicht das beste Beispiel, da hier nicht nur das persönliche Glück der beiden Helden von ihrem Zueinanderfinden abhängt, sondern auch das Wohl einer ganzen Welt.

So bad it's almost good, a SciFi romance that is the worst I've ever read and exists on my shelf because of that reason ( )