I probably would have given this book a 3.5 if that were a choice. The author gives all of her books as free downloads and asks if you like the book to please consider donating to your local animal shelter. I love that :). Part of me really liked this book. It took a while for me to get into the story. The beginning had a lot of background/history, which was fine and necessary, but I am not sure if I like the way it was presented. That being said, once the main story arc really took off, it was a great read. I will read more of her books. As a side note, this book is in English, but does not use American spelling. I did not find it distracting, but thought it worth mentioning.