Vassily the Beautiful

I really enjoyed this. It's much more serious than the other books I've read by this author, but it's very good.

The plot is definitely gripping. It's based on a fairy tale, but I didn't find it predictable at all. All of the characters are drawn very well, and they came alive for me. Even the villains aren't one-dimensional; Boris is monstrous, but it seems like he has some real affection for Vassily. Pol is my favorite side character, and I could easily read a book just about his adventures.

The romance is absolutely wonderful. I love everything about this pairing, and Sumerki and Vassily love each other very deeply. Sumerki reads like he is on the autism spectrum, although that isn't stated explicitly, and it seems like a sensitive portrayal to me.

I have a criticism, though, about Sumerki's aversion to touch. As Sumerki and Vassily fall in love, Sumerki becomes comfortable with Vassily touching him as he wants to. I'm a little touch-averse myself, and it has never worked that way for me. There are specific kinds of touching I don't like and never will, no matter how I feel about the person touching me, such as someone rubbing their thumb on my hand, which specifically happens in this book. I think it's a bad message: that with enough love, someone can get over their sensory issues. But really it is a minor complaint about a good book.