Tl;dr experience 17th-century Parisian life with a colourful cast of characters. Liked reading it, didn't like playing it. I'll dive into the negatives first.

Your duelist is somewhat predetermined, sometimes doing things without your input. This may bother people who don't like a defined protag. It's subjective, yes, but there were moments where I was like, "She would not say that."

Roleplaying options are further restricted as the gameplay doesn't support playing your character in a way that is natural and allows for character development. You want to be someone who is hardened and stoic, but sometimes hesitates or tries to be friendly? Nah, gotta stay in-character or risk muddling your stats. It distracts me from appreciating the story and makes your character look two-dimensional compared to the rest of the cast.

Most of the time, you're given only 3 options that test your skills. God help you if your stats aren't high enough or you like to have a balanced personality. You don't gradually build your character's skill set so much as you're forced to pick certain traits to go with, say, swordsmanship, unless you want to blunder your way through your challenges. Sometimes I couldn't even guess what they were for. "Does this polite, charming option use Cajolery or Grace? Is it even a skill check?" "You want to be friendly to Sebastian? Five points from Toughness!"

I also don't like that you can only reach one or two goals with certain character builds. Want to max out your relationship with someone? Sure, but you can't get the kitten, or win the duel against Sebastian, or play the matchmaker with Madame and Denjeux, or fully uncover Lou's past.... It makes me feel like I'm being punished for wanting to develop my character in a way I like.

But I don't want this section to be all negatives, so I'll say that I do appreciate how your duelist can be a stereotypically masculine woman, wearing men's outfits and solving problems by being loud and acting tough. And while stat requirements aren't clear, at least most of the choices are not misleading and play out like they say they will.

While it's not plot-centric, the premise delivers on what it promises with a nicely paced and easy-to-follow story. The prose is good, a genuine pleasure to read when it's not trying to cage you with its choices. There is a wealth of details about urban life in Paris to appreciate, with references to works of art, history and culture, etc., written in an accessible way for people without the relevant knowledge. It makes some effort to be inclusive of the marginalised and nonconforming while being mindful of the time period.

The love interests are fun to be with and have some depth, each having different things to offer. They have their own lives independent of the protagonist and moments where they develop. This is very much a character-driven story. It's also romance-centric, though side characters like Madame and Jacynthe are entertaining as well.

I only have one minor gripe about the writing, and it's the anachronistic language. It could have benefited more from polishing the dialogue and narration to better reflect the time period. I don't read historical fiction very often, but one of its appeals is the differences in culture and language (and a myriad of other things), offering the reader a chance to live in another time and place. Having people speak in modern diction detracts from that.

If you're not interested in buying the sequel, this book is fine as a standalone story. It will not leave you hanging on a cliffhanger. You can even play it for free on the Heart's Choice website to see if you'd enjoy it.

Tl;dr experience 17th-century Parisian life with a colourful cast of characters. Liked reading it, didn't like playing it. I'll dive into the negatives first. [h1]GAMEPLAY AND CHOICES[/h1] Your duelist is somewhat predetermined, sometimes doing things without your input. This may bother people who don't like a defined protag. It's subjective, yes, but there were moments where I was like, "She would not say that." Roleplaying options are further restricted as the gameplay doesn't support playing your character in a way that is natural and allows for character development. You want to be someone who is hardened and stoic, but sometimes hesitates or tries to be friendly? Nah, gotta stay in-character or risk muddling your stats. It distracts me from appreciating the story and makes your character look two-dimensional compared to the rest of the cast. Most of the time, you're given only 3 options that test your skills. God help you if your stats aren't high enough or you like to have a balanced personality. You don't gradually build your character's skill set so much as you're forced to pick certain traits to go with, say, swordsmanship, unless you want to blunder your way through your challenges. Sometimes I couldn't even guess what they were for. "Does this polite, charming option use Cajolery or Grace? Is it even a skill check?" "You want to be friendly to Sebastian? Five points from Toughness!" I also don't like that you can only reach one or two goals with certain character builds. Want to max out your relationship with someone? Sure, but you can't get the kitten, or win the duel against Sebastian, or play the matchmaker with Madame and Denjeux, or fully uncover Lou's past.... It makes me feel like I'm being punished for wanting to develop my character in a way I like. But I don't want this section to be all negatives, so I'll say that I do appreciate how your duelist can be a stereotypically masculine woman, wearing men's outfits and solving problems by being loud and acting tough. And while stat requirements aren't clear, at least most of the choices are not misleading and play out like they say they will. [h1]WRITING AND CONTENT[/h1] While it's not plot-centric, the premise delivers on what it promises with a nicely paced and easy-to-follow story. The prose is good, a genuine pleasure to read when it's not trying to cage you with its choices. There is a wealth of details about urban life in Paris to appreciate, with references to works of art, history and culture, etc., written in an accessible way for people without the relevant knowledge. It makes some effort to be inclusive of the marginalised and nonconforming while being mindful of the time period. The love interests are fun to be with and have some depth, each having different things to offer. They have their own lives independent of the protagonist and moments where they develop. This is very much a character-driven story. It's also romance-centric, though side characters like Madame and Jacynthe are entertaining as well. I only have one minor gripe about the writing, and it's the anachronistic language. It could have benefited more from polishing the dialogue and narration to better reflect the time period. I don't read historical fiction very often, but one of its appeals is the differences in culture and language (and a myriad of other things), offering the reader a chance to live in another time and place. Having people speak in modern diction detracts from that. If you're not interested in buying the sequel, this book is fine as a standalone story. It will not leave you hanging on a cliffhanger. You can even play it for free on the Heart's Choice website to see if you'd enjoy it.