No, this isn’t a romance novel, it’s about the niece of a corrupt king and a farm boy who wants to become a knight. They fall in love when the King tries to kill his brother-in-law (her father) and attacks her duchy. The King is trying to find the Serpent and release it from its prison where it sleeps (yes, there are Biblical parallels, such as the Prince who helped defeat the Serpent, but i don’t believe that she is going for Biblical accuracy or allegory here). Averil and Gereint have to find some unconventional allies in order to take back the duchy, but the battle isn’t over, just held off until the next book. Gets a little slow about 3/4 through but still a page turner for the most part. There’s a lot of magic in these books, and different types, but like in Harry Potter people are born with the powers and have to learn to control them (for the most part). Definitely a good read.