Not what I was expecting it to be, but awesome nonetheless. I loved Remin's angst over whether he's in love with Tano.
The line that totally killed me, though?
“What’s the difference between the way you love me and the way you think you’ll love your husband?”
Tano’s gaze never wavered. “I won’t love him as much as I love you.”
I feel terrible for Tano because he's basically resolved to settle for second best. I even pity Remin because how can someone hear something like that and not feel a huge burden? He really nailed it on the head when he thought "That was such a generous way of looking at things, it was completely unfair." That's what's been driving me nuts about their relationship. Tano is so generous that the entire situation is unfair to him. It's starting to bother Remin, too, which is what I was hoping would happen because now he will do something about it.
I loved this:
Xio Voe was not proud of his own obtuseness; in the past, he’d been embarrassingly foolish regarding his own relationship with Anosukinom. Therefore, it would be hypocritical of him to scorn Remin’s foolishness. Still, he wished that the man charged with running the country were a little more sharp-witted. Were all people this stupid when it came to their personal relationships?
Yes. Yes they are.
I like Remin's plan to build his relationship with Tano into something more. Tano may not think that he's the right man for Remin, but developing their relationship is something that Remin can talk Tano into.
