Nice flow!
Weak smeak, its good.

Honestly, I think you write the relationship between Ciara and Niamh very well indeed. If I were being hyper-critical I suppose I might agree with you that there's the odd slightly less assured touch than usual (I'm not sure about "there was a nervous energy buzzing through the little vixen that made her feel like she
was vibrating in Niamh's arms", for example) but really, that doesn't stop it being another enjoyable chapter. Marcan isn't enjoyable, of course, but though I can't stand him I do think he's a strong character and someone I'm in a way glad to see again, in the way you're often glad to see even the really unpleasant bad guys reappear.

Well thank you. I'm sure that there will be little moments throughout the book where things seem a bit weaker than they could be, or where my inexperience shines through. First novels are always like that. But I'm glad that their relationship works for you. Needless to say I've worked quite hard at developing both of them, and the characters in Oseille are still the ones I know best of all. Even Jess, my mouse heroine from my second novel isn't quite as developed as Niamh and Ciara, though she's close.

I'm glad Marcan works for you, too. I was always a bit worried that he'd be over the top, or that an evil bishop was a bit too much of a cliche. Though I did try to make him as much of a real person as I could without losing his sense of menace or his nasty disposition. So thanks for that!