Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Good pleasant read, but not one of Howard's best...

As a long time fan of Howard's, I know never to start one of her books unless I have time to finish it in the same sitting. This novel meets that criteria. However, the lack of actual coversation and character interaction in the book left me with the impression that the lion's share of the book was left on the editing floor. The characters in this book are a far cry from the type characters that she has previously written. With the exception of the hero and heroine, the characters are a slap-in-the-face look at the darkest of human motivators. It's evident, and highly commendable, that Howard is exploring her talent and genre instead of staying 'glued' with the safe and familiar, like so many authors tend to do.