Varic, aloof, sardonic, and dedicated, is the lord of a distant region, but it’s been decades since his lordly seat was his home. He’s a creature of the city and its politics; his great goal is to assist his mentor, Brook, in creating a more just and more humane Constitution for his nation of Lescoray. Sometimes, his political opponents attempt to outmaneuver him in Parliament; occasionally they challenge him to duels. Longlight, in contrast to Varic, neither knows nor understands the city. She has a Northern accent, rustic manners, and a fashion sense decades out of date. She has travelled from her distant home to present a petition to the parliament for aid against bandits. Though Longlight bungles the petition, she finds a loyal friend and eventual lover in Varic.
— Matthew Keely, tor.com