After the initial confusion, I was able to follow the book, but it wasn't clear until the very end what the reason for the two concurrent stories was. I'm not sure what the best solution is, but the current form is unsettling at best :-(. I don't think that I am in agreement that the story about the Princess/queen is the worse, as I read in another review. I liked that one, and it felt more complete than the other. The other one felt disconnected and inconclusive. Overall, I guess it was an okay book, although the modern-day character didn't interest me at all, and I'm left somewhat off balance with the story.