Very strong middle grade fantasy novel that will delight young readers! The execution was spot on, and although it's tough to be original (and there were a few similarities to other books), it was a great story. The characters were enjoyable, especially the adult side characters, and the quest was quite epic. World building was satisfactory and the sheer number of mythical creatures was impressive. Probably enjoyed the sphinxes the most!

I listened to this on audio, and the narration was absolutely fantastic! What a terrific job with many different voices for all the characters in this wide cast. I was duly impressed. Reminded me a bit of The Girl Who Drank the Moon in terms of overall storytelling and the magicalness of it all.

A delightful read for fantasy readers! Recommended for ages 8+.