I'm not sure I was ever quite as fond of this book as the rest of the series. It feels more like a placeholder than an arc that needs to exist. The first book has a specific goal, Kel making it through year one. Then Squire and Lady Knight both have great stories of their own (that I remember), but this book feels like it's just biding necessary time. I didn't dislike it. A lot of interesting things happen and Kel is a wonderful character, but I think it's the weakest of the series.

It also has a pacing problem. It covers three years in 250 pages, but about half of that it pretty decently skimmed over and summarized. Maybe it would work better for me as a longer book, but it jumps between exciting events a fair amount, and the last year of her being a page is glossed over almost entirely.

But everything positive I had to say about the first book still stands here. 4 stars is by no means a negative rating. I only like this book less when compared to how much I enjoy the others. It's still a great book and I definitely recommend the series.

One thing I do remember particularly enjoying is how it deals with Kel aging. She actually comments on growing breasts and has to deal with getting her period, which is definitely something I enjoy seeing in fantasy books. And it's wonderful to see Kel growing into her own as a leader, despite the fact that so many men won't let her lead them and she still has to fight against prejudice. It's also nice to see her start winning over some people despite their prejudice. You can see the change she's effecting in the world, and it's really fantastic to see how much one person can do.

(Marked as YA and favorites for the series)