Paced much better than Lirael imho. Has an excellent plot flow and plot arc. A clearly defined climax and falling action, albeit short. Took many of the classic characters from the previous books and expanded upon them, while adding interesting, new characters to supplement. Overall, I feel that this ties with the first book in the series for my favorite. The ending feels extremely satisfying. I am very glad that the author went so much into the lawyer in order to provide not only world building but also conflict.