What a waste of great writing talent! This book is difficult to rate. The writing is superb! It hooked me on the third page, and I just HAD to know what that "Fog" was all about. The story is excellently written, and I just loved all the interesting and various characters. I can't even say enough about how incredible these characters are! This book has it all- plot, character development, pacing, and writing style. BUT... Ah yes, there is a BIG BUT...

The magic was too much like witchcraft. Creepy, dark, and sometimes nasty. NOT your innocent fairy-tale sort of magic. It ruined the whole book for me, which is such a pity because I really had been enjoying it. Oh, of course the good guys only practice good magic, but the Darkness in the story, and the way it was presented, was enough to leave a bad taste in my brain. Even the good magic seemed... ambiguous in its intentions. I'm very disappointed.