Huh, this is the second book in a row I'm reading with an intersex main character. It's really nice to see a wide range of characters starring in novels. The cool thing about this one is that, while Regan's sex is an integral part of the story and affects it, it's not <i>about</i> being intersex, it's about Regan and this is part of who she is.

Horsefriends! I mean, that's kind where we're hanging out with this, right?
Seanan is really excellent when she's writing short and bittersweet and gives herself just a few pages to sketch the absolute brutality that is ordinary childhood.
Also, the parents are not part of the story and also the way that their children's adventures affect them is ALWAYS part of the narrative, which is important and helps Seanan hit the "this is fantasy and also EXTREMELY REAL" that is what gives this series such heart.