Today in books that owe a lot to Tolkien (and also Susan Cooper) and also YA's capacity to go very dark very fast. This was a speedy read with a tight plot that mostly played to both Pacat's and the genre's strengths. I am a bit confused as to why YA ended up with such a body count, though. I somehow feel like adult fiction ends up with fewer bodies sometimes. And this is not a book to read if you don't enjoy playing "spot the influences" but if you do, it feels more like an homage than unconscious recreation and for that I appreciate it.