I thought the pacing of this book was a bit weird, but once I started thinking of it in terms of TV show pacing or parts 1, 2, 3, so forth, it became a lot easier to enjoy. 

The magic system in this book is FANTASTIC. It doesn't go into long winded detail, and yet I felt I had a strong grasp on how it works right from the beginning. 

The characters were a bit lackluster in my opinion, but they aren't boring. And although I didn't like Leo to begin with, by the end of the book I found him very endearing. 

This was an enjoyable read, and I can't wait for book 2.