4,5/5 stars. I did not expect this. I started this book with no expectations (because I thought this was not a book I would like :$), but I absolutely LOVED it. I loved Pokémon when I was a kid (I still like it), and I really liked the small references/adaptations (?) to Pokémon in The Novice. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series, because the first book was a lot of fun to read.