Wow I FLEW through this book. I was already familiar with Beatty through the Seraphina books (a series that I should really finish on of these days), but I think this book had a bigger draw for me. Willa is such a captivating character, a capable, loyal, yet vulnerable character that manages to persevere enough in the toughest of times, no matter how banged up she gets. I loved the more emotional storytelling of this book, and really didn't expect it to get as dark as it did. The story's fast pace allows you to get more invested in the story, reminding me of those summer reads I could spend an entire afternoon reading and yet feel that no time had passed.

There were a few plot holes here and there that kept nagging at the back of my mind (

Like if Naillic was Cillian's twin brother, how come the rest of the clan didn't recognize him when he came back to be the paladan? Did he kill all the people that would have blown his over? Or threaten them into silence? I could see it, but some verification would have been nice

)

Still, I think this is such a worthwhile read for the middle grade crowd, particularly those who love a lot of action and character-building.