I really do appreciate how Alanna has grown as a character in this book. This installment in the series explores how Alanna's relationship with love becomes more complex and how she decides what she truly wants her future to look like. There is a love triangle of sorts in this book, which I'm not exactly a fan of. This isn't because of the way it was executed in the book necessarily, but simply because I personally have an aversion to love triangles. This one isn't too bad, though, and Alanna's decision in the end makes total sense in terms of her character and what she wants out of life. Alanna learns to be a leader and work with others as well as further prove herself as a great asset in battle and as a friend. I am starting to be very concerned about her brother Thomas, though, and what he is up to with his magic. I'm sure this will be further explored in the next book which I'm excited about. This so far is my favorite book in the series and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get into fantasy novels.