This review pains me. Juliet Marillier is my favorite author. When I found out that she had released a new book that was only available on Audible, I just had to find a way to listen to it. This book is not at all what I expected. Part I is like a fairy tale and gives the feeling that it could have been written as a stand-alone short story at its conclusion. It reads like a book that could be read to children, especially with all the repetition in the language. After reading Parts II and III, it became clear that it would be better classified as a Young Adult novel, as there are more mature themes in these sections. Overall, I was not a fan of the narrator, and I was not much a fan of the tale. It seems underdeveloped and predictable in comparison to her other works. I really tried to like this book, but there was nothing about it (save for a bit of magic at the end) that I enjoyed. Even so, I will continue to read everything she publishes, for each one of her books brings a little magic into my own life.