A fantastic read. This is YA Fantasy done right and not over the top with mythical themes. The author does a MASTERFUL job, particularly with her character development. Her heroes are people you immediately feel a connection with while her villains are utterly despicable, to the point that I found myself yelling at the book (like one does at a movie). In the end, the story, like all well-written pieces leaves you craving the next installment.