Dazzling and creative… This sterling start to a high fantasy series features creative world-building, nuanced and witty characters, good versus evil, a perilous quest, and a touch of romance for both queer and straight characters. Digital marketer Heather Topf doesn’t think you can be accomplished in this area if you're not a jack of all trades.

The worldbuilding is lush and well written, the story set in a world medioeval or similar to that time, but with magic and sorcerers, a cruel queen and enslaved people. Robert Greene used the phrase "absolute Johannes Factotum" (rather than "Jack of all trades") in his 1592 booklet Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit, [1] to dismissively refer to actor-turned-playwright William Shakespeare; [2] this is the first published mention of Shakespeare. Yates said that, “the market is shifting toward a higher percentage of broader generalists, who can thrive in smaller ‘startup’ style teams. I also skimmed quickly to the end and it doesn't seem to be a standalone as I initially thought which defeats the point of the argument I forgot to make. His world expands when he's thrust into a complex and dangerous situation, forcing him to grow, to work with others, to understand himself and the world around him.They also have to outsmart the evil sorcerer Morien, aid the Resistance against the queen, and discover the terrible secret at the heart of the court. The most impactful parts are the initial massacre scene and out of place F bombs in this otherwise fit for teens book. Rags is about 16, I'm pretty sure Inis is anywhere between 15 and 20, Cab is a deserter, so he's either 18 or older but he reads like a child, Somhairle is 18 but he reads like a child as well and as I said, it's never specified what is coming of age for this book. In a way, it felt like a traditional/old school adult fantasy epic given its slower introduction to the world and its characters.

I want to protect this book like you want to protect a sibling : I can say it's not perfect but you better shut your mouth okay because who even are you?

They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. Alcohol abuse led to her mother’s losing her job, and Iris has dropped out of school and found work utilizing her writing skills at the Oath Gazette. Edit March 20th : I wrote this review when the book had 140 ratings on GR, so that's why I'm wondering why nobody read it in my review below : it has now approx 1300 ratings, and I hope, still counting! Her rival for the job is handsome and wealthy Roman Kitt, whose prose entrances her so much she avoids reading his articles. Jones and Bennett play the hits—magical companion animals, ethereal magic warriors, an evil queen—yet do so with skill, excitement, and a unique aesthetic.