Wow! That was a surprisingly great book. This reminds me of fantasy trilogies I read when I was younger (namely,
Land of Elyon and
Redwall) with a dash of
Lord of the Rings. The writing is clever and yet serious at the same time, without being overbearing or self-absorbed... with one caveat. The characters all talk as if they
despise contractions and slang and
love monologuing for one another. Other than that, the story makes up for the slight pompousness that is dialogue.
Also, it's a quick read if you're a nocturnal bookworm like I am.