Well I was pretty stupid and read the last one first, not realising there were 4 before it. And even stupider when I realised I actually owned the other four. So I'm reading the end before the beginning. I quite enjoyed it, though. But I think it would have made a lot more sense to me if I had read the first four before I read that one, because I got confused in some places of the book. And I felt it dragged a little. All in all, though, it was good. ( )

Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar are together again, but not as close as they had been before their travels. It's been a long time since I'd read the other books, but as usual Tamora Pierce drew me in. It's frustrating to see her plucky, smart heroines and hero constantly rejecting the obvious, but perhaps this is part of growing up, for them. Add in more interesting characters, politics, and magic and you've got another interesting tale set in the Circle world. Worth a read for fans of the series, others should probably start at Sandry's Book and meet the characters at the beginning of their tales. ( )

As with all of Tamora Pierce's novels, the characters are well-developed. The plot is in-depth, and the entire book is just absolutely amazing. Every teenager should read these books. ( )

It's a rich story, with references to events in the Circle Opens quartet throughout. And it's nice seeing the four of them working together again (eventually!). But I can't say I got the impression that they had matured - they behave quite childishly toward one another, while constantly asserting that they're 'grown up' now. Sigh. It's fun, I'm glad I read it, but it felt like they were coming full circle - at the end of this book, they have re-achieved what they had at the end of the first Circle quartet. Maybe a _little_ more, but I don't see a lot of progress. It'll be interesting to see later books, with them as secondary characters (Melting Stones they really don't show up at all). ( )

After 2 quartets dealing with our singular mages, this was in a sense disappointing because it was only one book. The 4 mages, after many years spent apart and much growing in those years, are re-united at last. But all is not well. Their travels abroad have made Daja, Tris and Briar feel alienated from Sandry, much as they still love her, they are trying to protect each other from the experiences they each had in the past. They are forced to reunite however, during a trip north to Namorn. Sandry has been summoned by her cousin, Empress of Namorn, and must do her duty on her family's land - and escape the grasping clutches of her cousin. ( )