I now have a new fantasy author that I am enchanted with and will follow. He's on the list with Chris Colfer, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. Once I started reading, this book in particular, I had a hard time putting it down. He keeps you on the edge of your seat, many cliff hangers throughout the book. Great character development and flawless writing.
If I had anything negative to say it would be that I wished there were more illustrations for those of us who aren't familiar with all the goblins and ghouls. And there are many in this book and the rest of the series.
I would imagine teen and young adult, even >nine or ten, would enjoy these books immensely, as do those of us over 20 who love fantasy.
Just finished the second book in this series. Found that it got right into the story and action. There are greater dangers and excitement. There are also more reasons to believe in magic. This is a good read and I'm excited to read the next book. Enjoy