5 stars ⭐️
This treasure has taken the official spot as my second favorite book. Marillier is not only a master story-teller, world-builder, word-smith, and character developer; she beautifully layers so much meaning and emotion, bittersweet and heart-wrenching, like a literary lasagna. I loved the magic, the ending, the tension, the subtle romance, the themes of sibling relationships, and of trust and perseverance.