My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book really does make me feel as if I’ve fallen into C.S. Lewis’ wardrobe again. It’s not a copycat; by no means – but it holds echoes of that cold feeling and the sparkling evil that lies just under the surface. The setting is luminously unreal, and yet I know I am there – main character Hazel is real, and her pain is real. The breaking of Hazel’s spirit is just a heartbeat away, and we can feel her heart, and her courage, struggling to hang on. This is a lovely book, which will appeal to any fantasy fan, and especially any fan of the Narnia books. Ursu has captured the angst of adolescence and the poetry of place beautifully.
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