This book is fantastic--but it takes a little time before the magic has fully kicked in. I read this book out of order, so I can't comment on how it fits in the series...so it's even more impressive how much I enjoyed it.Cons: The beginning often feels cliched and heavy-handed, and you don't really know what kind of story it's going to be for a while. Characters seem super one-dimension. All these problems are resolved quickly. (YES!)Pros: Fascinating portrayal of Basque-landia, great scenes that genuinely spooked me out, nice character relationship growth, and nice pacing overall. The end of the book is so satisfying I wanted to immediately read on, but of course my library doesn't have the other books, so immediate gratification was not obtained. BUT. What I truly enjoyed (and I'm hoping that this plays out in the other books as well) is the crossroads of supernatural badassery and genuine faith in a higher power. In a way, it hits that same sweet spot that Madeleine L'Engle books often do. Felix enjoys a relationship with God that is very believable, and while it was only a small part of the book overall, it added this great layer of growing in your beliefs to an already captivating travel tale.
