"And besides, the story had to start sooner or later. I had only hoped it would be a little later, and I could rest for another spring in my library."

Oh gosh all I want to do now is reread the whole Fairyland series, then reread this and see how many more cameos and parallels and instances of foreshadowing I can catch.

As always, Valente weaves lovely words and ideas together into an inimitable tale. The characters are astoundingly memorable, given how little time we spend with them (in this story anyway), the setting is literally and figuratively magical, and there are so many gentle reminders of simple truths. My heart was broken and carefully fitted back together, but the stitches aren't holding very well in the presence of knowledge about some of these characters' fates.