I've heard people rave about Tamora Pierce's works so I thought I'd give them a try. No one I saw mentioned if you can jump in at any series so I started at the beginning to be safe. 

This book was exactly in the middle. I didn't hate any characters but I wasn't rooting for them either. There was some cool magic but because Alanna doesn't like to use magic or care about it we don't learn much in this book. The setting was what you'd expect with not anything really standing out. 

The end was by far the best and is what would peak my interest in continuing on. The Bazhirs, the Black City, and the mystery of the Old Ones and their ruins were intriguing.