This is one of the most beautiful books I've read in years and will remain one of my favorites for many years to come--all that despite the awful, gut-wrenching, heart-breaking cliffhanger ending.

The prose is clear and lucid with its poetry, and the purity of the main character's responses--both in reaction to things that happen to her and to her relationships with her friends and family--spoke to me in a wholly unexpected way. Robin McKinley clearly remembers what it's like to be left alone in a strange land/country/experience for the first time, because it translates so well into Sylvi's panic and culture shock.

I love this book, and I absolutely don't know how I'm going to wait until the second one is released. It's NOT just the story of a girl and her magical creature, not at all. It's a story about growing up and becoming your own person.