I enjoyed reading this more than "The Witch of Portobello" (being the only other Coelho book I've read). Brida's transformation to "witch" is much more compelling than Athena's journey (I think I just found willing-to-learn Brida much more accessible than the lofty Athena). Paul Coelho still continues to fascinate me with his ability to mesh faiths - Jesus Christ, for example, appears quite a bit for a novel about the paths of witchcraft. One of my only nitpicks is that this book is more meditation than novel. Perhaps "fable" or "tale" would be more appropriate. And for a story that takes place in Ireland, there weren't nearly enough details to support this. Even the mere mention of "Ireland" needs better description (although I find the name quite evocative for personal reasons). :)