Not one of her best. I usually really like this series, but the dramatic tension wasn't there this time. The two 'villans' come across as petulant little boys. They can cause a great deal of trouble, but they hardly seem to know why they're doing it. The first 75% of the book is full of daily life. Another reviewer her compared it to Little Women, which I think is absolutely fair. It's Little Women with magic, which is neat, just not what I thought I was getting. So, I'm not sorry I read it, but I don't think I'll be rereading this one like I do The Fire Rose or The Serpent's Shadow.