Flight of the Wren question

Hello Readers, just a quick question for you: As this is the beginning of a 5-book series, there are a lot of characters to become acquainted with, as well as up to five storylines. Did anyone have a hard time knowing who was doing what, and where? Was the Appendix of characters helpful? Please comment, so I can make the subsequent volumes even better. Thanks, WinterFlight of the Wren