Kellen is as typical of a teenager as one could get within a world of magic, incantations, somatic hand shapes, powder explosions, and a talking squirrel cat called Reichis. At times this book had me howling with laughter, the simple use of 'what could possibly go wrong' paired with a deadpan 'of course' attitude make for a protective instinct towards Kellen. The introduction of Seneira gives Kellen a new depth alongside his confusion of finding his own path. The plot is simple to follow but with enough emotional depth to keep the reader engaged. I was able to read this as a stand alone book despite it being second in the series. Nothing was lost due to this although I would prefer to have read 'Spellslinger' to understand some of the references made in passing. I would recommend this book purely for Reichis alone, the rest is an added bonus.