My first impressions when I'd finished reading the sneak peek was that the author is an excellent storyteller, able to very vividly depict each of her characters, to quickly draw the reader (even one decades older than her target readership!) into the story and to create the promise of tension-filled adventures to come! I think that the cover would be immediately attractive to any young person (even adult!) looking to immerse themselves in a magical fantasy world, and the wonderful illustrations are an added bonus.