This is a retelling of the Goose Girl storey for those who are familiar with fairy tales. I had no previous knowledge of it, so I might have skipped a few subtleties, but I figured it performed perfectly well without it, and apart from a few oddities (like the talking Horse! ), there was little in it that couldn't be contained in typical fantasy. One of the book's greatest assets is that the characters are all well-rounded, but even if they play stereotypical roles (princess, prince, witch, etc. ), they have a lot of complexity and realistic personalities. The villains seem to be simplistically ruthless and inhuman at first sight, but they all have ample backstory to be believable, if not sympathetic. I was pleasantly pleased by this novel. It might be YA, but it tackles some serious topics like the essence of punishment, the corrosive effects of vengeance, and so on.