Assessment:

Plot Ireland's novel is a fast-paced fantasy adventure, full of tropes readers will find familiar from fairy tales mixed with fresh settings and a unique take on the passage of time. 

Prose Ireland’s prose is clean and careful for the majority of the book, but the text would benefit from an additional round of copy editing. The dialogue lends credibility and a sense of authenticity to the diverse cast of characters. 

Originality Ireland’s novel borrows from such revered childhood tales as L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, and Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories, but adds in dark and contemporary twists. 

Character Development Ireland’s colorful cast of realistic and fantastical characters includes whimsical allies and villains that are memorable and relatable. The reliable narrator offers readers comfort and a whiff of nostalgia; the Jacksons’ furry friend, Buffy, holds a role that is just as important as any of the humans or creatures in the book; and D’Laine is described as a multi-faceted being—her identities as a vulnerable human teenager and a warrior queen are intertwined. 

Date Submitted: April 13, 2018