What pulled me in right off the bat was how likable and hilarious a character Zephyr was. She was so socially awkward but she knew her worth and wasn't ashamed of it. I loved seeing her earn the hatred of the people around her. Plot-wise, the story moved quickly and was not overly complicated, despite the ominous map and list of characters in the beginning. The character illustrations were gorgeous and I can honestly say that I would read a book just because Tida Kietsungden drew for it. Strike the Zither was full of strong female characters and truly felt like a good time.