this book was exactly what i wanted it to be. i absolutely love this genre of middle grad fantasy books that are high fantasy without being super intimidating or dense. and this was a beautiful example of these books - it has a fun magic system, great main character with an endearing little crew of friends, important social commentary, complex and wonderful familial relationships, and an interesting antagonist. this book set up the series very well, and i'm super excited to continue and invested in where the story goes. i would recommend this widely - both to preteens and teens who are the target audience, as well as to older teens and adults, especially those who love any of the iconic, classic middle grade fantasy series from the early 2000’s (you know what i’m talking about). the circus in the book was also a favorite part, of course.