A good story, but I found it hard to care about what happens next. ( )

Great story and awesome characters. ( )

This story had a promising start, but I was very disappointed in the ending. There wasn't any climax or conclusion, none of the loose ends were resolved -- It didn't tell a complete story. Apparently you have to read the other books to find out what happens. ( )

This is a lively and intriguing fantasy with orphaned girls, magic mirrors, mermaids and winged lions in a fantastical version of Venice under siege. ( )

I found the entire trilogy in a nearby Little Free Library and was intrigued. Unfortunately, this volume is a disappointment. I'm picky about world-building, and the world-building in this book is slapdash heading for chaotic. Venice! Magic! Egypt! Mermaids! Living stone lions! Hell! (No, really, Hell.) When the book started, I thought it would be about Merle and her new friend and fellow apprentice Junipa...and then suddenly Merle meets a certain boy and the plot becomes all about her and him and, yes, the female friend becomes a minor character. Meh. Since I have the second book in hand anyway, I'll try it and see if things even out, but I'm not optimistic. ( )