Taran really comes into his own in this book - he has learned from the lessons of his mentors. The plot has ancient mysteries and unexpected items, and one big cat!

Like the other books, this is told from Taran's point of view. Unlike the other books, he isn't the main focus of the plot. Though it would have been nice to see more from Eilonwy's point of view, the story works for me - especially the end.

Other reviews have criticized Eilonwy for weakening here, but I disagree. Her story is strong, and her feelings are more plainly expressed than earlier stories. This is my favorite to this point. I can't wait to read more from our Assistant Pig Keeper in the final two books of this series!