Definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fun and fast read.  Yes, there are quite a few predictable elements, but Britain's style is enjoyable, descriptive, and leads you from one page to the next - no dragger here!  It reminds me of some of the best fantasy I've read with a  Tolkienesqe quality - plenty of behind the scenes history that could be  explored with a heroine of some quality.  I hope that Ms. Britain is up to  the task of doing it. I look forward to a sequel.  The typos complained of  in the hard cover I did not notice in the paperback.  If you're a critic,  you'll probably not like this book - it is somewhat formulaic (ie, good  does triumph over the bad, and truly new fantasy character types are hard  to come up with), and the descriptive overkill that some critics seem to  like is absent.  I recommend this to any reader over 13; it has some  violence, none of the obligatory sex scenes, some romance, and colorful but  tasteful dialogue. This is Entertainment!