This was crazy good...the necromancer's bells, the nine gates of death, and MOGGET. Who wouldn't love a character who embodies ineffable evil contained in sardonic cat form? 
 Don't be dissuaded by the fact that it's YA...this is top-notch fantasy that I'd put on par with His Dark Materials. Also, don't be turned off by this being the first volume in a series: it's a standalone novel with a clear and conclusive ending, so no large-scale buy-in required :). That being said, I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series for more of this world and Nix's wonderful writing.