A highly enjoyable, if in some ways a touch generic, fairy-tale retelling. 
 Shannon Hale expands upon the Grimm Brothers' tale of "The Goose Girl" with a kingdom and mythology that goes very deep into world-building and gives you a background on the characters and their motivations. The peril seems more real for this, and the happy ending more satisfactory. It does drag a little in some parts, leading me personally to momentarily miss the simplistic pacing of the original fairytale, but the rest of the book more than makes up for this. 
 I haven't read the rest of the series -- though I do want to someday. 
 A good read. Recommended.