It's been a long time since I read a story quite like this. It's very magical, without teenage drama or love triangles getting in the way. It's very dark, too, but the fiery heroine, Magpie, keeps the story from becoming TOO dark. The characters are fantastic and well-written. Magpie is wild and brave and untamable. Her companions include a band of cigar-smoking crows, a faerie prince who can't fly, and a quiet faerie who can speak to trees and plants. The story moves along at a good pace, and keeps you guessing throughout. It stayed interesting without making me anxious, which was a welcome relief. I was happy with how the story came together at the end, too. Blackbringer could be a stand-alone novel, things are tied up neatly enough at the end. But there are a few stray threads that could carry on into the next book (a couple of characters, in particular, who slipped quietly out of the story whom I suspect Magpie will meet again.) 
 Overall, Blackbringer was whimsical, magical, dark, and altogether a very enjoyable read.