I'm not sure why I took so long to start this series...it's always been one of those books that I see on the library shelf but never pick up. After a while I became so used to seeing it there that my eyes would just pass over the binding and I would go for the shiny new books. I'm very glad that I finally picked it up. This story is wonderfully written, and the characters are unique and interesting. After the first few chapters the book flew by for me and I didn't want to stop reading. It isn't quite as action packed as a lot of the newer fantasy books, but I found that you got to know the characters a lot better. A great read!