I found this fantasy to be delightful. Novik uses fairy-tale elements from Polish and Russian folk stories, but weaves them into her own original work. The main character is an almost supernaturally untidy village girl that comes into contact with magic and politics. As she is forced to grow up and deal with adversity, she serves as an excellent viewpoint to show wonder and terror of magic, bitter complications of politics, and the role of friendship and family. There are elements of romance, but it's mainly a fantasy adventure, with plenty of magical and mundane combat, some of it pretty intense. Like many fairy tales, the narrative is a bit like a macro photograph -- the world right around the main character is brilliantly sharp, while everything else is in soft focus. It's a good book, with a satisfying ending.