Wow. This one was unique. 
 Nowhere near as powerful as some of Nix's earlier works (The Abhorsen Trilogy, Shade's Children), but Nix has always been the epitome of the epic world builder for me. He creates an amazing, unique world, and manages to fit some incredibly unique characters within it who have compelling story lines, which always appeals. I've not been as much a fan of the Keys to the Kingdom series, which always felt like they were aimed at younger readers, but I remain highly respectful of him. 
 The missing star represents the fact that I just didn't like this as much as some of those previous books. It does not mean it wasn't a good book. Very cool.