Somehow seems more awkwardly written than the Song of the Lioness series, almost like this is for a younger audience even though the protagonist is three years older than Alanna was at the beginning of her series. It's awfully convenient, too, how all the adults in the highest positions of power (the king, the queen, the Lioness herself) trust this thirteen-year-old girl with all their plans and state secrets. I loved the story, though, even if I flinched at the unwieldy dialogue.