Honestly I think this series has been overlooked by most, and that's a shame. I absolutely adored it when I was younger. Nix creates a unique and fantastic world. Alone, each book is relatively short and not especially satisfying, but the entire series is a wonderful adventure. ( )

A very good installment in the series. Action-packed and giving both Tal and Milla their own times to shine. Tal really is going through some character growth and I'm excited to see the end result. Milla also, though maybe not quite as drastic. I do like her character though, and how she doesn't always fall into the stereotypical soft-on-the-inside-hard-on-the-outside warrior woman. Sometimes when Tal gets all mopy, she's just like, "Dude, suck it up. Wimp." and I really like that.

I also want to punch Crow in the face. Really hard. ( )

Continued revelations about the world of the story, good character interactions
- No substantive critiques

The fourth in the series. Tal and Milla continue their uneasy alliance. Tal, still hoping to return everything to normal, sometimes misses or does not ponder information that could be highly relevant. Milla, though in some ways initially more rigid, sees change and the implications of new knowledge more clearly. They respectively illustrate Piaget's notions of assimilation and accommodation.

In the previous volume, the reader learned more about Aenir, the world from which the Shadowspirits come. In book 4, the Underfolk of the Castle have their chance to become more vivid and personal. In this way, the series allows the reader to follow Tal's growing awareness of other people and the broader world as his skillfulness with light magic develops. One hopes that he will awaken from his youthful egocentrism. Milla undergoes a different sort of transformation after she returns to her people to deliver her news, then give herself to the Ice.
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Although Tal and Milla discover that the reason for the mysterious disappearances of Chosen over the years is related to the plot to remove the Veil which protects their world from Shadows, their mistrust and different beliefs do not permit them to work together. Thus despite their desperate situation, each chooses to goes their own way with Milla returning to the Icecarls while Tal attempts to locate the missing Keystone guardians. Instead of death, Milla is named the Icecarls War-Chief to lead the invasion force to the Castle. And meanwhile, Tal must escape from the army of free-willed Shadows guarding the Red Keystone. These and many more such events make for a rather exciting read. Whether it is Milla and Tal's escape from the pursuing Chosen, Milla's desperate flight back to the Ruin Ship or Tal's attempt to hide from an army of Shadows.

What will Tal and Milla do should their paths cross again ? Will these once allies be able to work together to oust the invading Aenirans or will they kill each other ? Why would Shadowmaster Sushin work against the Chosen ? In the end, how will Tal and Milla resolve this situation ? It will be interesting to see the choices Tal and Milla will make. These two who were once enemies turned trusted companions, only for betrayal to make them uneasy allies forced to work together for their survival. ( )

One of the elements of writing in this genre that Nix is particularly gifted at is creating original fantasies and worlds. This series is no exception. However, in comparison to some of his other works, especially The Abhorsen Trilogy, the exploration of this world and the characters within is weak at best. The story is interesting because Nix presents the audience with a new mythology, but he rushes through the plot, circumnavigating what could be some really amazing explorations of the world he’s created. As a result, it’s more difficult to imagine this parallel universe and its characters and creatures, and it doesn’t draw the reader in nearly as much as it could.This series breaks one large story into several books, and since each of these is easily around the high 100s and low 200s in page length, Nix could have spent more time giving description, metaphors, and poetic/aesthetic language to flush this world out. This would make everything significantly more engaging for the readers, and ultimately, foster growth and interest in the books, the fantasy, the world, and the characters therein. Ultimately, there’s just nothing to bite into.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com ( )