"Unexpected, exciting and funny. Like Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and Doctor Who swirled up together."
Judith Rossell, ABIA Award-winning author of Withering-by-Sea

"Exciting, charming, and wonderfully imagined, it's the sort of delightful, grand adventure destined to be many a reader's favourite book."
Trenton Lee Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of The Mysterious Benedict Societyseries and The Secret Keepers

"It really is brilliant, with an engaging plot, plenty of twists, memorable characters and a marvellous sense of humour. Pick it up and the hours disappear, just like magic."
Daily Telegraph

"An exciting and charming middle-grade read that will hook readers aged 10 and up with intricate imaginative detail and its sheer energy...a compulsively readable romp that fans of 'Harry Potter', Terry Pratchett or Studio Ghibli will gobble up."
Books and Publishing

"Townsend's sophomore endeavor once again fully immerses her readers in a world that intermixes the magic of the Emerald City with Howl's pithiness, Percy Jackson's humor, Coraline's darkness, and perhaps a dash of the depravity of Katniss' District One. Fantasy fans will not be disappointed. Savvy readers will appreciate how the themes of otherness, group privilege, prejudice, and activism are masterfully interwoven into the overall plot. The only sad spot in an otherwise enjoyable text is the hanging question: How long until Book 3 comes out? A worthy title that deserves a spot on the fantasy shelves."
Kirkus