Bit scatterbrained and doesn't resolve all of its plot threads (book one and all that) but rollicking good fun. I'm not surprised to see Card comment on the back; it's got a lot of Ender's Shadow. You could even call it high fantasy Ender's Shadow, except it's a much better story with structural tricks, a fleshed out magical world that doesn't devolve into ratfic, a few three dimensional characters where it counts, and a sense of humor that makes the tragic bits all the more impactful.