The level of writing is lower than that of Septimus Heap. I'm not sure if that is because it is geared towards a younger crowd or if Chris D'Lacey is not as good as Angie Sage.

For me, it also had marks against it because I do not like squirrels. A story about squirrels bothers me. So, I had to grit my teeth through most of the book. Despite the writing level and the squirrel content, overall, it was a cute story. I'm sure my children will like it.