If you can get past some of the cutesy language (like "choco sandwies" and other things that end in -ie that eventually I got sick of encountering) you'll find a fun adventure with a little (well, rather plump actually) girl who's on her way to finding her place in the world.

Flora Segunda (a "replacement" daughter, as the first Flora in the family was lost in the War) is getting ready for her Catorcena--and not doing a great job of it, what with having to do all the chores and look after crazy ol' Poppy while Mamma (Juliet Buchanan "Buck" Fyrdraaca ov Fyrdraaca) deals with state business, being the General of the Warlord's armies and a very busy and important person in their homeland of Califa. One day she stumbles upon their banished Butler, the house denizen who used to keep Crackpot Hall in spit spot shape before being imprisoned in the library by prim, practical Buck. His troublemaker tendencies, his desire to be made whole again, and Flora's increasing exasperation with herself and the rest of her family's sorry, shabby state set events rolling towards a grim, possibly abysmal end.

Wilce's fantastical imagined world is wonderfully egalitarian as it is socially stratified--men and women both enjoy high ranks of power and command, but grave importance is placed on tricky political situations, rank, and the elaborate social etiquette everyone must observe. Cultural references from our own world are mish-mashed together: Spanish phrases, Scots-like kilts (worn by everyone), Aztec-like mythology, and a setting both Wild-Westerny and medieval at the same time. Oh, and I didn't even mention magick yet.

I really loved the descriptions of the rooms of Crackpot Hall and the fancy names for everything (some crucial scenes take place in the fun, corpse-packed Cloakroom of the Abyss), Flora's dream of becoming a ranger instead of adhering to the Fyrdraaca duty of becoming a soldier, and her descriptions of the life and times of the legendary Head Ranger Nini Mo. I also adore Poppy, though he is kinda crazy.

The story can get a bit dark at times, and conservative parents may worry about the portrayals of drunks, and fourteen year-olds with guns (though unloaded), and feisty magic words rendered in WingDings. (I'm just saying, there are people who worry about that kind of thing, but I also suspect they have a hard time telling the difference between fiction and non-fiction)

Wilce balances the gloom with a hefty dose of humor, delicious snacks (or snackys), and the occasional fluffy towel. For a taste, check your "horoscope" in the Alta Califa. I think mine says "Running water could ruin your relatives rapidly."

I can't wait for the next installment!