This was good, if it relied a bit too heavily on art-school tropes and had a lot of repetition. Menolly is also unrealistically slow on the uptake regarding her status in the Hall: the number of times people have to remind her that she's supposed to be there, to write and play music, and generally be taken seriously wasn't quite tedious, but it was a weakness. Overall, though, it was a delight to read and the characters were very lovable and fun. It was interesting getting a new perspective on Hold and Hall life, as well as the development of the fire lizards' role and potential in society.