I loved the movie Chocolat and I read a bit of Jigs and Reels, but nothing has hooked me on Joanne Harris as much as this! She started it as a story for her daughter, years later it is a fantastic tale of magic and adventure for all ages. The mythology is Norse, a nice break from the Greek gods if you've been devouring Rick Riordan's Olympians. So soon after reading Michael Scott's The Alchemyst, it's neat to come across more references to Yggdrasil, the World Tree. And if, like me, you love keeping track of a seemingly ever-expanding cavalcade of major and minor characters, and the minutiae of their lives and credos, then this is the book of the summer for you. Haven't run across this many characters since The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. -+- After: Even better than I ever expected, and I had pretty high expectations. I hope she writes a dozen more of these! I think I've finally found someone to meet and exceed my Pottermania.