I enjoyed this book most for its setting in Tenby, Wales, especially as my husband and I are hoping to visit the country in the future. Before finishing the story, I searched the web for photos and information on Tenby, an old port town and discovered nearby Caldey Island with a Cistercian monastery. These are places I'd love to visit and this reminded me of other books set in Wales and other places to visit: Aberstywyth from A String in the Harp, by Nancy Bond; the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander (set in ancient Wales; based on mythology); Jenny Nimmo's The Snow Spider; the Dysynni Valley in Gwynedd (northwest Wales), the great mountain Cader Idris, and the village of Tywyn in Susan Cooper's The Grey King (as well as the other four books in The Dark Is Rising sequence).

Zoe and Ian are strong characters, each supporting the other. Zoe is dramatic and action-oriented, while Ian is the steadier puzzle-solver, less likely to jump headlong into danger. I like how they admire each others' traits. As the plot progresses, the dialogue between them becomes a bit repetitive; they tend to admire the same things over and over. Grandad seems strong in the beginning, but suddenly weak toward the end. The seer, Bron, is a mysterious character, but I didn't picture her as she's illustrated. When Zoe and Ian travel into the past, the characters there are not very well-developed. Miss Glyndower in particular seemed stiff and stilted.

That said, I enjoyed some of the details in the story, including the descriptions of Tenby, tidbits of Welsh culture, and the Welsh words Zoe learns and writes in her journal. "Hiraeth" is Welsh for nostalgia, a yearning for home. "Sea Kestrel" is a great name for a boat. The word "gloaming" is well-defined as the hazy air before dark in summer. One of Zoe and Ian's favorite Welsh breakfasts is laverbread, which is laver seaweed mixed with oats and fried in bacon fat, along with Glengettie tea. The map of Old Tenby is a fine addition and will be fun to compare to the actual town. I also admired the paragraph on magic near the end of the story; that it's not only "spells and enchantments" but about knowing yourself. A good message for all ages. ( )