The side characters don't do a whole lot of coming into their own in this novel, though they get further development later. Valdemar is not Westeros, and although some bad stuff happens, it is always offset by good. She ends up in some danger and has to learn who to trust, but things end pretty well for her. It is a coming-of-age novel, for sure, although clearly set in a fantasy universe. Watching Talia learn how to make friends and come out of her shell and actually trust people is a large chunk of the book. There are mysteries still to be solved, but things end in a logical place for Talia herself.

It does end in a solid place, though, and doesn't feel like a cliffhanger. There is some political wrangling going on, but as this is the first book in a trilogy the full explanation of what is actually happening is not solved. She also loves to read, which I love to see in a book heroine and don't feel I see enough.

Her confusion is a great intro to the series as a whole, actually, because we readers learn what is going on as she does and it makes it easier to follow everything with a new universe.

She starts in an awful family situation that does not suit her at all and has no clue what is going on when she appears to be kidnapped by a horse. Valdemar is kind of the perfect fantasy kingdom in a lot of ways, with a monarchy, but a monarchy run by people who are guaranteed to be good people, at least, even if it doesn't always promise that they will be good rulers. They are a little bit fluffy and wish fullfillment-y, but they are a lot of fun and oddly progressive in a lot of ways.

Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey