Poor Liesl has been kept locked in the attic by her evil step-mother ever since her father took ill and died. She has no contact with anyone until she is visited by young Po, a spirit from The Other Side, accompanied by Bundle, an animal spirit that may be a cat, or perhaps a dog. She has also been watched by Will, a young orphan who sees her at the attic window as he is running errands for n abusive alchemist for whom he slaves away. Their lives unexpectedly converge as Will makes a terrible mistake with the greatest magic ever created. Magic that, in its creation has stolen the sun from the sky. Will must run far away to escape the wrath of the alchemist, at the same time that Liesl escapes with the help of Po, and Bundle, and begins a quest of their own to bury the ashes of her father.
My only complaint is that it was a bit too coincidental; things came together too easily. I while I enjoyed reading it, that made it a little too simple to rise above a story for young people. Because of the implications of what happens to us when we die, I wonder if it may be a bit too much for the young?
