This was surprisingly deep and dark, and a incredibly interesting take on magic, wishes, and inheritance of powers. Morwenna wrestles with some serious moral issues, and I thought the way Avi wrote her metaphysical interactions with her new magic was filled with great, almost terrifying imagery.

Unfortunately, Swen was an insufferable character, and like many other reviewers, I wondered why Morwenna even bothered with him. I understand what Avi was going for - propping up Swen as the figurehead for a movement, with Morwenna the power behind him, burdened by her own silence - but yikes, what a boring cad.

Also, how did no one except for Morwenna realize the beggar was actually the king in disguise - do people not know the face of the tyrant they are trying to overthrow? I was left unconvinced by that particular plot point.

Honestly, it was a really good book. More of a 3.5, rating wise. It definitely kept me riveted from start to finish. ( )

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Morwenna has the world's last four wishes, which is bestowed to her by an old wizard. She doesn't know until she hears the nagging voices that come with the wishes. The voices are now constantly haunting her not to use her last four wishes, but through many trials, she slowly loses them, and she eventually is down to the last wish. If she uses that last wish, she ends up dying. She ends up fleeing the people of the world, so that she might not be tempted to use the last wish she has. Although Morwenna was not as bright in the head, as I think, YOU might like it and wish to challenge yourself to this book. ( )

This is a story of a cruel king’s young chambermaid, Morwenna, who ends up being the improbable recipient of a dying, old wizard’s five wishes. Unluckily, Morwenna isn’t provided any direction or counsel in regards to the wishes, as her friend, Swen believes he is the new wizard. This fantasy novel addresses deep issues like egotism and self-sacrifice as a twelve-year-old is responsible for the future of her country. ( )

Avi, my favorite unknown author since childhood, writes what I would call subversive children's books; not necessarily subversive in the political sense (though sometimes that's true too), but in the narrative sense: these books defy convention and expectation as well as, much of the time, the traditional "happy happy" ending that children's books are "supposed" to have. In this particular book, we have magic, the journey of our hero -- a girl who unwittingly and unwillingly receives the last wishes of a kingdom -- mistaken identity -- her best friend and would-be love interest is mistakenly thought to be the wish-bearer -- death and a remarkably thoughtful though not really pleasant ending. Like everything I have read of Avi, this is intriguing and worth reading. It may not be as wonderful as The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, which is a personal Avi-favorite of mine since age 12, but it is quick and unexpected and just right for a rainy afternoon's entertainment. ( )