Rather than show how difficult the tasks for the heroes would be, Mull seemed content with the characters constantly discussing their impending doom. As my husband put it, "It will basically be impossible to win if we try, but it will definitely be impossible if we don't try. We might as well try." I got so sick of this as the book continued.
With all that being said, the world and characters that Mull created are so much fun and I did enjoy the ending. Overall, I think the series was too young for me. If the characters were a little older and it had been a titch more adult, I think I would have liked it that much more. Glad I read it though, especially since it's fun to talk about with Doug.