It took me a little while to get into this story, mostly because it's been a long while since I've read any middle grade books. Once I did get into it, I fell in love with this book. It's well written, provides lots of little tidbits about the era, and a character who makes some questionable choices that add some intensity to the book.

Best of all, it had jester's in it. I'm a fan of any novel with jesters. As far as I'm concerned they're the unsung historical heroes.