This book has been on my to-read list since I was a child. There are some kids' books that are still fun to read as an adult. Unfortunately, this was not one of them. The world-building was weak and a lot of things didn't make sense (e.g. the basics of the gov't and how the bad guys got into power, why wizards could easily be subjugated by non-MAGYKAL people). The threats didn't seem real and characters didn't feel believable. Wouldn't recommend.