I am thoroughly enjoying this fantasy series for younger readers. Like its predecessors, this was a fast, action-packed page-turner, especially in the second half as Alice and her friends fought the Ouroborean. I have found each book of The Forbidden Library" series to be better than the one before, and I am looking forward to seeing how the end pans out.

In "The Palace of Glass", Alice faced moral dilemmas and new dangers as her powers increased, while old friends were reintroduced and new ones proved their worth. Flicker, the fire-sprite was a terrific character and I loved the dialogue between he and Alice. He often had me chuckling at his comments.

At first I didn't like Alice as much as I had in the previous two books as she was angry and determined to seek revenge on her father's death, despite knowing how disappointed he would have been in her actions. However, throughout the book Alice's personal growth was admirable and I liked how she was constantly looking for non-violent solutions. She is a strong heroine and a good role-model for younger girls, in particular. Can't wait to see how Wexler is going to conclude this fabulous series. ( )

The series gets more engaging as it advances. Although individual episodes still often come off as straight forward and quickly resolved (e.g., the encounter with the titular Palace of Glass, despite its buildup as a locus of madness and great evils, was handled very quickly), the cumulative story line has become surprisingly gripping. Characters we like actually die, which gives the sense that something important is at stake in the adventures. I'll look forward to the fourth volume. ( )