I like going into the reading experience knowing as little as possible about the book. Mainly because I want to be surprised and to have as little bias as can be managed. So, usually, I add a book to my TBR pile and read it after I've forgotten the reason I added it in the first place.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld had been ageing long enough on my shelves for me to pick it up on an impulse, only knowing it was fantasy. It turned out to be one of the best surprises I've had this year. The writing instantly grabbed me and by the time the wild and innocent protagonist appeared I was ready to receive her with open arms.

What I loved:
— Lovely writing, short and precise
— The themes and moral of the story
— The mother/daughter and mother/son relationships
— The regal and dangerous menagerie of magical creatures

What I didn't love:
— Every man falling head over heels with Sybel
— Something about Coren and Sybel's relationship (I would have preferred if Sybel didn't resume her romantic relationship with Coren at the end of the book. I couldn't stand her giving up her ancestral home to move in with the hubby. I understand it was part of her character growth since her ancestral home represented the world where she kept herself apart from the living, holding off connection with the 'real' world. But it still felt like she was giving up a part of herself to be with a man.)