This book was a whole lot better than I expected, particularly the beginning, but not just that. True, much of the book may remind you of cartoon culture (mostly just that about mice being able to wield weapons in their hands and the way many of the enemy characters act), but it really does surpass that in many ways, and it does manage to be more intelligent than you might expect (although if you don't catch the spirit of what I mean here, you may be disappointed, as it's not a technical book at all). There are some twists that might surprise you, as these certain things don't usually happen in such stories.Farland really does a good job of setting things up in the beginning, and there's a fair amount of humor there. However, the excellent scene-setting and the humor drop back after the fantasy elements really settle in (that disappointed me a little, but I was prepared for it, so I wasn't that upset). Then it focuses more on character relationships and goals (or drama, perhaps).I enjoyed the ending.I can totally see how this book might weird a lot of people out, though, with some of the things that happen.Anyway, it's a really good book, I think. The narration for the audiobook was great, too. ( )

Benn Ravenspell wants a pet. He is paid to take care of a friends lizard. He is unaware that his first trip to the pet store is not for him to find his first pet but to buy a live mouse to feed the lizard. The mouse Amber puts a spell on Ben who becomes a mouse. It so happens that Amber is a magical mouse and Ben is her familiar--a creature how stores magical energy. Together they control powerful magic. Amber wished to free the oppressed mice of the world and will not change Ben back into a human until he helps her save her family. ( )