The Goose Girl
Critical reception of "Enna Burning" was largely positive, with reviewers highlighting Hale's storytelling abilities and development of the protagonist. Dennis Lythgoe of "Deseret News" wrote: "As she did so well in "The Goose Girl", Hale has created natural, interesting dialogue that leads to keen understanding and culminates in a strong moral. With her first book, Hale proved she could re-mold and re-interpret a known fairy tale; in her second, she proves she can create the fairy tale itself, one that has enough interest to become, over time, a classic." "Kirkus Reviews" described the novel as "slightly overlong" but "powerful and romantic." Charles DeLint for "Fantasy &amp; Science Fiction" praised Enna's characterization, stating: "A good author gives us secondary characters as fully rounded as the leads. When it's done right, we care about both, and it's easy to spin one of the secondary characters off into their own story, which is exactly what Hale has done." Jennifer Mattson at "Booklist" called "Enna Burning" "a meaty, sprawling companion" to "The Goose Girl", and praised Hale's "rich writing and sharply drawn characters," though it warned readers that the violent book has a "leisurely" pace.