A Clatter of Jars

One of the plot threads involves frogs, and readers will learn a lot about different amphibian species as tribes of frogs get involved. A much-repeated song verse in Spanish is helpfully translated. The significance is never clearly explained, but Lake and Camp Atropos, where the story takes place, appear to be named after the Fate whose role in Greek mythology was to cut off people's threads of life, causing their deaths.

Wrongdoing, seeking forgiveness, and making amends are big themes in multiple storylines here -- which means a lot of characters do bad things with bad results before they learn better ways. One character is jealous and mean to her new stepsister; she's also caused an injury to her beloved brother and not admitted it to him. Another is so desperate to acquire his own Talent that he immerses his probably autistic brother, who's terrified of water, in the lake. There's a lot of stealing: One kid is a skilled pickpocket (though the worst thing he does with his ill-gotten money is buy his brother some candy before he gives the rest back). An adult character has been stealing Talents from kids for years. Before that, she broke up her sister's romance, with fateful consequences to several characters here and in A Tangle of Knots. Characters learn from their mistakes and from the kindness and forgiveness of others.

One reference to "morons." A character calls another's comment "stupid."