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One of Kurtz's finer works in her Deryni series of books. This picks up almost exactly where Camber the Heretic leaves off, making the prior trilogy more into a six-book series. Kurtz starts with a brisk pace and maintains it well throughout. By no means is it the great American novel or the finest work of the 20th century, but it is a good story very well told. It was hard to put down, being a real page-turner. As usual, Kurtz enlivens it with such well-researched historical detail, it feels almost like a historical drama with magic added. Also in typical Kurtz style, she throws in the occasional explanatory note in the event the reader missed a book or just had read the previous one some time ago. Still, her books are best read together. Although early along Kurtz's fictional timeline, the later publishing date of this trilogy shows Kurtz's improved skill as a storyteller, resulting in the book's page-turning attraction. It certainly leaves the reader eager to pick up the next in the series. A good read!
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