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So much more gripping than Serpent's Tale, the book before it in the series. The action is faster paced. Rather than just riffing on the same social themes that made Mistress of the Art of Death successful, Ms. Franklin introduces us to new ones, particularly Henry's legal reforms. The use of Arthurian legend in the story isn't cheesy like many applications out there, and leaves the reader desperate to know what's coming next.

The original--and sadly, probably the best--wholesale rip-off of Lord of the Rings, this is Terry Brooks' first novel. That, taken together with its near-plagiarism, was enough to keep me from giving this book a chance past its first chapter for several years. When I finally overcame my reservations, I found myself rewarded with a study in mediocrity. That'll teach me to take chances. Overall, this is an enjoyable book, and the story--though terribly written--is fairly well told. And if Allanon the Druid should seem to you very much like a certain Grey Pilgrim . . . well, who's to say Tolkien and Brooks didn't just independently come up with nearly the exact same character, mannerisms, and turn of phrase used to describe them some 40 years apart? Don't even get me started about the Ringwraith/Skull-Bearer issue.