Typical of the Ethshar books, the protagonist, Kelder, is an average person who finds adventure where they least expect it. After an encounter with a fortune teller, Kelder believes a grand destiny awaits him. When he meets Irith the Flyer, a girl with magic powers, he thinks he is on his way. This book gives a lot of detail on Ethshar, specifically the northern Small Kingdoms. It also brings back some characters from the Misenchanted Sword. However, Kelder's story isn't very interesting and Irith is irritating, which is probably the point. And like its predecessor, this book features a minor supporting female character (Azraya, returning from With a Single Spell) who is more interesting than the lead male. I want to read more about Azraya, but can do without the other characters. This book is written well, and is interesting to those who like the series, but I would hesitate to recommend it to others.
