This is a quick, enjoyable read. Some good fights, some interesting backstory. I liked the bad guy, you don't see too many wizards that summon monsters to do all their fighting for them. It made the battles more epic without the reader wondering why gnolls and ettercaps would be fighting along side one another.I also enjoyed the fleshing out of the Uskevren children; it made me eager to read the rest of the series that I've been putting off.The marriage plot between matriarch and patriarch seemed fairly thin...but there was enough other stuff going on to make it fun.