This book is a road movie. I found it easy to read, but not the most gripping of tales, as between the few reasonably exciting incidents there is a lot of scenery, both external and internal as the main character, Kaspar, sees the world and suffers personal growth. Kaspar's running commentary on the economy of lands struggling to recover from previous wars and sketching in of various historical incidents seemed like a thinly disguised series of adverts for previous books set in the world of Midkemia (some of which I have read and enjoyed). This book may conclude "The Conclave of Shadows" trilogy, but it leaves the way open for at least another trilogy or two. Probably worth a look if you have read the previous two, or are a fan of Feist's Midkemia sequence, but this is not a book that can stand alone.