I bought this book recently and can honestly say it's the best read of the year so far. The complete pervasion of mental powers is a field that doesn't often work for me, and I've often taken a while to get into a Duncan series (which is why I prefer many of his multi-volume works rather than standalone ones). Still, this was a cracking read, slow to start as you'd come to expect but when it gets going it really sucks you in. The political intrigue is as complex and fulfilling as you could hope for in such a short work. The protagonist is perhaps a little too honourable, I've come to expect my heros to be a little more Human, though it's a typical Duncan trait (a la Rap, Durendal, Smith etc). The societal implications of a female-run world are touched upon very interestingly indeed and, generally, it's a fantasy work you will certainly want to try if any of Duncan's others have appealed.