without a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the most compelling, exhaustingly detailed and riveting series of books I have ever read. I can only apologise for not peppering my thoughts with quotes from the text as I have done in recent times. if i'm hurrying through a book, I'm lining up another title - or if the one I am reading so grips me that I haven't even the whit to pause and note a place wherein resides an interesting quote, then I can often come out of my reading hays and think 'oh my: is it over?'

I'm on the next one already, really - it's the second night I've been awake until gone 2:00 AM reading and these pull at me mercilessly. Other recently-consumed trilogies - Dave duncan's destiny of the Sword, Star trek: millennium and the Black Magician trilogy - all were gripping and enjoyable. but this has a different feel to it - a darker, more mature, more adult feel. A more dangerous feel, too. Someone said that this author isn't afraid to throw hardship at the characters. All I can say to that is... Too true.