“Political infighting and battles between gods dog the Kencyrath people as they continue their 3,000-year war against Perimal Darkling in Hodgell’s byzantine 10th Kencyrath epic fantasy (after 2019’s By Demons Possessed). Jame, the lone female Highborn of House Knorth, takes command of the house troops to fulfill mercenary contracts with the native Rathillien king, Mordaunt, who schemes to raise himself to godhood. Meanwhile, Jame’s brother, Torisen, Highlord of the Kencyrath, worries that a poor harvest and a lack of payments from the Rathillien will leave his people fighting over food, and fears he’ll be left unable to help as the larger Houses push for more prestige and power on the High Council. Throughout, both siblings continue to manifest the power of the Tyr-ridan, avatars of the Three-faced God who abandoned the Kencyr ages ago. Hodgell’s intricate web requires careful reading—and extensive knowledge of the previous books—to follow, but the author repays her fans with a saga that flows neatly between the mythic and the mundane. There’s plenty of life left in this series.” — Publishers Weekly

“The enchanting eighth installment of Hodgell’s Chronicles of the Kencyrath (after Sea of Time) continues to follow Jame, who is both sister and heir of Torisen, the Highlord of the Kencyr, and the avatar of the destructive side of the Kencyr’s Three-Faced God. Jame is given command of the fort of Tagmeth as a way to prove herself in lieu of her third year of military school, but her family’s political enemies live between Tagmeth and the Highlord’s forces, making her journey there treacherous-and the ancient evil that the Kencyr’s god has destined them to fight is drawing near from the other direction. The Kencyr live in one of the most deeply realized worlds in fantasy, a rich and complicated space that includes many cultures and riveting, three-dimensional characters. Full of dark wonder, wry humor, and the quirks of Jame’s inimitable personality, the newest installment in Hodgell’s life’s work demonstrates why it can be worthwhile for a writer to spend 40 years writing the same series.” — Publishers Weekly