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This was something of a random pick up in the middle the Estcarp books. It stands well on it own, though there is a lot that follows from the previous few books. However, a three-page summary of the major events of the previous books more than covers what is needed here.

Again, this is an independent novel, and reads well as such; the cast of characters is all new. (The early books all follow Simon Tregarth, but this period is all more independent.) Previous books had fairly earth-shattering consequences, and this is more of an adventure in picking up pieces.

This starts with the main characters, where we start with the main character, Tirtha, and slowly pick up everyone else over the course of the book. It is very much in the ‘journey’ style of plots, with both physical and mental/social travels being made. This is well done enough that it’s hard for the climax to entirely measure up. This is made more difficult by the final parts being a bit hard to follow. The worst problem is that Tirtha gets disabled for a bit during important events, and as the only viewpoint character, the narrative gets a little confused. Compounding this, it is easy is mistake just what has happened to her, and miss the corrected explanation later.

I’m pretty sure I read this back in the ’80s. I kept half remembering things as I came across them. But that would have been a borrowed book, and I’m glad to have my own copy now. Certainly recommended, and a good entry-point into the Estcarp series.