This book dragged so much in the middle that I had to force myself to finish it. Elspeth is said to be 27 years old in this story. I would think that most young women would have been pushed into marriage by her age? The Valdemar Council has not pushed her into a royal marriage (yet) in order to obtain heirs to the crown. Could it be that they view the Twins (Elspeth's younger siblings--children of her stepfather and her mother) as "sufficient" heirs to the crown? Elspeth tantalizes us with the thought that she feels she will never wear the crown. That idea died on the vine and went nowhere in this book. The endless entering/leaving of the Vale dragged down the story. The reconciliation between Darkwind and his father was barely emotional. And I find it hard to believe that they never followed up (after the battle with Falconsbane) to make sure he was destroyed? Going on the third book...