Not bad, but not splendid. It was certainly much more interesting than the Pirate King, though Salvatore seems to be transitioning his characters for the future name of the book series suggests. Major turns that seem more determined to actually get their job done then to create an enjoyable read were the biggest drawback to this book. A sad day indeed, as I never thought that a book with Jarlaxelle as one of the main characters would result in a less than stellar read (I do so enjoy him, though not as much as Artemis)

Good to see Cadderly and Danica, Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder, as well as a few other faces new and old alike. The main antagonist of the book was an interesting twist, and I enjoyed the plot even if I feel like Salvotre was less than thrilled to write the thing. Even so a better read than the Pirate King, and I look forward to the next book, though I fear that too will seem all too rushed and lacking that seemingly divine spark that so pulled me into the Forgotten Realms, Drizzt Do'urden, Bruenor Battlehammer, and Salvatore himself in the first place.