My favorite of the Cleric Quintet because it splashes the most fantasy action. And not just any action, but clever, fleet-footed Salvatore action, which is, after all, the reason I read popcorn fantasy. At this point in the series, the characters have matured and wield their full power against the massed forces of Castle Trinity. And they don't command armies, requiring awkward battle summaries that leave you feeling you missed the real action. No, they wade in and jack the bad guys up personally, so we can savor each sword stroke and spellcast.

The only thing this book lacked was faces on the villains. You know, individual characters you can respect or fear. Many who have come up against Cadderly have already fallen earlier in the series, and those who remain stay out of the melee until the final book 5.