I am a fan of most L.E Modesitt stories, and have always been a fan of strong female characters that are well written.

True, some parts of the story seem to drag because SOME people like to get to the action quick and in a hurry and get tired of reading about peoples motivations. If a story is written poorly and boring then people would put the book down and never get to the end. Not so with this book. The Author does a good job of letting us see the workload that Anna must face on a constant basis and doesn't go the easy route of just giving her a bunch of efficient underlings to handle the menial stuff. In a still interesting way we get to see that all of her decisions are not easy ones and the things she does have consequences not just for herself but for the entire Kingdom of Defalk.

In the story, though her actions seem roundabout to some, she gradually wins those in her immediate circle of influence over to her point of view. Those lords and rulers who are too wrapped up in their own way of thinking to change will learn that its not easy to overcome the Soprano Sorceress.

The book had that building energy that you get with a thunderstorm that is on the horizon. You are not sure when it will actually strike with lightning but when it does the thunder makes you jump.

This book was a very good read and if you enjoy a good story that lets you understand the motivations of a character then you will enjoy reading this book. One of the worst things in a story are when a person makes stupid decisions just to enhance a problem later in a storyline. If the characters make mistakes in this book you are made to understand why, either through prejudice, misinformation or just not having enough time, you the reader get to appreciate the motivations and you enjoy the ending when it comes.

Hope there is another book when the characters get a little older!