Though I enjoyed the book I found the pace slightly slow. The author puts a lot of detail into some of the scenes making them vivid but the whole work lacks context. I haven't read all of the Forgotten Realms book but I have read a few. Though there are some links to places, deities and a few creatures, for the most part I feel the story could have been stand alone and did not need to be associated with the Forgotten Realms setting. So I'm probably being a bit harsh because I expect a book in this setting to link more with the setting.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book is the style of the story as it flips between two different plot lines which eventually are related. The fact that one plot line is historical and the other contemporary adds to the curiosity of how they will eventually be brought together.

Character detail is good with sufficient information given to allow one to relate to them. Some characters which seem really important to the plot at points have detail but little history or motive. So while they are key you have no reason to know why they are involved other than as a piece of the plot. This gets back to context and I do not know if this due to the author or the editor.

I would probably rate this book PG. Violence, of course, including torture but even battle scenes are not particularly gory and romance is not an issue. ( )