Set thousands of years before the first trilogy. The ifrit's are cultivating Corus, and another planet Efron, as possible replacements to their current homeworld. Both are vying to be the home of the Master Scepter. This story deals with the Alector [ifrit] and the Cadmium [human] who have to deal with uprisings, etc that threaten to bias the Archon on their current homeworld against Corus.

Overall this story reminded me a LOT more of a Recluce book. It took me over a week to read it and it just didn't engage me like the original trilogy. Plodding, that is a good word for this book. The 2 main characters were completely un-engaging. The plot has enough stuff hidden way for the future books that I was constantly trying to figure out if something I didn't understand would be explained later in this book, in another book, or not at all. Not a good thing for a smooth read. ( )

Chronologically, this is the fourth book that happens well before the original trilogy that begins with Legacies. I guess it is no longer a trilogy, although the first 3 & the next 3 books each seem to form one, but there is a new book coming out "The Lord-Protectors Daughter" & I'm not sure where it will fall in the chronology. I think it is the start of a third trilogy & I plan to buy it.Usually, I don't like second trilogies, but this is an exception. Told from the opposing view point of the first trilogy, it gives a lot more depth to the overall story. The moral dilemma's of right & wrong are well set off by responsibility & greed. All are shown in a practical, daily setting. The hero has limited resources, set responsibilities & must deal with life on its terms. He's in a pretty tough spot, without much wiggle room. The setting is unique to this series. There is an old order that is dying, a set of invaders & the new 'native' species, which is ascending. The first trilogy was told from the POV of one of the ascending natives, this second from one of the invaders.The hero is the typical Modesitt hero - nothing new there & if you don't like him in other books, you won't like him here. Basically, he's the same person on the opposing side. It's actually nice as it takes away some of the variables & makes the point even clearer - sometimes there are no right answers & you need to do the best you can with what you have.It's not great literature or particularly deep, but it is very entertaining. Well worth reading. ( )

usual Modesitt fare, enjoyable but not particularly subtle or deep. As always he could have used a decent editor - the setup phase of the book should have been done in 50 pages, not 350, and the 'Views of the Highest' sections (fortunately only ever a page or two at a time) should have been excised completely. However once he got into stride it moved fairly fast and engagingly for the last couple hundred pages.

It's listed as book 4, however it's set several thousand years before the first three, and is really the start of a separate trilogy, not a continuation of the series. Don't let this put you off if you haven't got the first three. ( )