The exact method to transition from Truegold to Underlord can be a bit of a mystery for some sacred artists, and many are never able to cross that line. It requires you to know yourself, and your motivation for following the sacred arts. Once that personal insight is achieved then the sacred artist must reach outward to the vital aura all around them, become infused with soulfire, and be reborn as an Underlord. It is certainly a coveted rank and desired by all Truegold sacred artists, including Lindon, but for Yerin, this step in her progression has literally become a matter of life and death. After sustaining irreparable damage to her lifeline in a battle, Yerin's life has been shortened to the point where her death is imminent, unless she manages to be reborn during the transformation to Underlord before her lifeline runs out. No pressure.

The Akura family is looking for young Underlords for an upcoming tournament, and the Blackflame empire has little to offer. But in order to create more participants, the Akuras are willing to provide access to a location that helps Truegolds advance quickly, and Lindon and Yerin are among those given the opportunity. Of course, this advancement opportunity turns into a battle between factions, and the Blackflames do not have the upper hand. While the whole scenario with Yerin needing to increase rank or die felt a little contrived, it did ratchet up the tension quite a bit and cause Lindon to truly think about his own personal motivations. A lot is also revealed in this book about Akura Mercy's background, so by the time this one is over 3 of the main characters are all a little more flushed out. A worthy entry in the series that sets up the next book for the much anticipated Uncrowned King tournament to unfold in an interesting way.

Travis Baldree delivers his usual solid variety of voices for the audiobook version to make listening a solid option.