After the unbelievable cliffhanger of the prior book, we finally get to experience the final battles of the Uncrowned King tournament. Obviously Yerin and Lindon will now be taking different paths to their progression, but a lot of meaningful battles remain. Battles that will not only dictate the outcome of the tournament, but also impact the impending war. To spice things up even more, the Abidan have added an additional prize for the tournament winner, the legendary artifact known as Penance. Penance is an ancient weapon of pure destruction capable of instantly killing any one person, and since it will go the tournament winner, so both sides of the war now know they are at risk of losing one of their leaders. This makes all of the Monarchs feel a little more vulnerable than usual, and thus they all now care much more about the outcome of the tournament. So does this book make up for the unfinished feeling of the last book?

I guess I will have to say no just based on principles, but these two books combined were easily the best so far in the series. The tournament resulted in real consequences for all of the main characters, and the political machinations of the various families came together to establish the sides in the upcoming war. We were also able to experience each sacred artist in a very detailed way, learning a lot more about what each of them are capable of doing. This series has really gained momentum, and the book sizes have finally reached a more acceptable level, so I am glad that I finally gave this series a chance. This book ends with the the threat to Lindon's home that was foreshadowed way back in the first book becoming a reality, so Lindon will soon find out if he is strong enough to prevent that catastrophe.

Travis Baldree does his usual excellent job on the narration, and while I normally don't find the bloopers at the end all that interesting, this time a couple of them made me laugh. A small bonus for those who choose to listen instead of reading.