The dust clears at the close of a titanic battle and Virginia Dare, a woman who was born a slave and became a witch and rebel leader, has overthrown the cruel Skaloi who have held the human race in bondage for millenia. Triumphing over the last of the Old Masters, she becomes the Born Queen and prepares to usher in a new age in which humanity will at last have control of its own destiny.

And this is just the beginning

In seizing the sorcerous power needed to gain freedom from their monsterous overlords, the human race has sown the seeds of its own destruction. Now, a myserious dark cabal prepares to strike the world's death blow so that they might rule the kingdom of carrion in the wake of apocalypse.

Only a woman of the royal house of Dare, a direct descendent of Queen Virginia, can hope to stand against the coming darkness. The burden falls on Anne Dare, princess of Crotheny. A callow, naïve and headstrong girl who will endure a baptism of fire and betrayal and the hard lessons of the world as she is forced to follow in the Born Queen's footsteps, rise above those who would control or destroy her, and hold back the tide of ruin.

Her companions, a curious scholar, a courageous lady in waiting, a daring swordsman, an idealistic knight and a forester with a past shrouded in mystery, lend their own stories to the tale, as does Anne's mother Queen Muriel and a composer whose gifts contain a dark and deadly aspect.

And in the background is the most mysterious and powerful figure of all, the Briar King, guardian of the forest and living embodiment of nature, roused to wakefullness by the encroaching blight.

Let the despoilers beware…

Lovers of history and fantasy. Fans of complex stories

The intense pacing. The way background is imparted to the reader a dribble at a time.

Having to wait for the next book

Re-read it to pick up clues to the plot that I might have missed before.

Greg Keyes' novels are always fast-paced, but this time he kicks it up about five notches. Action is constant and cliffhangers abound in this tale. The heroes are under constant attack and only quick wits, courage, resourcefulness and outright luck can save them.

This series has no 'Council of Elrond.' There is not one page of exposition. Instead the rich history of the world is revealed through the action, layer by layer, so that the reader is literally exploring the world along with the characters. All the while, the depth of atmosphere pervades the tale.

Keyes' use of language is another mark in his favor. The degradation and shift of language over time is something that is rarely touched on in fantasy works, but in Keyes' case it assumes a major plot point. Never has a scholar been more welcome than on this quest.

Highly recommended for all fantasy readers.