Third volume of a series that I particularly like. It is true that the first volume is far, the surprise of the rune man and his adventure had it all. The second volume allowed to experience another culture and above all other enemy characters / opponent of the hero. The third volume is in the same ilk, we now understand the motives of his opponent, and a heroine we discover with a new side. By cons on the reviews here and I agree that it is a bit long. For my part, I plunged in, and never bored. I have read other much shorter book that seemed endless to me but not this one. The main story is moving slowly, the protagonist are accurately described and their evolutions (Leesha in main) finds meaning in history. I also still enjoy the author's style, and I always much forward to read more of his column which is an excellent point after three volumes.