The first book in this series is a well-worn friend; "Dragonshadow" I returned to the store I purchased it from, disgruntled, but at least it was able to stand on its own as a novel. This boring bit of trash I left in the store, irritated that I'd wasted three hours of my life on it. It's basically character movement, getting them to where they need to be for the NEXT book, heaping further indignities on the main characters while using others (Gareth, Trey and Polycarp leap to mind) as throwaways (and using the magnificent Morkeleb the Black as a taxi, for the Lady's sake!). Hambly leaves them, with the cliffhanger, in a place where they cannot escape without violating the integrity of the situation as it stands. I NEVER thought I'd be writing this -- certainly Ms. Hambly may do as she pleases with her characters -- but I don't give a damn about what happens to anyone in this book, and I won't be bothered to look around for the sequel.