Yeah, the book definitely starts out slow. It seems like "blah, blah, blah", switch to someone else, then back to "blah, blah, blah". I personally found that there was too much going over of the basic principles of the series (shields, chimes, the link between worlds)...we've heard it before, we don't need the two-by-four. However, once everything gets going, the book definitely pleases. The hallmarks of his earlier works are there...an act of desperation bringing victory (or at least snatching them from the jaws of defeat), the need for creative methods of solving their problems when "traditional" solutions fail, and of course Richard using his charisma and conviction to open the eyes of those blind to their own problems. Far, far better than Pillars...but not nearly as good as Faith of the Fallen.