King John was not a good man, and no good friends had he. - A.A. Milne

This final installment of the Enchanter General series is set against the backdrop of Richard the Lionheart and the third Crusade, and despite the magical touches is actually reasonably historically accurate (except for the ending, but I won't spoil that!).
It was a bittersweet read for me. Sweet because it was a hugely anticipated book in one of my favourite series by one of my favourite authors. But also sad, due to Duncan's incredibly sad passing almost a year ago. Indeed the dedication in this book was done by his family, and I will admit to having to put the book down again immediately until the tears dried.

The book itself was everything I'd hoped for. A little more grown-up in tone from the previous two books, but then Durwin himself is also more grown-up. In fact, at 48 he was considered quite the old man! (the book being set 24 years on from book two)

I'm very grateful that Duncan was able to finish this series. He will be missed. ( )