The second book in the Legends trilogy, it gets dark and then darker. The twins are trapped in a forward march towards Thorbardin and their doom, the same fate as Fistandantilus all those hundreds of years ago, and Raistlin is desperately seeking the key to break this chain of events. Lady Crysania is blinded by her faith and ensnared by the archmage's charms, and Tasslehoff is just trying to keep them all from no end of trouble.

Raistlin as always been shown as bitter and cynical, but this book finally sheds some light on why he is this way and why he is so bent on becoming the most powerful wizard on Krynn. It could have been easy to write in just some evil mage, but there is a lot more to Raistlin, despite his words and black robes, and his internal struggle was so real. I couldn't hate him completely. Caramon slowly begins to learn what his brother really is capable of and that he must be stopped, when he has denied all possibilities for so long. He and Lady Crysania are both blinded by their love, even when Raistlin repeatedly spurns them for it.

I like how the characters grow and change so much, including Tasslehoff, that it's possible to think perhaps Raistlin may have a change of heart. The book is a roller coaster of emotions all the way to the end.

Will light or darkness prevail in the final chapter?