She is a dark elf princess running from the oppression and constraints of her position in the Underground Kingdom. Possessing great magical skill and elfin cunning, she must rely upon all her resources to avoid those that pursue her in the name of her father and the goddess that she has angered.

He is a bezerker sentenced to carry a rounded sword because he killed a fellow warrior during a bezerker rage. Sent on a quest to find the windwalker amulet, he must learn to harness his bezerker rage or die in his first battle.

Together, Liriel Baenre and Fyodor become a dynamic and invincible team. Their travels carry them into the most extreme dangers and they battle creatures and demons beyond the scope of imagination.

This is the third book in the Starlight & Shadows series of Forgotten Realms. Elaine Cunningham is a master storyteller with a talent for description. She creates scenes that are so vivid that you see them in minute detail as you read. She maintains a high level of tension and intrigue throughout the story and adds just enough romance to keep you pulling for the good guy to win the lady's heart.

The character development is tremendous and you come to know each and care what happens to them long before the end of the book. There is an appropriate resolution, although rather heart-wrenching, to all situations. She skillfully sets the scene for a following novel.

My one problem is the slipshod editing that allowed so many typos to be printed. I read it from cover-to-cover three times, thinking that the problem might be with me instead of the book. However, the typos were still creating a bumpy read even on the third time when I should have been able to disregard them and continue with the story. A couple brought me to a complete stop. It is sad to see such a brilliant story be disrupted by typos.

Still, this is a story to stroke your imagination and carry you into unknown realms of fantasy -- far from the problems of your daily life. It is a nice pleasure read and will make you want to read the other books in the series.

- Rambles
written by Alicia Karen Elkins
published 20 March 2004