Oh my. It starts off as another good story - rumblings of politics, but mostly it's about Lisinthir and the Queen Ransomed, with their various entourages, coming back to Escucheon for the birth of Lisinthir's heirs (the bit where he hadn't figured out it was heir_s_ is amusing). Bits of Ran and Juzie, Tolden and the other youths, various Chaatcava encountering various Eldritch - just good stories. And then Beth makes her latest move, and the only solution is grim and foul and harsh...and the reactions to it, on all sides, are yet another upending of the status quo. And maybe, just maybe, Beth has finally overstepped with Amber - I do hope so, I really want him back on the right side. There is a hopeful note, at the end, but the story is certainly not ended - this is one story in two books, I'm so glad she released them together. Onward! ( )