I read this book shortly after finishing Death of a Darklord, as I wished to read more on Azalin, whom supposedly makes a cameo in the novel. Indeed, he does, but not like I expected. The book is fantastic, anyway, and it had some of the greatest characters and plot twists I'd ever seen.
In the end, you pitied the protagonist, loathed the villain, and felt for the two female leads, whose different paths merged to put them both on the path to ruin. The most intriguing character (and the one who surprised me by NOT doing what I thought he'd do), though, would have to be the gnome, Pock, whose comic relief was welcome in some parts.
The book wasn't perfect (thus, only the 4 stars), but it was a rousing tale and a good read, if a bit cheesy at times.