Not one of Veryan's best. It's still worth reading, though. The hero of this story is Piers Cransford, Dimity and Perry's brother. Dimity was the heroine in one of Veryan's best books, "Love Alters Not," and Peregrine also had his own book before this one. At any rate, it's good to see another book in this universe even if it isn't a truly great one. There are some fine adventures and old favorite characters pop up again. Unfortunately, the romance is quite strained. It's hard to understand how in the world Piers ever falls in love with the female lead. Also, since virtually none of the book is from her viewpoint, it's difficult to feel much emotion towards her. Piers come off wonderfully, at least, and if you're a Veryan fan (or even if you're not), give this book a try.