At the close of the previous volume, Hector, now a Dark Lancer Dragon Rider, was given the infant queen dragon Karalti to care for by the Matriarch. Dragon and rider escaped from the city by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin. In a stroke of literary luck, Hector’s path crosses with a knight and mage traveling home to Valachia. They offer Hector and Karalti sanctuary and a quest to assist them. Off they go on a new adventure while distancing themselves from the Assari, or so he thought! One of my few quibbles; i.e., Early on, Hector kills a level twenty-five mage receiving one level-up to nine while his level two dragon got nothing. Very odd, this should have garnered them two to three levels each. The story progresses with the quest in Valachia revolving around the murder of several priests. Hector and Karalti continue to level and grow in many ways. In this volume, Hector and Karalti will discover prophecy, politics, subterfuge, conspiracy, and betrayal. The story develops, gets more complex, and the plot thickens. The influence of Soundbooth Studio on audio production is amazing; the piano music accompanying the reading of Hector’s skills was perfection.