To say this is a breathtaking book is putting it mildly. I was absolutely floored by the quality alone. As far the content, Smith is a master of hitting the ground running. He simply jumps right into what to do and how to do it. He will tell what one is doing and why, but wastes no more time. This being the final book of the Trident Trilogy is no accident. The rituals presented in the previous two chapters in a sense, defend one, from the forces encountered here so the order is quite important. An absolute gem in anyone's library.