There is a strong Arabian Nights flavor about this tale of sultans and souks, harems and eunuchs. Brenchley is adept at description, and this is rather like looking at some rich oriental carpet, lush and exotic. In contrast, Sund is a dusty city of paupers and tainted magic, savage guards and watery magic but no less well described for that. It is the rich pictorial style of this author that stays in the mind, together with a well realized pair of opposing cultures and an interesting form of magic. The pace is on the slow side, and not until two thirds of the book has passed can you expect much in the way of actual action. There is a passive style to the narrative even at its most thrilling that distances the reader from the tale, and adds to the feeling of looking at a carpet or tapestry. Book one I imagine of a proposed series.