this book made me want to hunt up the previous books in the series and get re-aquainted. It is a Deverry book and it does follow previous series but it's the start of a new cycle.

Again Rhodry appears, still a member of the Silver Daggers. Magic still figures in his life as do previous lives and previous events.

This story focuses three hundred years before when a young woman, Lilli, the very young king's cousin, is being used by her mother to scry for information to help her mother's schemes. It both continues the story and sets up the next stories in the series. Somewhat confusing sometimes, it almost needs a what went before summary to help readers catch up. ( )