Scholar Raffi is afraid. He is afraid to go through the trials to become a full-fledged keeper of the old Order, like his longtime mentor Galen. He is afraid of the Margrave, which he knows is looking for him, waiting in the dark Pits of Maar. But Galen doesn’t take seriously his fears on either count. And Galen wants to hunt down the Margrave to exact a personal revenge on it for what it did to a friend. So the group that formed in the first book of the Relic Master series is on its way straight into danger — into the strongest holds of the Watch and the home of the Margrave.

Along the way, secrets are made and some are revealed. The former Watch spy, Carys, is given a last opportunity to prove her allegiance. Raffi comes face to face with his fate and learns more about the origins of the godlike Makers.

Catherine Fisher reveals more of the back story of Anara and its Makers in this final book of her series and brings some resolution to the plots she has created in four books. However, some readers (or maybe it’s just me) may find themselves a bit disappointed in the conclusion; she causes us to ask so many questions in the course of the series, but she never really answers some of what I considered to be the biggest questions of “how” that were raised in my mind. Even so, it was good to accompany these characters on their journey for four books and to see them find some success in their hopes to help their planet.

Rated: Mild, for a few uses of mild language.