The main story from the previous two novels has ended gracefully, so this third novel is more of a spin-off from the first novel.
I was never really so interested in the German warrior, Atretes, so was not very motivated to start this book. Despite this, my estimation of Rivers and her writing was high, so I expected a brilliant story about Christian faith.
The story is not brilliant, at times too construed and unrealistic. Still, I was hungry for the plot, so that toted me along.
I must commend Atretes's struggle with Christianity. His uncertainty was very honest, although I did not enjoy the dramatic scenes during the ending, Rivers excels at subtle development, and could have used more of it in this novel.
This novel could have made more impact, and I thought at times it was hindered by the set information from the first book, but I found it relatively enjoyable.