Gah! This series had to end on a bad note. I had the same problem with this book as I did with Wolf Speaker. Too much interactions with Daine's animals and the gods, and not enough human interactions, furthermore bogged down by the weakest part of Book 1, the war. Tamora Pierce has many strengths in her writing; writing battle scenes and war scenes are not one of them. I find them slow, bogged down, and I easily get confused and lost in the action...and not lost in a good way. Very disappointed in the conclusion.