This is the third book of the Obernewtyn Chronicles, and finds Elspeth Gordie journeying to the capital city of Sutrium, to see if the rebels there will ally themselves with the Misfits of Obernewtyn. Unfortunately, this alliance is not as easy as the Misfits had hoped, and leads to a trip to Sador, where they are asked to participate in battle games to prove if they are worthy allies or not.
At the same time, Elspeth is learning more about the Gypsies, and their connections to the knowledge of the Beforetimes. They might be an important key in her task to destroy the Beforetime weapons that have caused such havoc in the Land.
I really enjoy this series – the world is an interesting twist on the typical post-Apocalyptic tale, and I really enjoy the characters (especially the animals they work with, since the Misfits can speak to them). It’s really neat that they’re opening up other areas beside the land (Sador in this case), and I’ll be interested to see what they encounter next.