In this unabridged audio book adaptation of the thrilling concluding part of the Oracle trilogy, the scribe Seth returns from the quest to the Well of Songs to find that a reign of madness has fallen upon the Two Lands. General Argelin has declared war on the gods, Mirany is in hiding and a sinister new power has emerged under the sign of the Scarab. To conquer this anarchy, Mirany and the Archon Alexos must attempt the final impossible journey through the nine gateways into death and, if they can, return.

2005-07-12 Rich, exciting I like it a lot

Difficult to sum up this, so I won't. It's the third in the series, so it's all you'd expect, except not really. It didn't go the way I expected anyway. Argelin's mad for one thing I didn't expect that. It's that that which drives the story. The reason it's difficult to sum up is there are so many threads. Loads! And loads of twists / cliffhangers, just general excitement. Plus, romance! Well, kinda. Not really, but lots of strong feelings, kinda hinted which is somehow more effective. The bonds between the characters kinda creep on you over the course of the trilogy. Lots of fear, too. The thing that attracted me first to Catherine Fisher when I first read the Relic Master so long ago was the way the main character was scared all the time. Was in scary situations and was properly scared by them. You don't get that enough in books.
I've given the book five stars. I've really given the whole trilogy that, cause you can't seperate them, not just this one from the last but from the first, too. It just sort of grows and by the end is so complicated (there's a lot to it) that you couldn't just pick it up and read it without knowing the first two.
Anyway, lots of goodness and excellence for your money.