From Publishers Weekly
In addition to a host of mostly likable characters and a fast-moving plot, dependable Dragonlance veterans Weis and Hickman provide plenty of neat stuff for the fantasy gamer (Blood-knives, magical jewels, agate-eyed diving sticks) in this highly satisfying conclusion to their epic trilogy. While echoing fantasy giants Tolkien, Eddings and Brooks, the authors infuse a standard quest plot (and rescue of a magical object) with their own insightful investigation into the fruits of war ("the terror within and the terror without"). Taking up where Guardians of the Lost (2001) left off, they follow the path of power-mad Dagnarus (aka Lord of the Void), who started making trouble 200 years earlier in Well of Darkness (2000). An obsessive abuser of outlawed Void Magic, Dagnarus not only summons Taan monsters from another world to do his bidding but also reanimates the dead into Vrykryls, "who maintain their unhallowed life by feeding on the souls of those they murder." Having destroyed his father's Old Vinnengael, Dagnarus takes over New Vinnengael, but what he wants most is the reunited Stone that will ensure his eternal reign on Earth. Perhaps mindful of the tender sensibilities of some younger readers, the authors don't overdo the violence. Style may not be their strong suit, but it's a testament to Weis and Hickman's storytelling skills that you can enjoy this book without having read the previous volumes. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The conclusion of the Sovereign Stone trilogy is its strongest volume. Dagnarus of the Void is confident that, with his Void power and the loyal Vrykyl, he can reign over New Vinnengael and the world thereafter. But he betrays a key ally, the warlike taan, and in the meantime the four Dominion Lords gather, each bearing his or her piece of the Sovereign Stone. Shadamehr for the humans, the Captain of Captains for the seafaring orcs, Wolfram the Unhorsed for the dwarves, and Damra for the elves converge on Old Vinnengael to confront Dagnarus amid its ruins. Concurrently, the stubborn old sorcerer Rigiswald guards the lords' backs, in company with Raven, the Trevinici warrior adopted into the ranks of the taan, whom he is slowly turning into allies of the lords and into a relatively civilized bunch. The many characters and settings slow the pacing as they enhance the world Weis and Hickman have built, but loyal readers may consider this the best of the duo's high fantasies to date. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

After centuries, pure evil finally has the power — and the armies — to prevail ... Dagnarus has risen from the Void, backed by an unstoppable horde of bestial minions and a host of the insidious undead. Mortal kingdom after mortal kingdom must ultimately fall, as traitors wait to crown the dread lord behind the city gates of New Vinnengael. In this time of fear and chaos, the brutal conquest of all Loerem is at hand. Yet hope still flickers dimly in the impossible: in an unlikely hero's courageous venture into the Void's terrible darkness ... and in the reuniting of the long-sundered Sovereign Stone.

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