This is the second part of the Duology started in "A Sorcerer and a Gentleman".

This is a great book, but I wouldn't suggest starting with it, since it picks up right where the previous book ends. It starts with Dewar frantically copying Prospero's Notes and ends with a war. I especially like how Gaston treated Freia in this book, as someone who is broken and needs to heal, with no hints of what is to come (See a Well-Favored Man).

This isn't an easy book to read - its complicated, nothing like the Well-Favored Man, and the writing is very formal. But, on the whole, its an incredibly enjoyable read.

Its too bad the author hasn't continued the series - I would love to read about Freia's and Gaston's Romance and the upbringing of their Twins. ( )

This is a truly great book. It's all about magic and honor and a society built out of nothingness. Based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, you have a powerful sorcerer that makes humans out of animals and begins his own kingdom. You have a daughter created out of mud. You have elemental creatures out of Earth and Air and a spoiled brat of a sorcerer son that resents his new mud sister and has a dark history of his own.

The story is seen through the eyes of Freya, Prospero's daughter, who has to become used to being alive at all. Born fully-formed, there are expectations pressed upon her when the Emperor's representative shows up. From there you realize that Prospero has been disgraced and exiled, and in the way of any truly great man, he takes his exile and carves himself out a kingdom of his own. A beautiful and wonderful kingdom that extends across three books--"The Price of Blood and Honor," "A Sorcerer and a Gentleman," and "A Well-Favored Man."

I recommend this series to anyone that loves science fiction and fantasy. Unfortunately, these books are out of print. And all I can do is regret the fact that I lost my copies of "The Price of Blood and Honor" and "A Well-Favored Man." I was never able to get my sweaty hands on a personal copy of "A Sorcerer and a Gentleman." This is seriously one series that I wish I could hold onto forever. ( )

An unusual and intelligent fantasy novel.: This is a good book in a good series, with an intricate plot and unusual characters. It isn't light reading - you have to pay attention in order to get the whole picture because the author doesn't spell it out in short sentences of small words. Don't you get tired of reading books with short sentences of small words? The previous review didn't do it justice at all. Buy it. Rather, if you haven't bought it then you probably haven't read the earlier novels in this series. Buy either one of them.

Second half of the prequel to A Well-Favored Man begun in A Sorcerer and a Gentleman (split into two volumes by the publisher). Story does explain a few things from Man (I always got creepy incestuous vibes from Freia and Dewar's relationship, for example), but basically just trails off without resolving major plot points. ( )