Belgarion is in hot pursuit of Zandramas, Child of the Dark, who has kidnapped his child. The quest is not his alone; his wife, aunt Pol, Belgareth, Durnik, and several others have their part to play in this exciting finale to the series. Cyranis, the Seeress of Kell, must choose between the Child of Light and the Child of Dark as both parties race to their final meeting place.

Eddings handles multiple characters beautifully. The female characters are a bit cookie-cutter except, perhaps, for Ayalla, who is as unique as the man who fascinates her, Beldin. Their story is one of the better subplots of the series.

Though the characters are mostly familiar faces in the last two books of The Mallorean, their adventure brings out their courage and the bonds that have sustained them over the years. This book and its companion Volume One are great additions to anyone's fantasy collection. They are a bit like comfort food, none the less tasty for their well-known qualities.