This volume certainly is action-packed, but it also seemed overly compressed and abbreviated, making Sonja's rise to power bafflingly sudden. It's also disappointing that despite printing Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age setting map at the front of the book they set the story in some generic, unconnected kingdom called Sogaria. Still, the premise of the series is intriguing. Hopefully future volumes will ease up on the pace a bit.