Can't lean for too long on a cheat. The top way, the solid way, is to make yourself strong enough to cut through anything.

Powered through the book while on vacation and didn't capture as many notes or retrospectives on the story as I usually do but I still feel that this book and series continues to land in the liked it rating. Lindon is expanding his powers and working his way to fulfill the prophecy from Suriel and growing beyond tricks and 'cheats' as he grows.

The strongest aren't the ones who climb the highest mountains, but the ones who choose to do it one-handed and blindfolded...but it's a short distance between 'rocky' and 'looking for suicide'.

The size of the world is expanding and so is the hierarchy of rulers, empires and orders and the scope of the story will continue to evolve with each book.