Soul of the Fire

** spoiler alert ** I didn't realise it was part of a series when I started. It doesn't matter. The book works well stand-alone. From the beginning, when the chicken that isn't a chicken causes havoc, we learn of the disaster that is about to encompass the world. The 'universe' is well described and easy to pick up. The character developments are mostly good, some are excellent, particularly the minor character Beata. It's good to see a minor character developed as the story progresses. The story moves at a reasonable pace, but for me the end came too soon, the last two chapters seem to lack the depth of the rest of the book. The final victory scene is too short, too vague. I did like the way the leaders of Anderith met their end - poetic justice at its best.