Absolutely spectacular world-building with a novel pair of narrators - a bard who can speak to thousands because of his "kenning" which allows him to be heard clearly from miles away but also gives him perfect memory. Fintan, the bard, is explaining the causes of the current war and the motivations of the many players involved. Fintan is also being monitored and his words recorded by a scholar, Dervan, who is keeping a manuscript of the stories Fintan tells for the local leader. It's a triumph of storytelling but for those who want a fast pace, you may be disappointed. The kennings are fascinating as are all the people but hopping in and out of one narrator's story for another's can slow down the plot.

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