This was a very looked forward to book, pre-ordered..and started as soon as unwrapped.It all started with a confusing preface, then picked up the story well from where it left off in the previous volume. However the Protagonist...or antagonist...whom despite being a not particularly likable character in the first place became even less so in my opinion, but being somewhat of an enigma much in the way of Stephen Donaldson's "Thomas Covenant" I still felt a degree of empathy for Thomas Cale, a boy who by no fault of his own had become someone not of his making.The book was continuing to develop characters from the previous books like Vague Henri even late on into this finale when perhaps I would have preferred a faster and more exciting pace which is another aspect that I felt the previous books had over this one. Despite these negatives I found it a very good read and I liked Paul Hoffman's synopsis at the end of the book which I felt tied up loose ends and questions. This was a very thought provoking book especially as regards religious dogma and intolerence as well as master race undertones...All in all I did enjoy the book, If you have read the other two Left hand of god books then you really should read this, you need to know how the story ends, and without giving anything away it was a most surprising ending....just don't expect it to move quite as fast...but it is a very thought provoking book...which means it is one you will remember when many of the other similar genre novels are long forgotten. I will be interested to see what the author dreams up for his next offering...I for one will probably buy it