When Kerin Evor's son sets off on a quest, his departure is prompted by the threat of a shotgun wedding and his goal is the somewhat unglamorous secret of a clock escapement. What's more, he prepares for his journey with brief courses in swordsmanship, lock-picking, lying and foreign languages. Such a humorously pragmatic approach to heroic fantasy is a hallmark of de Camp's classic work, including...the Novarian series to which this is a follow-up. Despite the advice of his elders and his own caution, Kerin finds adventure aplenty, including a spell on a desert island, capture by pirates and the rescue of a princess from human sacrifice."

—Publishers Weekly