Poised halfway between the light and the dark, Varian balances on a high wire somewhere between heaven and hell. Son of Camelot's fallen knight, Lancelot, and Morgen's top henchwoman, Narishka, Varian often finds himself at odds with the "good guys" he chooses to serve. An outcast in both Avalon and Camelot, Varian has few friends.

Unknown to anyone except Merlin, Varian is a Grail Knight. One of the few entrusted with a clue to the Grail's hiding place. Secreted away centuries before, the Grail's exact location is known only to Merlin; even the Grail Knights themselves have been kept in the dark. In their pursuit of the Grail, Morgen and Narishka decide it's past time that Varian plays for their team. Convincing Varian of this is another thing entirely.

Held prisoner in Camelot and tortured, Varian holds true to his oath to Merlin and the long-dead Arthur. It's then that his mother tries a new tact. While Varian is at his weakest, Narishka uses her innocent human servant Merewyn as bait. The girl is lovely and sweet and Varian is drawn to her even though he is fully aware of his mother's ploy. Desperate to escape Narishka herself, Merewyn manages to free Varian. The two of them, accompanied by the mandrake Blaise, make their way to The Valley of No Return in an attempt to elude Morgen and the forces of Camelot.

The fugitives race through the valley in a desperate bid to reach the safety of Avalon with Morgen and her unholy army in pursuit. But even in the midst of their journey, there's still enough time for a little lust and maybe even time to fall in love. It looks to be a doomed relationship for the star-crossed lovers, the Valley of No Return is named that with good reason, and their arrival in Avalon is far from certain.

Even though I've enjoyed Kenyon's books in the past, this one was a bit of a misfire for me. Everything about it seemed rushed. There's no strong storyline. Most of the action is the flight across the Valley. And...The Valley of No Return? It sounds funny even in French. The inhabitants of the Valley are more annoying than anything else. Alice was in more danger in Wonderland. Unfortunately, they're also not amusing, which they're meant to be. I know the characters time-travel, but the modern slang and character dialog seems out of place (we got our asses kicked). Blaise, the mandrake from the first book, is the only character I was interested in. The little rock gargoyle was funny, but the leads both fell flat for me. All in all, I was disappointed. Does it mean I won't read the next one? Of course not -- Kenyon is a strong author. I've read better books by her in the past and I expect to do so in the future.