In this darkly interesting novel, the human soul and the days of your life (your fire) can be consumed or poured out by magic. Some who are trained in the "lore" can use up years of their life in moments by "multiplying" their strength or speed. Others depend upon borrowed magic for such feats. But this use of magic is strictly regulated and many are the stories of those who broke the law and were seduced by evil magic to do horrible things—but how much are those tales true? This question becomes essential to young Talen as everything in his world is turned upside down by magic and he learns his own existence may be tied to a magic no one expected.

Much of this novel looks at good and evil, and really how difficult it is to discern which is which. What happens when you learn that everything you thought was evil was actually good? And what do you do when real evil wears a face of blinding beauty? Every character in Servant of a Dark God must decide where he stands and with whom he stands. At times, the book is almost unbearably bleak but ultimately, though it deals with a harsh world that promises more pain for the characters in the future, it still has hope.

In fact, hope in the face of the impossible is another theme of the book and a worthy one. It wasn't an easy book or a speedy read, but it was a rich work and compelling. It brings something very new to the world of fantasy and that's always a delightful thing.