The 6th book in The Wars of Light and Shadow series continues the saga of two half-brothers turned against each other by a curse.  By this time, both men have supporters and followers;  one man has dedicated himself to a Cause, complete with propaganda and proselytizing;  and the balance of existence on an entire planet is at stake.  While each volume in the series layers more depth into the main characters of the tale, more is revealed about the magical, non-human players in the planetary drama.  For example, the dragons are a law unto themselves, so chaotic that they have produced creatures over which they have no control;  and the presence on the planet of humans, unicorns, and centaurs is required to right the imbalance created by the dragons.
In Peril's Gate, the dragons remain in the background, but the centaurs come forward, one at a time.  Each of the two half-brothers is confronted separately by a massive centaur (not the same one I think), and judged by his alignment with the Law of the Major Balance on life on the planet Athera.  One half-brother is offered absolution; the other is given a warning.
This is probably not the best volume to read first, should the scarcity of these books force the reader to read the volumes out of sequence;  the book literally begins with characters in headlong flight from the cliff-hanger ending of the previous installment (Grand Conspiracy).  Safe to say, however, that within the series itself, Peril's Gate, centaurs and all, is pivotal.  Anyone who is attracted to any of the other books in The Wars of Light and Shadow -- nine in print, with a tenth in progress -- will, sooner or later, absolutely have to read Peril's Gate -- and, even in the parts the reader doesn't much like, will be unable to put the thing down.  It keeps you guessing to the final chapter.
The 6th book in The Wars of Light and Shadow series continues the saga of two half-brothers turned against each other by a curse. By this time, both men have supporters and followers;  one man has dedicated himself to a Cause, complete with propaganda and proselytizing;  and the balance of existence on an entire planet is at stake. While each volume in the series layers more depth into the main characters of the tale, more is revealed about the magical, non-human players in the planetary drama. For example, the dragons are a law unto themselves, so chaotic that they have produced creatures over which they have no control;  and the presence on the planet of humans, unicorns, and centaurs is required to right the imbalance created by the dragons. In Peril's Gate, the dragons remain in the background, but the centaurs come forward, one at a time. Each of the two half-brothers is confronted separately by a massive centaur (not the same one I think), and judged by his alignment with the Law of the Major Balance on life on the planet Athera. One half-brother is offered absolution; the other is given a warning. This is probably not the best volume to read first, should the scarcity of these books force the reader to read the volumes out of sequence;  the book literally begins with characters in headlong flight from the cliff-hanger ending of the previous installment (Grand Conspiracy). Safe to say, however, that within the series itself, Peril's Gate, centaurs and all, is pivotal. Anyone who is attracted to any of the other books in The Wars of Light and Shadow -- nine in print, with a tenth in progress -- will, sooner or later, absolutely have to read Peril's Gate -- and, even in the parts the reader doesn't much like, will be unable to put the thing down. It keeps you guessing to the final chapter.