I've been a big Donaldson fan since his first novel and I wasn't disappointed by his latest. I was thrilled when I received access to an ARC of this novel and didn't have to wait until November for it to be released. Two countries are in a terrible war, each with a particular advantage the other side does not have. Prince Bifalt leads a band of men on a quest to a far away library with the hope that they will be able to acquire a book of sorcery to help them tip the balance. What he discovers is, of course, not what he expected.

The Seventh Decimate, like most of Donaldson's novels, has an underlying allegory about the human soul. In this case, Bifalt discovers that the world is much much larger than he expected, with people from lands very different than his, and that the war he is fighting is not stacked in the way that he had thought. He digs his heels in, unwilling to believe or make decisions that go against his narrow view. The parallels to today's world are clear. I am looking forward (oh, the long wait!) to the next books, to see if Bifalt is able to redeem himself and his people.