Every step which the heroes take makes them more worried about their future. If any book can compete with The Dragonbone Chair and To Green Angel Tower then this is the one. Most of the book does not tell anything about the war rather it is a preparation of the war which Andrew Wincott narrates.
It is the enemies who have the upper hand on the land and the heroes are shown seeing for a way out because soon the things would be out of their reach forever. The legend when gets revealed, it brings horrible secrets along with it and several of the warriors think that it was better to keep everything buried.