The beginning of one of my favourite fantasy series of all time. It's not stunningly original, I know, but I first read it as an adolescent and absolutely devoured it, ran to spend my pocket money on the next book, and the next.

I think what I liked best was the sympathy for the devil, as it were. MST is not grimdark, not by any stretch of the imagination, but possibly it's a precursor in moral ambiguity. As Jiriki points out, there's a certain fairness and potential for rejoicing if the hero and his people all get theirs. There'd be something of delayed justice in their destruction. Williams is sympathetic to Ineluki (and Elias too, I reckon) and wants us to feel some level of sympathy as well. And I did. That was something I'd never really come across in my prior fantasy readings, and it left an impression.

Also, I really appreciated - even on first read - that Simon was such a whiny little sod. Goodness knows if teenage me were in his place I'd be a seething mess of self-pity and over-reaction as well, and I liked he was never made into a cardboard heroic protagonist. Very relatable.