Jane and Mark are caught between the forces of good and evil. As the N.I.C.E. corporation offers Mark a job to lure him into their wicked schemes, Jane is approached by a very different group of people who have gathered around Ransom. They each have to decide what they believe in when it turns out that archangels and ancient legends are real.

This book has a very different format from the other books in the series, and Ransom is a side character in his own story. The trouble with Jane and Mark being the main characters, is that I don't really like either of them. They are so wishy-washy and both their personalities are unattractive. However, they do both have extreme character development and really interesting internal journeys.

I really love the vivid writing style. Lewis is a master of words, and he really brings out strong emotions in every scene. However, the philosophical ramblings and the religious explorations go on for entire chapters, and they slow down the story. And there were a lot of gruesome details that were upsetting to read about. Brilliant writing, but not comfortable or enjoyable to read. There's also some seriously questionable theology in there, but maybe that was just imaginative license for the story.

One of the things that I find really exciting and attractive about the first two books in the series is the world-building of the alien planets. Of course, that is missing in this book, but we do get a lot of mystical history of Avalon and the legends of Merlin and King Arthur Pendragon. I enjoyed all the references to these old legends and how they were incorporated into the story.

Overall, I don't think this is Lewis' best work. It's fine, but it is not as enjoyable as the rest of the series. I think Lewis was trying too hard to make a point to the detriment of basic storytelling.
I can see where many things about this book are absolute genius. But I didn't personally find it enjoyable to read.