Solid epic fantasy only mired by too much meandering from time to time. Thankfully, just as one string of scenes starts feeling slow or slightly boring, something usually happens to pick up the reader's interest, usually in the form of a new character being introduced. The final 50 pages or so are great and keep things moving forward, but even the satisfying climax and surprising denouement don't outright take this book to that next level because of so much of the journey feeling like a slog from one location to the next, especially before the introduction of a certain mustachioed character.
It's also impossible to talk about this book without talking about its similarities to Lord of the Rings. A reluctant Halfling hero, a mysterious dark lord, spirit wraiths, a sympathetic character obsessed with a material object, and a wise old sage guiding the way for everyone involved. Brooks himself has said that he was largely influenced by Tolkien's opus, but there are thankfully enough differences to not write this off as a mere hack job. It's certainly easier to read than Tolkien's overly-descriptive narrative, and it's just as satisfying in many ways. However, because of how much time is spent traveling in the first half of the book, it might lose some readers before things get interesting, and there are some things left dangling by the end as well.
All in all, this will do the trick if you're looking to satisfy an epic fantasy craving, but don't expect anything life changing. 3/5