Arguably the most successful and listenable of the progressive rock era's declared concept albums, and certainly a rival to and and more concise than . The music encompasses classical and new age elements as well as folk influences, as it tells the story of the early history of the kingdom of Wendor. , in excellent voice, sings the part of King Aenord, makes a wonderfully expressive Princess Ursula, and is an attractive Florian. Other participating musicians include , , and . There are lots of fluid synthesizer passages and loud guitar flourishes to keep things lively and interesting, and one need not necessarily know anything about the "plot" (a series of -style convolutions) to appreciate it. Some of the material meanders needlessly, but other passages are beautifully written and sung. (British import) ~ Bruce Eder