This book actually made me chuckle out loud, which is saying a lot for a fantasy novel. I don't mean to say that many authors haven't used humor to good effect in Forgotten Realms and Dragon Lance novels. They have, but never as effectivley as Jeff Grubb. Jeff pokes fun at the afterlife by having two middle-management minions of hell gamble with Toede's fate. The bet: If given a second chance, could an evil guy like Toede become selfless and noble. A "second chance" turns into a third and fourth and so on as Toede continuously reverts to his greedy, conniving self with hysterically fatal results. Does he eventually lift himself above his evil ways? I won't spoil the ending. Don't be disappointed that the book doesn't spend the multitude of pages it would take to describe Toede's life prior to his "first" death, like the other novels in the Dragon Lance Villains series. That's missing the point of the story Jeff wrote here. Besides do we really care what Toede was doing before now. Personally I don't think the character had that much appeal until Jeff wrote this story about him anyway.