This is the third installment in the serialized story of the young shadow stalker Auren and her fight against the Galvadi Empire.  Auren is still struggling with her destiny and her difficulties dealing with her controlling mentor Kado, as well as her guilt over the suffering that others must undergo on her behalf.

This book is meant to be read in sequence after the first two installments, but if you’re jumping in here, there are enough clues to past events that you’ll probably be able to guess more or less what has already happened.  Auren has become (a little bit) more mature, but she’s still hotheaded and impatient, while Kado is still overbearing, although their relationship undergoes a considerable shift over the course of the story.  Having laid down the fundamentals of the world and society in which the society is set in the previous episodes, the action here in Part 3 moves swiftly, and the book is a very quick read.  Its episodic format also means that it is easy for the reader to dip in and consume a single complete unit of the story in a few minutes–say, over lunch break.  Readers should beware that this is *dark* fantasy and there is a fair amount of punishment, torture, and execution in the story line.  It’s not exceptionally graphic, but it is there.  Recommended particularly for mature readers looking for a fantasy/adventure novel that can be read in bite-sized chunks.

I received a review copy of this book from the author.  All opinions are my own.