The climax of the 'War of Lost Hearts' series, we pick up about six months after the end of the last book. Tisaanah and Max find themselves separated, both facing their own demons, and war is no longer a threat, but an inevitability. But in this conflict, there are more than two sides to the story...

I'll admit to struggling to get into this one, mainly because I didn't really absorb enough of the previous book to stick in my memory. So there was the immediate issue of trying to remember who some of the secondary characters were and what role they played, and where everyone was and why. It wasn't hard to pick up, but that initial awkwardness did have some affect on my overall enjoyment. And once you have got there, to some extent I felt this book had the same issue as book two, in that I just couldn't quite keep my finger on the pulse of the story. It skips along quite happily, and the narrative is there to enjoy, but it feels like it's missing some depth, or that baited hook that drags you heart and soul into the tale. 

There are certainly moments of great beauty and feeling, mostly those quieter scenes between Max and Tisaanah or other characters, where it's not about the action, war and death. These pauses do so much more for me as a reader, as these are the moments that make me invested in the characters. Conversely, the villains of the piece never really got the time to develop their megalomania and so I didn't quite get the desired satisfaction levels when people receive their comeuppance. Likewise, as much as I like the idea of Aefe as a character, I feel she was woefully underdeveloped and the climax of her story left a lot to be desired.

The overall storyline of this one was also fairly predictable. There are some nice twists and turns along the way, but ultimately it's not hard to figure out the majority of the endgame as you go. It's good because you can see 'the light stop the end of the tunnel' as you read, but equally the scope of this story is one that would have suited a big old plot twist at some stage. I'd say the writing feels like the author had a whole bunch of amazing images and ideas to set down on paper and, while she has managed to paint a good picture and the tale is engaging and enjoyable enough to carry the reader through the series, ultimately something has been lost in translation between the author's mind and the page. I can almost see the vividness that should be there, but there's just not quite enough in the description to get me all the way.

I'm still here for one main reason; Max. My goodness, I love him! Yes, he's got magic powers and a great body (complete with tattoos, although no wings...), but it's the fact that he doesn't quite fit the mould of other fantasy MMCs - somehow he feels more like a real person. He's a bit brooding, but can have a laugh and open up. He talks like a man far older than he actually is, and just wants a quiet life pruning his garden. He's quiet strength and stability, rather than a bold brash hero. And it all just works for me! Now I've finished, I've signed up to the author's newsletter so I can access Max's prequel story, 'Ashen Son', as I want more if this character in my life!

Will I read the books again? Probably not. But I will give the audiobooks of 2 and 3 a go in future!