The Beauty of Darkness

November 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-After the cliff-hanger ending in The Heart of Betrayal, Lia wakes to find Rafe, the prince of Dalbreck, stitching up the wounds she suffered in their escape from the Komizar. Fighting for their lives each step of the way, the small group of survivors finally return to Dalbreck only to learn that the king is dead. Pushed by duty, Rafe assumes the crown, but he loses Lia, who is determined to return home to her own kingdom, Morrighan, where she hopes to rally her father's soldiers and repel the Komizar's invasion. Unfortunately, her father is gravely ill, poisoned by his trusted doctor, and she takes on the role of regent. With only a few thousand troops, though, she knows Morrighan has little hope of surviving the upcoming assault. Still, Pearson has created such a dynamic and inspiring heroine that readers will be convinced that she can save her kingdom. This action-filled novel, set in a high fantasy world, has it all: romance, adventure, mysticism, and heroism. Hand this to readers of "The Hunger Games" and John Flanagan's "Ranger's Apprentice" series. VERDICT Fantasy fans will love this marvelous, high-action conclusion to the trilogy.-Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
Having escaped from Venda at the end of the previous book, The Heart of Betrayal (rev. 7/15), Lia and Rafe must warn their respective kingdoms, Morrighan and Dalbreck, of the impending invasion (the endpaper maps help orient readers). Kaden tracks them down and, as usual, complicates matters. He still has feelings for Lia, but she clearly prefers Rafe. Moreover, Kaden has a score to settle with his traitorous father who, in a surprise twist, holds a high position in the Morrighese cabinet; Lia moves to thwart all of the traitors in the cabinet and prepare the kingdom for war. Pearson is an excellent storyteller, and she manages to develop plot, character, and setting by rotating the point of view among the three protagonists in the love triangle. She brings an ambitious trilogy to a rousing conclusion, and any missteps along the way--a vague (if tantalizing) world mythology; omitting how Rafe ditches a politically motivated betrothal--pale next to this accomplishment. jonathan hunt

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)