Nice conclusion to the trilogy.

Notice I used the word 'nice'? Not 'amazing' or 'explosive', or 'epic', just 'nice'. I was hoping that this would be the book that tipped this trilogy over the precipice from good to great, but sadly not. It all boils down to the meh-ness of the main character, Margrit, unfortunately. She's a human fighting for survival among the strongest of the supernatural races, who all allow her to stick her nose into their business just because she's good with the words. They dub her 'The Negotiator' and allow her free rein and to make important decisions about their entire race's future...? Hmm. Something's just not clicking there for me. It doesn't ring true.

When she tries to go toe-to-toe with the Dragons or the Vampires or the Djinn, in my mind it goes a bit like this:



You know? She's just out of place, and far too weak. And all the talking, gah! I realise she's The Negotiator and talking is pretty much all she's got in her arsenal. But this was the final instalment; the one where we decide which race rules all. And in the end it was just very anti-climactic. It's like the end of Breaking Dawn all over again. Everyone's lined up ready to rumble and then......they have a nice little chat and talk their way out of it. Dafuq?

But that's not to say I didn't enjoy any part of this book, or indeed the whole trilogy. Murphy has a knack for characters; I love their diversity, both here and even more so in her Walker Papers series. They are realistic and interesting, flawed and sympathetic. I also loved the supernatural races she chose to concentrate on, particularly Alban and the rest of the Gargoyle race. I especially love the way they 'ride memories' and hold everyone's histories like a supernatural bank vault. That was very cool. Murphy can get a bit transcendental in her writing, but once you get what she's trying to convey, it really captures your imagination.

So, a mixed bag but not a total flop by any means. And the audio narration really helped bring the characters to life.

A solid 3 Stars ★★★