Review: Really wanted to like it.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 6, 2012
I love fantasy, and I enjoyed the first two books in this series(they weren't perfect, but I gave them bonus points for originality).  This is very much a bridge book, and i'm not sure if the construction is quite done on the bridge.  A lot of stuff happened in the book... it was all just more subplot than anything however.  I enjoyed the story, but as with other readers I am getting tired of reading about how exhausted Zollin is after doing several spells(after the marathon of magic he did in the end of the second).**spoilers ahead**The growth of the secondary characters seemed forced to me as well.  I had a conversation with someone on here about Mansel after book two was released, and I wanted to give that character the benefit of the doubt, but it seems that they were right about how terrible he is.  I understand that he's an addict, and he's not going to fix himself until he hits rock bottom, but once he's pretty much at rock bottom a random farm lady saves him and he falls in love and everything is changed(which you determine later is mainly just a character device to help him in the next book).Zollin and Brianna's relationship is... just hard to read a lot of the time.  This guy rips through a city after traveling across the country to come and save you and she's worrying that he's affecting her through the ring which prevents magic from being cast on the wearer(which has been shown several times and Zollin brings this point up, but it's immediately dismissed... except for that one time in the first book where he saves her with magic even though she's wearing it).Overall... I still enjoy the series, but i'm not sure I want to shell out another three dollars for the next one if there's not a lot of development, in characters and story.  Sadly i would tell you to wait to see what the reviews for book four are before grabbing this one(unless you really loved his first two and just want to hang out with his characters for a little while).  I wanted to give this book 4 stars, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it, mainly because there is no clear growth or progression for me to consider it part of the series.  At best it's the first half of the next one.