I continue to enjoy this series but it’s beginning to drag, thus my rating. I think that books 2 and 3 could easily be made into one book, helping to move the story forward at a better pace. That being said, I can’t wait to find out what twists lie ahead in book 4. On to book 4!

The mystery of the magic castle is revealed a bit, although hardly more than reader’s had already deduced from the clues in the first two novels in the series. The nobles are still bad, the Captain is still honorable and quick to anger, and Brandt is still a problem in search of a jail cell. All of that remains predictable, as is the fact that Josie continues to refuse to take prudent steps to protect herself from the retaliations of powerful people whom she aggravates on a regular basis. The central romance continues on the same slow simmer as in Book 2. The storytelling is good, overall, with the nuances and details that make a tale interesting and more lifelike. But most of the characters have become rather stagnant by the third book, as has any suspense associated with the lost memories. At this point, you want to tell all of the servants to just move on with their lives. In truth, this is a story that should have been wrapped up a novel or two ago. If it were not for Erik, I would not have given this series another chance by purchasing Book 4.