The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

I fell in love with this series when I read The Demon King. It had everything a good fantasy novel needs. Adventure, great characters, great character development, world building, action, and romance. The second book fell a little flat for me, but the third, The Gray Wolf Throne more than makes up for it. We're privy to a whole world of court intrigue and our characters always rise to the occasion. It is so good that it makes up for the fact that the story isn't complete in the trilogy (frustrating! But in this case...excellent!), because, honestly? I don't want this story to be over yet. I want to spend more time with these characters, see them grow and develop. I want to see more hidden truths make their way to the surface.

It doesn't hurt either that there is never a dull moment and the story every bit as exciting as the first entry into the series. And, ok, let's be real, Hans is pretty swoon worthy.

In The Gray Wolf Throne we find Raisa fighting her way back to her throne. Her cover as Rebecca is blown and so is the trust between her and Hans. In fact, it is difficult to know exactly who is trustworthy and who is trying to assassinate her. I mentioned the court intrigue right? Phew. Lots of alliances, lots of skulduggery, lots of revenge. All of it, good stuff.

On occasion the author chooses to recap things on page instead of off, which makes this book a little thicker than necessary. Not the biggest offense, but sometimes a little frustrating for the reader (or this reader at least). The story seems to be moving along in a certain direction to an inevitable conclusion, but one that I'm wholeheartedly rooting for. Chima is always full of surprises so perhaps my confidence is immature, but what is certain is that I cannot wait until I get my hands on the next one.

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Book Source = ARC from ALA Exhibit hall