Amy B. (BaileysBooks) reviewed on 12/9/2010 + 491 more book reviews

This is Book 4 in The Mistress of the Art of Death series.

In my opinion, this book has redeemed the series from the slightly disappointing offering of Grave Goods. This story brings to life so many of the elements that made this series so enjoyable in the first place: murder, subterfuge, the ever-present threat of being accused of witchcraft, the desire for friendship and acceptance, the struggles between politics and the church, and the constant tension between Adeilia and Rowley.

Ms. Franklin did an excellent job of creating a mystery that left me guessing until the very end. New characters are introduced with a rich attention to personality, detail, and more than a little mystery. While I like the new additions, I must confess that there was something about the character of the Captian that I found to be surprising and slightly unrealistic for reasons that I cannot explain without ruining the plot.

This is also the first time that Ms. Franklin has ended a book with a true cliffhanger ending. The final chapters are written as a mad dash towards resolution. Then, when you most want to know what is going to happen next, you turn the page and run face-first into nothing. Blank pages. It's not so much a cliffhanger ending as the author practically tosses you over the edge.

I almost threw my book across the room in frustration. So consider yourself fairly warned. The book is very good. Ms. Franklin simply decided not to inlude the ending. I assume that it will be found at the start of book 5.

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