Heartless

Another page-turner from Jacqueline Pawl! Heartless picks up where Merciless left off. Mercy, Tamriel, and Calum, along with a squad of soldiers, head for Cirisor, where it is believed they can find a cure for the plague that has stricken Sandori. Tamriel knows that Mercy was sent to kill him and is barely speaking to her - never mind the fact that she burned all her bridges with the Daughters when she killed two of them. And she can't tell him the truth about the contract on his life.

Things don't really get much better once they reach Cirisor. The Cirisian elves have no reason to trust humans, given humans' disdain for and mistreatment of them. But they appear willing to take Mercy in as one of their own, if only she is willing.

This book is a humdinger! We jump back into the world of Merciless, replete with incidents and “accidents”, hints and allegations. There is tension - between Tamriel and Mercy, between Mercy and Calum, between elves and humans, between the right choices and the wrong ones. There is intrigue, an unexpected evil, and betrayal. Secrets are revealed and alliances are built. And we get to go along for the ride.

When I read Merciless, the use of third person present tense was a little distracting at first. This time, that caused no such issues. We learn more about the main characters, and the book leaves off in a spot where I have GOT to have the next one in the series to find out what happens next. Ms. Pawl does an excellent job of continuing to flesh out this universe and develop her characters into multi-faceted, and fascinating, people. Well done!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like.