Marked

By this point in the series we're well and truly in the main plot arc, with most of the pieces in position and each book moving the plot a little further forward without reaching any grand conclusion of its own. This time round, Alex has gained at least some nominal authority and political standing within the mage world, a far cry from the humble beginnings of the first few, more standalone books. There's perhaps less of the worldbuilding, too, given how much has already been set up by now - although, for what it's worth, we do get to see the inside of this world's equivalent of Azkaban, and, more significantly, the workings of the very highest levels of mage authority in Britain.

And yet it's all still a fun read with good action scenes and great characters. If things are still left open at the end, there's nonetheless some major progress on a couple of elements that have been hanging around in the background for a while (both connected with Anne, in different ways). It could all feel like treading water as we move on to whatever comes next, but the story zips along quickly enough that it never really does.