Palace of Treason

This book did not follow the almost unavoidable “Curse of the Second Book.”

Most trilogies struggle between the exposition and world building (book one) and the climax (book three). The middle book focuses so heavily on character development we almost sleep our way along. This, however, was not the case here.

While character development did feature at the core, the plot held its own. At multiple intervals I kept waiting for various shoes to drop. Many opportunities were missed for a more dynamic and intricate plot weave. The author's decision to maintain a relatively simple trajectory is not necessarily disappointing but some juicy opportunities were sorely missed. The same decision likely makes this book more widely accessible to a broader readership and, for that, I cannot blame the guy.

The only true challenge I face is having to wait for the release of book three, August 2017.