The Red Prince

Book 3 out of 4 in the Long War series, this is definitely middle of the story territory. All of the major characters are scattered and this book feels like an attempt to reel in quite a few of them. I am a big fan of this series - the world building is epic, with a very nice religious element built over the top. The multiple POV characters all have their distinct feel and motives.

We pick up very much where we left off with some characters dealing with the aftermath of the Ro invasion of Ranen, a few questing to find a temple to link an Old Blood to the gods and another group slowly working their way trying to kill off the main villains, the so called Seven Sisters. These three groups remain more or less distinct through the story, but the characters within each of the groups coalesce more. You can feel that there is definitely a build towards a climactic finale.

If I have one complaint about this series, it is that the pacing can sometimes feel a little bit off. There is a rush to complete things - Ras Jas Rhami's effortless hunting of the Seven Sisters can feel a bit too godlike at times and the sense of peril is lost. Fortunately this book corrects this and adds some significant challenges for our heroes, although it does still feel abrupt at times.

Overall, an enjoyable read. The darkness that permeates the story is nice, and it is well balanced with the humour and easy going dialogue of the main characters. Definitely curious to see how this series ends as it seems to be going from strength to strength.