Siren & Scion
Mages of the Wheel, book 3
by
J. D. Evans
With this being the third book in the series, I figured I had a good idea of what to expect. There would be a man and a woman, and they’d fall for each other, suffer complications, and sort things out. There would be a bit of action, a bit of sex, some magic shenanigans, and the overarching plot of the series would move forward a little bit.
It’s what I got from the previous books, and it worked really well with them, so I was hoping for more of the same.
I’m happy to say I was not disappointed.
The book is more of the same, but it’s not just more of the same. What I realized while reading is that each book so far has been different in the way it approaches its characters and its reader.
The first book is set against a backdrop of political intrigue, and centered around high-stakes power plays. Tense, and serious.
The second book is more light-hearted, and I laughed out loud several times. There’s a focus on trust and duty, and while it’s often funny, there are a lot of very serious undertones in it.
The third book now, is different again. It’s about broken people struggling against themselves and their pasts. It’s about knowing yourself, and how what we want isn’t necessarily what we need.
I’m looking forward to seeing where the fourth book takes us.
What I’ll whine about:
The overarching plot of the series is really interesting, and I’d like to see a bit more of it. That said, that’s a complaint that arose after I finished the book, and not something I paid attention to while actually reading.
I’ll never be as awesome a lover as Cassian. I’ll just stay single.
What I’ll gush about:
The writing. It’s smooth, clear, and flows like running water. There’s no need to stop and reread anything, and there’s no confusion about who’s talking. There are no stumbling stones between me and the story, and I love that.
The magic. It manages to be both spectacular and subtle at the same time. It’s held back and kept in the background for a lot of the story, but when it’s finally released, it knocks the world over.
Final words
This series is turning out to be my big positive reading surprise for the year. I really didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did.
