Book three in the Twelve Houses series turns its focus to Justin, the street urchin turned Kings Rider. He's stationed near the convent of the Pale Mother with orders to watch out for signs of rebellion under the power hungry Halchon and Coralinda Gisseltess. After saving a young novice from the convent, Ellynor, he begins to learn more about her while experiencing the true evil of Coralinda and her hatred of mystics firsthand.To be honest this book fell a little flat for me. Let's first say I love the political conflict and dynamics between the various houses. And I LOVED the progression of Senneth and Tayse's relationship. So wonderful!! But. The relationship between Justin and Ellynor just wasn't much to write home about. Perhaps I was expecting too much since I loved the first two - turmoil and very developed conflict that continually kept me on my toes. Here, the whole big, strong man who falls for the small, dainty female that needs to be protected just seemed a little too blah for me. And the whole thing with Kirra and Donnal! AHHH! When did that get resolved?! I feel like I need an additional book to further discuss their relationship and for me to just to get to know Donnal - I feel like I know him the least of the six. So, I'd probably give it a 3.5, but I'll just do a 3. But I'll for sure keep reading the series becuase the first two were just so good, I'm hoping this one was a fluke. ( )

The third book is centered on a romance and although the major plot is gone back to from time to time I like how it isolates you with these two lovers who are themselves isolated. ( )

I don't know why, but I really loved this book. I was unhappy to discover how many readers thought it was a fairly useless effort that didn't advance the plot sufficiently. Turns out it's one of the author's favorites, too. So there!!!

(Amy) I adore Sharon Shinn, really I do. It's not deep and thoughtprovoking, for the most part, but sometimes a dose of good fluff is greatly appreciated - and by and large, Shinn is good for that. She's also good for those moods when, in my more indiscriminately-reading youth, I would have read a romance novel - because her books are, really, romance novels in various speculative settings. And I'm pretty much OK with that.

Dark Moon Defender is the third book in the Twelve Houses series, a book of variously-talented mystics, who get their powers from an assortment of nearly-forgotten deities - and the cult that persecutes and kills mystics, motivated by hate or fear. This book follows Justin, one of the non-mystic protagonists, on an assignment to determine whether the mystic-hating faction is likely to succeed in starting a rebellion against the king. He also meets Ellynor (ugh, cutesily mis-spelled names - a fantasy tendency I could do without, though it seems increasingly common in the Real World of late, too), a novice of the Pale Mother - the goddess revered by those who hate his mystic friends.

The plot is not what one would call complicated, but it is enjoyable. I read this book in a little over a day, even with work and sleep and so on interfering. I found myself moved when I was supposed to be moved, even a little nervous in the tense bits. And really, what more does one want from brain-candy books than to be engaging and enjoyable?

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