Maartje van Tijn (1933–2007)

This series keeps getting better as it goes on. Violet isn't - by any means - the perfect heroine, but she is just enough so that reading you want her to succeed. (Come on, she hides the fact that Xaden is a darkweilder, and by that I don't mean shadow wielder!) There are some significant surprises in this novel. Some that make you sit up and gasp (even if, on future thought, they actually made sense). But some things don't make sense with the storyline - unless in an attempt to seduce the show more reader to want to read the next book. I mean, it is hinted at, but as a reader I presumed it was a thing that would happen at the end of the story, not at the end of book four. In general it is a really good book. Except.. (you knew there would be an except) in my opinion the sex is overdone. There is no need for the writing out - for pages - heavy petting, and finally the coupling. Yarros could have done the sex parts more subtly, and still get the readers some titillation. The novel stands on its own - it doesn't require that level of sex (not romance, you can't even call it that) to capture the readers. And it is a shame she thinks she is needing it. Frankly, I would have been much more seduced by alluding to most of the sex that Violet and Xaden had. Sometimes letting the reader fill in that blanks is more erotic than plain old sex. Looking forwards to the next one! show less