Circle of Heroes

This is the third book my daughter and I have read this school year.
This is also the third book in the "Familiars" series and it was an extremely satisfying story. If you have read my previous reviews for the other books in the series you know we love these books and all of the characters. This third book solves the "evil bunny" problem in a very complete and satisfying manner. It also dropped more clues about remaining mysteries - Aldwyn's twin sister, Skyler and her commitment to the noctonoti society.
Characters:
All of the characters have been developing beautifully as we work through the books. All of you authors out there - this is how you invest readers in the stories and in the characters. We met them in the first book, found out show more interesting things about them, watched their friendship develop in a very real way, and each successive book delves deeper into each character. We enjoy the story line but it is the relationship of each character that drives our love for the books.
Plot:
The story on this third books completes the plot line started in books 1 and 2. As before, the familiars (three animals) are separated from their loyals (three humans). They embark on a quest to find animal descendants of the first ruling council in their land. At first, this felt a trifle tedious to me. Here we were being introduced to a bunch of new characters - each chapter was the search for a new animal. This felt like an exercise in prolonging the book as opposed to expanding the plot. However, as I mentioned in a previous review for this author, he does not waste plot points. Each step (each animal gathered) added new clues to the main mysteries, or provided needed skills. For instance, near the end of the book, we discover that Aldwyn's can read minds (like his mom). We realize that we have been receiving clues to this mystery all throughout the book. Another example, is the developing bond between the King Cobra and Mongoose descendants. Each time we see these characters, their bond grows. By the end, we have a powerful team in place that can help the three main characters complete their quest. As always, read this author thoughtfully. None of the plot is throw away or just out in for padding.
In conclusion, we both love this series and can't wait to read book 4. This is an extreme rewarding author is read and I highly recommend these books. show less

Still an enjoyable series to read. I wish they'd focus a bit less on Aldwyn and a bit more on the other Familiars and the Loyals.