Rabid Reads

I'm sad that Sandy Williams' Shadow Reader trilogy has come to an end but boy, talk about going out with a bang! And, I'm glad that the author didn't try to milk more books out of this series because the result is three absolutely stellar installments instead of seven+ so-so ones. The story starts off a little on the slow side, McKenzie is finally getting the "normal" life that she's always wanted but after three long, uneventful weeks she can't help but jump on the first opportunity that presents itself to return to the Realm.

The plot line of this novel is beyond riveting; the crick in my neck, sleepless night and blurry vision were small prices to pay to finish The Sharpest Blade in one sitting. The remnants are scattered but Lena's fight for the throne continues when a false-blood begins to amass support with his Tar Sidhe claim. I enjoyed all of the Fae politics that came into play in this installment; there's far more to being queen than just a strong bloodline. I loved watching the story arc come full circle and the author does a nice job of tying-up loose threads as well. Although, I was a little disappointed that Paige's Sight Serum dilemma was so easily resolved. I realize that having it end otherwise would have probably added another one hundred pages to this book but I still felt cheated by Williams' easy out.

This trilogy has wreaked havoc on my fictional boyfriend loyalties; I had the damnedest time picking a favourite and towards the end I was secretly hoping that Kyol, Aren and McKenzie would be the one love triangle that actually worked. The life-bond between Lewis and the sword-master added a whole new level of complicated to an already difficult situation. I wanted to hate him for the way he treated McKenzie over the past 10 years but being made aware of his emotional turmoil through their connection made it impossible. It didn't help that Aren acted like a fool for the better part of this book either. I was pleasantly surprised by this love triangle's resolution even though Williams makes readers wait until practically the last page. Talk about sheer torture!

I was happy to see McKenzie come into her own in this final novel; her shadow reading skills make her a hot commodity in the Realm but she's still human and thus weak. The life-bond that she's formed with Kyol changes all that. Their link runs deeper than mere emotions, she also benefits from increased reflexes and muscle memory courtesy of the sword-master. She's still not on the same playing field as the Fae but it was nice to see her holding her own in a fight. Her boost in confidence was evident in her decisions and allowed her to give Aren an ultimatum similar to the one she should have given Kyol all those years ago. I've enjoyed watching McKenzie's progress throughout this trilogy and felt satisfied by the final result.

The Sharpest Blade is the perfect ending to this eventful trilogy with non-stop sword fights, relationship drama and sneaky Fae politics. I don't know what's next for Sandy Williams but I'll definitely be on the look-out for more books from this fab author!

The Shadow Reader Series
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