From the Horn Book Review
With all of Geveg rising up against the usurping Duke of Baseer in this third book in the series (The Shifter, rev. 11/09; Blue Fire, rev. 9/10), Nya is torn between her duty to the underground resistance and her sworn vow to rescue her sister Tali, last seen in the Duke’s clutches. Because of her unusual talent for healing and then using the pain she removes as a weapon against the Duke’s soldiers, Nya is uniquely positioned to unite the rebels. But then Tali surfaces, brainwashed into one of the Duke’s Undying, and Nya must decide whether to escape to a place where Tali can get help or stay to work for the resistance. How can she protect Tali and her own love, Danello, in the midst of a war? Hardy’s creative fantasy premise, which turns pain into a commodity to be removed, stored, and weaponized, continues to shine in this extension of the original idea, particularly strong in its expression because Hardy uses it to explore moral questions—when is it acceptable to cause suffering in others? How does one balance the suffering of a few against the suffering of many? Nya is a humble and appealing protagonist, doubting herself even as she becomes the center of a cult of personality. Readers who have followed the series since its beginning have another treasure to enjoy in this concluding volume. anita l. burkam