Every so often you encounter a book which convinces you within the first few pages that it’s going to be a knockout read. This was one such. The story is taut, fast-paced, and perfectly balanced between high-stakes action on a grand scale and the characters’ personal struggles. Paige, the main protagonist, has developed into a wholly believable and fascinating heroine: compassionate, hard, self-doubting, driven, and self-sacrificing – without being dominated by any one of those things. Her cohorts are all similarly well written, with individual backstories which add greatly to the overall texture of the book. The world of Scion Britain has become a terrifying place in this third volume of Paige’s adventures, and the detail that Shannon brings to her dystopia creates an effortlessly immersive read. There’s also plenty of grit present, which kept me on the edge of my seat and really made me root for the protagonists! Over and above all of that, the writing style is tighter and more virtuoso than in the two preceding books and I particularly appreciated the deft use of imagery throughout. In summary, I cannot wait to read the next book in the sequence!