This is the third book to the bane series . If you haven’t read any of the other reviews I posted or you mind spoilers from the previous books than I highly suggest that you go either to the first review or you go read the books first. If not, and you here for the spoilers, than stick around. So there’s your spoiler warning before going on to the review.

So this book takes place another ten years after the events of the second book. Xanna has spent her time learning everything she can from Bane who is now feeling the effects of the creatures that had been attached to him from the beginning of the second book. He has lost faith in xanna because after all this time she has not fought him for the title of the lord of the sith. instead , he has spent his time learning everything he can from holocrons he has found of the past sith and is now getting close to learning the secrets of essence transfer, which is a way to prolong his life and keep his plans going. Xanna on the other hand is growing suspicious of Banes activities and, after being sent out for a mundane task, decides that now is her time to strike. She endeavors to find an apprentice and return to face her master head on only to find upon her return he is missing. What follows culminates in their eventual clash.

This book is the ultimate lead up to everything that has happened and it’s actually pretty cool how the author throws back events and characters from the previous two books into this book. Like the last book, we get introduced to wide cast of characters whose fates all coincide with Banes and Xanna. The only gripe I have about this book now that I’ve read the others is that it feels like a lot of the same from the previous books. The issue is that it fails to hold you in suspense of what may happen to our leads. I knew from the beginning how things were going to go so it lost a bit of its luster at the end. What I did enjoy was the intense fight sequences that came from our leads.I haven’t checked yet but I wonder if there is a follow up to these stories because by the end it still feels like there’s a lot to explore and many questions to ask. Ultimately, I liked this series. The first book was highly interesting, the second, not what I was expecting, and the third was an action packed adventure though somewhat predictable. I just really hope there’s more to this story.

*Spoilers*

For the most part the story is pretty straight forward. Bane feels like Xanna isn’t worthy so he goes to find some way to extend his life and also find someone to take xanna’s place, Xanna believes she is more than ready leading up to their eventual meet up. The other characters are the ones whose stories I find the most interesting. For instance, there is a princess who’s husband was killed accidentally by a rebel group. Their eventual downfall, due to her bodyguards planning, leads her down the road of finding out her father is dead- her father being a healer that was killed by Xanna in the last book- by the hands of what seems to be Bane. Thus begins her revenge story. Her body guard, however, who is very loyal to her, used to be part of the sith’s army under Bane who used to go by Des. Back then he was a compassionate leader who lead his group with a code of honor not seen anywhere else in the army. not until they capture him, using the help of someone called the huntress, does she realizes who he is. Her ties to him back in the army leads her to make the mistake of having mercy on him now and leads their eventual demise.

Learning of everyone’s back story and hearing how they struggled in the past really makes them people you root for but, like I said before, I felt like they were not going to live as soon as they decided to cross paths with bane. It seems that anyone who has even the smallest role in these books is doomed to die. It’s actually unfortunate because I’ve actually liked some of the characters.

Overall, like I said, I liked this book series but was a bit underwhelmed with the last book. I’d say the first was the most interesting that’s for certain. Anyways, thank you for reading this review. God bless