Review by Booklist Review
The eagerly awaited conclusion to Caruso's Swords and Fire Trilogy (which began with The Tethered Mage, 2017) is as spellbinding as the first two books. Amalia has evolved from a defiant scholar reluctantly inheriting the Cornaro title to a powerful leader, championing Falcon rights within the Raverran Empire. In the midst of her political efforts, Witch Lord Ruven strikes a crippling blow to the Empire, leaving Amalia and Zaira, the only available Falcon, rushing to the border to defend against the invading Vaskandran army. Ruven's ultimate goal is the enslavement of the entire population of the Empire as blood servants who will augment his frightening Skin Witch powers, with a secondary goal of enticing Amalia into a political marriage. Amalia's ongoing relationship with fellow Falconer Marcello continues to complicate her position, particularly as she is courting Witch Lord Kathe, the Crow Lord of Let, the only Witch Lord actively allied to the Empire against Ruven. With Kathe's assistance, Amalia and Zaira launch a daring plan to counter Ruven's ongoing threat, knowing that they may die even if their desperate attempt succeeds.--Frances Moritz Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Lady Amalia Cornaro, accidentally bound to a fire warlock in 2017's The Tethered Mage, frees mages from their captive service and her faux-Venetian Serene City of Raverra from its greatest threat in this rattling mix of politics and magecraft. Countering the infiltrations of the Vaskandar Witch-Lord Ruven, Amalia takes the war back to his domain, trading deep secrets with his rival, the Lady of Spiders, to learn how to lay a trap that can kill the immortal sorcerer. Caruso astutely plays off the political and the personal, making Amalia regularly aware of the implications of her friendships and romantic interests, while at the same time placing the real demands of love next to (and above) the thrills of infatuation. The suspenseful elements mingle with the horrors of unleashing magical fire on enemy conscripts. Amalia's readiness to accept the responsibility for her decisions brings a welcome sense of growing into authority rather than merely inheriting it, and fans of the first two books will find this a fitting capstone to the trilogy. Agent: Naomi Davis, BookEnds Literary. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
The third book in the "Swords and Fire" trilogy finds Amalia and fire warlock Zaira fighting magician Ruthven, who is trying to destroy the empire. Amalia strives to get a law passed that will protect mages from being conscripted into the military and subservient jobs. But providing such freedom may weaken the Kingdom. Ruthven seeks to undermine the empire with strategically placed look-alikes who can enact his plans. The annual masquerade ball is intricately described and perfectly sets the rich political intrigue into motion. Will Amalia and Zaira be able to save the empire? VERDICT Caruso's worldbuilding is brilliant and complex enough that this work stands on its own, but readers will get more out of the series if they start from the beginning. [See Prepub Alert, 11/19/18.]-Cynde Suite, Bartow Cty. Lib. Syst., Adairsville, GA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Caruso completes her epic Swords and Fire trilogy (The Tethered Mage, 2017; The Defiant Heir, 2018), based in a Venice-like city at the heart of an empire where magic can be wielded like a weapon.Sadistic (and, unfortunately, immortal and nearly invulnerable) Witch Lord Ruven of Vaskandar prepares to launch the large-scale invasion he's been threatening for two previous books, infiltrating Raverra via the dangerous magical hybrids known as chimeras and an alchemical potion that puts the drinker, however reluctant, under his control. Meanwhile, Lady Amalia Cornaro, a young Raverran noblewoman with an unorthodox link to the fire mage Zaira, works to convince the Serene Imperial Assembly to pass a law freeing mages from government control, a tricky proposition given that mages are the Serene Empire's best defense against the Witch Lords' magic. She's also still torn emotionally between Marcello, the Falconer Captain she loves, who is politically unsuitable as a husband, and a somewhat better match, Kathe, the mercurial and not entirely trustworthy Witch Lord she's beginning to care for despite herself. The personal and the political converge explosively as Ruven's plans come to dreadful fruition: He transforms Marcello into a chimera forced to obey his will and strike at Amalia where she is most vulnerable. Amalia must depend on both Zaira and Kathe to protect and support her as she puzzles out how to defeat this seemingly indestructible foe while trying to guard both her heart and integrity from further injury. Once again, Caruso admirably refuses to pull her punches, for the most part. Bad things happen to good people and choices have real consequences. The book convincingly and compellingly completes Amalia's transformation from a shy, scholarly young woman reluctant to grasp the reins of power into a capable politician willing to do what is necessary and expedient even if it means a personal sacrifice. Caruso's writing has also grown in complexity and nuance as the author has charted Amalia's course.Thrilling while remaining both emotionally and logically true; readers will regret bidding farewell to Amalia and her friends. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
