Hilari Bell's done it again. I can hardly breathe after this one...Michael and Fisk are, once again, thrust into another adventure after near two years of living peacefully out of danger's path. However, that's two years too long. What I love most about "The Knight and Rogue" series is that nothing is random. In book 1, Fisk learned how to deal with Michael. In book 2, Fisk confronted his family. In book 3, Michael faces the heartbreak of unrequited love. Bell is establishing back story at such a lovely pace, and I admire her talent for building suspense. Now, here is where I give Bell her props. Michael is so foolishly in love with his cousin Rosamund, but what I love is that Rose is desperately in love with someone else. Way to friendzone the hero, Bell, well done. At first, I utterly despised the toss in of a female love interest. In no way do I ever, ever, ever want a woman to come between Michael and Fisk. There is just no room in their bromance for pesky damsels in distress. None. I enjoyed watching Michael's heart break, as wicked as that sounds. It revealed a cold side to Michael that we readers have yet to see. And the tension between him and Rudy, Rose's lover (who I actually loved, for a minor character) only illuminated the plot. Sometimes I wondered if Rose would rethink her choice... But Fisk proved to be the best friend a guy could have during Michael's moments of depression and weakness. These scenes really cemented their ever-growing friendship, which were my favorite parts about this particular volume.The mystery and humor were just as engaging as ever. The hilarious banter practically tore my sides, and you can tell that Fisk and Michael are closer than ever. Fisk is even coming closer to revealing his secrets. It's all so intense and then...Spoiler...The. Ending. I could hardly breathe after that one. I definitely had tears in my eyes. I sort of guessed that Jack would finally make his debut in this novel, but when he actually turned up, I sort of cowered. He's chilling in every way. A villain I can't wait to learn more about. What did he do to Fisk? Who is he working for now? When will I see him dead for what he did to Michael??? And when Michael was thrown over the cliff, I screamed and startled at least three people in the near vicinity. Fisk's horror was practically tangible. Bell's writing has never been so heart wrenching. Even though I knew he couldn't possibly be dead, I cried. A lot. End Spoiler. Thief's War releases next week and I can barely stand the wait. I love Michael and Fisk. They are my favorite duo in literary history, and February 28th seems like an eternity to wait to see what becomes of them next. I've read this book twice now, and it never fails to be the best out of the Knight and Rogue books that are currently out. Fisk and Michael are entertaining as usual, and the ending - well, the climax is intense, of course, and the ending is incredibly heartwarming. Michael and Fisk are amazing main characters, as always. Makejoye's Troupe played as a set of entertaining and great side characters, from Rudy to the Barkers to Callista. Rosamund, Michael's love from an earlier book, makes a reappearance, too, and, as always, all of the side characters are amazing. One of the things I really love about this book is that how much Michael and Fisk care for each other really hit you in the face. If you didn't catch everything in the earlier two books, the ending of this book can really hit you. The first time I read this series, I didn't quite catch everything, and the ending of this one nearly had me in tears - I distinctly remember trying to explain it to friends and family and mostly just rambling and "CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT" - and during my second read-through of the series, I did see Michael and Fisk caring for each other. However, the ending still got me. The mystery of this one is a lot more misleading than the others - it's more complicated for one, but it all ties in at the end.Overall, this book and this series in general is amazing.
What do You think about Player's Ruse (2010)?
I absolutely love the relationship between Michael and Fisk and cannot wait to read more about them.
—Kkay
An entertaining addition to the series. You can't help but like Michael and Fisk.
—Irised
