Good action fantasy tale, but needs discernment for the magic and spiritual elements.
Plot
Tania, Rathina, and Connor are on their way to find the land of Tirnanog so they may seek out the Divine Harper and renew the broken covenant that is allowing the plague to infect all of Faerie. First, however, they must find their way to and through the lands of Alba and Erin, overcoming pirates, monsters, and enchantments. Will they succeed in their quest? Or will those following them, or the traitor amongst them, foil their plans?
Morality
Connor keeps lying to Tania, Rathina, and Edric about various things, and stole an item from the Faerie archives, but both of these things are shown as wrong. Most of the characters are either strictly good or bad.
Spiritual Content
There is a lot more magic in this book than in its predecessors. Most of it is supposed to be portrayed as fairy tale style magic, but there are a few things, like when Tania and Rathina try to get in contact with their sisters for help by using a sort of sisterly telepathy, where it really does almost borderline between fantasy and reality. However, these instances are few, not the majority.
Edric does use the Dark Arts a few times, and he keeps saying he has control over them, but, as the others point out, he doesn't and it is slowly taking over him. Despite this, there are a couple times where Tania tells Edric to use the Dark Arts, because she thinks it's their only way to defeat different enemies.
The Divine Harper is represented to be neither good nor evil, but a being who keeps balance in the world, in both the good things and the bad.
Violence
There is a lot of sword play, fighting off pirates and monsters, etc. While in Erin, the Green Lady turns Edric into a werewolf and he ends up tearing another character up a lot, and the enchanted knights use fire and such against Tania.
There is a lot more blood mentioned in this book than in the previous ones, especially in the werewolf scene and in a scene where the travelers kill a dragon-like creature. The descriptions are a little graphic, but not too bad.
Drug and Alcohol Content
Tania and Rathina are lead to a tavern in order to get some food and use a phone, but there is no mention of any actual alcohol being drunk or present.
Sexual Content
There is some kissing, though nothing inappropriate. In one scene, the travelers are at an inn, and Tania is angry with Connor so she goes into his room to talk with him while she's in only her shift with a blanket over her, and Connor is bare chested and keeps a blanket around his lower half.
Crude or Profane Language or Content
A few uses of "h**l" and "oh my g*d".
Conclusion
The story was very entertaining, though you have to wonder how many things can be put in the characters' path to thwart them and draw out the plot. The Green Lady, to me, was a bit remenicent of the Lady of the Green Kirtle in C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair, but still an interesting character.
There was more graphic violence in this book. Where in some of the other books there were battles, those were against undead knights that didn't bleed. The magic was also a little more realistic in a few points and the character of the Divine Harper really puts in a non-Christian, almost New-Age, feel while still trying to reconcile it to a sort of Celtic mythology.
All in all, it was still a good read. And the end leaves you appropriately wanting to find out what happens next.
This review is brought to you by White Rose.
