I thought I was ready for this book. I truly did. I blocked off the whole afternoon so I could read it uninterrupted. I psyched myself up and even did a bit of a recap on Kings Falling, because that ending… But there’s only so much preparation you can do for a roller coaster ride. At some point, you just have to get on and hang on. And in this case, the stomach-bottoming sensations began on page one. But just like a real roller coaster ride, I wanted to go again as soon as it was all over!

All metaphors aside, this was one wild ride. (Okay, almost all metaphors.) I’ve become hugely invested in these characters and felt like I was holding my breath as the events unfolded, wondering whether my trust had been misplaced in some instances or unjustly withheld in others. Not to mention wondering how many of them would live to see the end of the book.

Relationships were forged, tested, strengthened, crippled, resuscitated, lost, and restored (not necessarily in that order). Lives—and souls—hung in the balance. There was the trademark banter and camaraderie, even as tensions stretched to snapping point. And there was a climax that not only left my heart pounding but brought Leif’s personal journey to a powerful and meaningful conclusion. Wowsers doesn’t even begin to cover it.

No, Ronie Kendig’s books are not for the faint-hearted. But they are for those who love high-stakes action, fast-moving plots, and characters who are pushed to the outer limits of their endurance to find out what they’re really made of and what matters most.