To save the key she must die. To save her he must escape. To save the world they must sacrifice everything. 

Jelena has found acceptance and love amongst the elves, but war, a sweeping pestilence, and the death of her beloved leave her desolate. Unaware Ashinji still lives, she seeks comfort in the arms of a young soldier determined to marry her.

Knowing Jelena''s life is in peril, Ashinji continues his desperate trek homeward. Racing against time, and chased by murderous slave hunters, he and his companions are out-matched until Ashinji breaks the bonds preventing him from tapping his own extraordinary magical power. As the world teeters on the brink of destruction, Jelena and Ashinji face their fates and discover Griffin''s Destiny.


All right guys let's just wrap this up since I can't even begin to deal with some of my emotions.  I'll cut out the stuff I already whinged about in the first two books.

I want to first point out that this in the synopsis "the death of her beloved leave her desolate. Unaware Ashinji still lives" call me odd but having those two sentences abut each other seems...wrong somehow.  That chops HALF the tension out right there.

Anyhow the Nameless One gets a bit more center stage prescence, for all the good it does.  This is really and truly the story of How Jelena and Ashinji Lived Happily Ever After.  Every other plot had to tie into this central theme elsewise it got shafted.  Ashinji and his sadistic brother Saidaiyo's confrontation, the death of Sonoe so the Nameless One could come into the world, THE NAMELESS ONE IN GENERAL.  Never have I read a book or series where the evil gets so shafted.  

Someone tell me how the Nameless One escapes, in the body of Sonoe to join the army (none of whom have apparently gotten wind that Sonoe is a traitor, killed their King in his sleep and is a zombie--what? Did someone forget to send a Raven?) and yet does no discernible damage whatsoever.  She didn't kill anyone.  Didn't take any prisoners.  Didn't.  Do.  Anything.  What in the name of the Seven Hells was the point then?

Also death is about as permenant in this world as it is in a video game for the good guys. The only 'good guy' to stay dead is the King, and really he probably was okay with it since it meant he got to be with the great love of his life (Jelena's mother) and leave the king stuff to his younger brother (who was better at it).  For Jelena there are no consequences, its like someone waved a magical wand and said 'And your life shall never have strife'.

Let me list out what could have ruined her life:

• the Sundering - supposed to kill her, instead she just napped
• Dying - she kind of died?  But got better.
• the War between the Elves and Humans - this oft spoken of War must have been just to pad out the pages because it does little except give Saidaiyo a way to kill his brother, Ashinji a way to get captured and reunite with Magnes and a convenient place for Sonoe to disappear to when she ran off.  There are no casualties amongst any of Jelena's friends (compassionate my ass, who gives one of their top people permission to hang back during a WAR?)
• Prejudice against hikui - averted since she was a PRINCESS and BELOVED immediately
• Ashinji's death - lol j/k guys no one had any idea who he was but was told to keep him alive! :rolls eyes:
• Mai - I felt bad for this dude since even though Moore tried to sell it, there was no possible way for him to get Jelena.  As readers we knew Ashinji was alive still so the entire romance was just meh.  And he took it really well considering how much he ardently loved her.
• Her Uncle - putting aside anything else about being the Key of Uselessness if he was as paranoid and concerned as he should have been about how beloved Jelena became, she should have been killed. 

But no, Jelena comes off scot free.  Even Claudia when she arrives later in the story to see her dies peacefully in her sleep after seeing Jelena's second child born.  

I just can't.

Reading other reviews of this series, very few other people have these issues the way I do.  Am I just way too picky?  The first book is for free on the Kindle, so if anyone happens to read it please come back and tell me if I'm just being overly sensitive here.