[spoiler warning - review alludes to ending of book!]

I think it's inevitable that both the author and devoted readers get attached to the characters in a trilogy; in fact, if you're not attached to the characters by the third book, that's a pretty bad sign. I became very attached to Llandry, Pensould, Lady Eva Glostrum, and Tren the sorcerer through reading Draykon and Lokant, the first 2 books in this series, and I was eagerly anticipating the conclusion of their adventures (with more than a little unhappiness that their adventures were coming to an end so soon). On the surface, Orlind seemed to provide everything I could possibly want in a sequel - more of everything and everyone that I'd liked in the previous books, answers to all of the questions that had been eating at me, and happy endings galore. Unfortunately, somehow the combination fell flat.

The beginning of the book seemed to spin in circles as the characters ran around confused by all of the mysteries they needed to solve to save their world. Their confusion was realistic - I was confused too! - but the confusion was drawn out through too many meetings of everyone sitting around wondering exactly what was going on and what they should do. Once things got going, there was plenty of action; in fact, the special effects budget for the draykon attacks and lokant machinations seemed to have been dramatically increased from previous books. The stakes were dire - by the end of the book, the very fabric of the worlds was at stake - and yet, I never really felt that any of the characters were in true danger. I sympathize with the author's decision to end the trilogy on a resoundingly upbeat note, but I did feel that the tension and worry I'd experienced in reading the previous books was lacking here. I also have to admit not being a big fan of the lokant behind the whole mystery; while the answers made sense and the resolution was clever, it reminded me too much of the Architect of the Matrix in that trilogy of movies.

All in all, however, I would recommend that anyone who was a fan of the first 2 Draykon books should certainly finish the trilogy by reading Orlind. Charlotte English is a superb writer and her books are well-plotted with very engaging characters. There are none of the annoying errors that make indie reading a chore. Anyone who enjoys fantasy - and quite possible many people who enjoy science fiction - will find a lot to like in these books. And there is something very nice about knowing that everything ends well for the characters I grew to love so much in this series. ( )

I have kind of been a massively huge fan of this series for a while now. Charlotte English is one of those authors that I truly believe give the world of indie publishing a great name. She's a diamond in the rough, the real deal, in fact I remember thinking when I read the first book "how is this book not published the traditional way?" Her books are edited fantastically, written in a manner than lets you know she put tons of time and effort into crafting a great experience for the reader, and this latest book is no exception to that. And seriously talk about some amazing artwork that brings the book to life!

The series has progressed really well, and so with this book being the final book, I'm not sure exactly how I expected it to end, but in true Charlotte fashion it ended just right. First and foremost before you read this review, read the other two books, because it's really impossible to talk about this book without giving away a lot of the previous two.

For me the second book was pretty much setting the stage for the culmination of events that take place in this book. The war that you felt was coming has finally started. And all the big players from the previous books are going to play huge roles. Llandry and Eva for me are the two main characters in the series, and their evolution throughout the first two books shines through in this third book amazingly.

When I look back and read about what Llandry was like in the first book, it's amazing the transformation she goes through, both emotionally as well as of course with the transformation to a Draykon. But really she started off as a girl who was more than willing to hide behind her parents to a woman who can start on her own two feet a world she probably could have never imagined.

Eva on the other hand, a woman in her own right when the series began, really finds out what is important to her. From early on in the series it was pretty clear to me that Eva was secure in who she was as a person. But even though she was a powerful woman in her own right at the beginning, she found herself in situations that required her to "rise to the occasion" so to speak. It's in this situations that we find Eva becoming more than I think she ever thought she could be. Although it's kind of my opinion that the last thing Eva ever expected was to find herself in love, so that is an evolution of the character I really enjoyed following along with.

Charlotte does a fantastic job and bring this series to a close. The book had more love and romance than the first two, but it all felt so organic to the characters. More over Charlotte still has the ability to surprise me throughout the course of a book, which let me tell you never gets old. When the book was finished a felt satisfied with how everything all ended, and was happy to have traveled this journey along side all the characters.

It goes without saying that I would recommend this book to just about anyone, seriously give this series a shot, you won't regret it. ( )