Volume 3 is a return to form after the redundant volume 2 of this series. There are revelations about the Sekoi, the mysterious aboriginal cat-like people of the planet, Anara. The plot goes to some unexpected places and, unlike the previous volume, the quest makes sense.

Two of the protagonists seem to develop; Carys and the Sekoi. The Keeper and his scholar seem much the same as when we first met them at least in terms of character.

There are various mutant/genetically modified creatures on Anara; one of them lives in water and is called an Avanc. This is an Anglicisation of the Welsh, Afanc, a mythical monster. There's a great sculpture of one outside the Betws y Coed Tourist Information Centre. Go look if you're ever there. (It's a picturesque village in North Wales.) The girl protagonist also has a Welsh name; Carys. So I think Fisher wanted to sneak some Welsh culture to Anara. Maybe one of the Makers was Welsh, or a group of the colonists?

The Galen/The Crow is interesting in the context of some of Fisher's later works. He's pretty unpleasant and deeply flawed, despite being driven towards goals that are good and unselfish. In [b:Corbenic|332756|Corbenic|Catherine Fisher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173826666s/332756.jpg|1154839] and [b:Crown Of Acorns|7530025|Crown Of Acorns|Catherine Fisher|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327991132s/7530025.jpg|9771298] the main protagonists are similar but less sympathetic Galen. That trend started here I think. These flawed characters seem very realistic but limited sympathy for the protagonists weakens those books. So weirdly Fisher has got better and worse in the last decade or so. ( )

*Sigh* sometimes I wonder why I keep reading these books. The Dark City was decent, The Lost Heiress was okay -and I wasn't falling over myself to get the next book in the series. Well, the library did get the entire Relic Master series in, so it helps that I can read them all for free. Plus, I keep reading reviews and other online comments that say the series gets better as it goes on, so I kept on going.

Book three in the Relic Master series, The Hidden Coronet continues the story of young Raffi and his master Galen. This time, they are questing for a very powerful relic, a coronet that may help save the world.

Yeah, that's pretty much all there is to it. Even though the plot itself is very simple and pretty thin, Hidden Coronet is a quick and easy read that still has the charm and fun of the previous installments. Most importantly, Hidden Coronet is a definite improvement from the previous installment, The Lost Heiress. It has more character development and some more action, as well as greater mystery to it -and was just downright more intriguing.

Overall, I was happy with The Hidden Coronet, more so than The Lost Heiress. I wouldn't say that it's amazing, but it's a fun and enjoyable read. ( )