Cold Steel

Starred review from April 15, 2013
Elliott wraps up her marvelous Spiritwalker trilogy (Cold Magic; Cold Fire) with triple helpings of revolution, romance, and adventure on an alternate Earth where elemental fire and cold mages vie for power, and revolution is in the air. Spiritwalker Cat Barahal is determined to rescue her husband, cold mage Andevai, from the Master of the Wild Hunt, but—like everything else in her life—this task won’t be easy. Evading the forces of Taino prince Caonabo, who blames Cat for his mother’s death at the hands of the Wild Hunt, Cat and her cousin Beatrice escape to Europa. Fed by the news that rebel general Camjiata is building an army to the west in Iberia, the Europan governments are arresting those who speak sedition. Hunted by the authorities, missing her husband, and caught up in rising flames of revolution, Cat is forced to become a double agent despite trusting neither side. Elliott pulls out all the stops in this final chapter to a swashbuckling series marked by fascinating world-building, lively characters, and a gripping, thoroughly satisfying story. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.