The Iron Hand

The headlong chase that began in Tower of Treasure (2010) ends in a climactic whirl of dramatic rescues, heated confrontations, and sudden reversals of fortune.The twists begin at the outset as one-time adversary Capt. Drake is fished from the sea and, having lost his sword arm in The Dark Island (2016), sets to training his former quarry Dessa in combat. With loyal blue sidekick Topper (the "Three Thieves" having been reduced to two by previous events) and other allies, Dessa then sets out to wrest her kidnapped brother, Jared, and the realm of North Huntington from the clutches of the treacherous chamberlain Greyfalcon--only to find her long-lost twin sitting on the throne. Even so, he cannot prevent Dessa from being seized by Greyfalcon...but wonderful surprises waiting for her down in the dungeons pave the way both to a family reunion and a climactic throne-room dust-up. Before that, though, Greyfalcon obligingly explains his back story, motives, and schemes at length in retrospective monochrome panels. Possibly with an eye to sequels Chantler consigns the bad guys to ambiguous fates, but he does wrap up the storyline in a tidy epilogue that carries Dessa and Jared into adulthood and bright, if well-telegraphed, careers. A multiracial pirate crew and a rescued set of kidnapped young royals provide diversity to an otherwise all-white (human) cast. A well-wrought, well-timed, and satisfying finale to this well-conceived series. (Graphic fantasy. 10-12) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from October 15, 2016
Grades 4-6 *Starred Review* Chantler's seven-part fantasy epic began as a fast-paced, high-spirited adventure of three thieves caught up in a royal conspiracy. Slowly, though, larger pieces started to fall into place, and lively characters developed formidable emotional heft. By book four, The King's Dragon (2014), the series had taken on unexpected weight and urgency.The final book of the Three Thieves brings it all to an exceptionally satisfying conclusion, with Dessa, her royal lineage now revealed, returning to North Huntington, having forged a partnership with its oldest enemy, and seeking to rescue her brother and recover the throne. Chantler continues to tap the emotional vein that has been the saga's quiet, invaluable strength, maturing Dessa into someone who can embrace her old opponents and her past mistakes. Familial revelations and confrontations resonate back through the entire series and exemplify the characters' internal journeys as much as tie up the plot, affording this conclusion a rich sense of closure. As always, Chantler's art balances the emotional turmoil with scrappy, freewheeling excitement, as in a humorous two-page sword-training session, an ingenious castle infiltration, and a final two-page spread that will fire up the wonder and delight of every young reader lucky enough to encounter this grand series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)