The Immortal Crown by Richelle Mead

"Part of her wanted to believe she needed no more divine assistance"

I've been a fan of the work of Ms Mead for quite some time and was eager to devour the latest instalment of the Age of X series. My recollections of the first novel were a little hazy, diffused somewhat by the passage of time. This was, perhaps, the reason why it took so long to get into this latest iteration.

The first half of the novel took an absolute age for me to finish and I wonder if this was due to the long break between reads. The action certainly beefs up in the second half, which definitely re-ignited my interest in the story. Mae's mission, the impact of the gods and the pacts that are being established made for an intriguing tale which, unsurprisingly, sets the scene for more adventures to come. Did I mention I'm a fan of Mae?  Yes, bring on the next one - let's hope Richelle can finish it quickly.

4 out of 5 praetorian guards look good in black.