3.5 stars 
 If you missed it, The Bane Chronicles were originally released as a serial, our newest book trend. I kinda like reading serials, but when they each cost a small fortune, I'm more than willing to wait for the final product. After starting the book, I was MORE than glad that I waited. If I had paid that much for the first couple stories, I would have given up on the whole thing completely! The beginning of the Bane stories left me sooooo bored, and more than a little disappointed. The tales were fluffy, and utterly pointless except maybe to give hardcore fans something to fawn over. 
 By the end of the book though, I was enjoying the more exciting scenes, and was pulled back from regretting my decision. Honestly, I'm not sure whether or not to recommend it. If you're frustrated waiting for more books in the series (which may happen later this year?), then it's definitely nice to revisit a familiar world. Let's just leave it at that.