I really want to like this series for the kick-ass heroine. But I don't and I think I like this instalment even less than the previous two. 
 Firstly, even though the heroine, Shanti, has proven she's tougher and more deadly than all the other characters, there's still endless comments regarding her and other women along the lines of, "Oh I can't believe a woman did that! A woman!" and "Wow, I can't believe women aren't useless" and "Wow, women are good for things other than sex!" This has the effect of making what could have been a feminist book feel quite misogynist and had me wrinkling up my nose. 
 The language. It seems like it's supposed to be a middle ages type fantasy, and the names don't go and neither does the inserting of modern phrases such as "Shit's about to get real". It reads like a Young Adult novel yet with adult themes. (I also can't help but read the name Shanti as like a Hooters waitress or the website Eshakti, and refer to Cayan in my head as Cayenne pepper). I find it jarring, and after 3 books I still don't understand what this world is supposed to be. There's a lot of action but little world building. 
 The plot is a mess. In the previous book, the Shadowlands were set up as a mysterious, mystical place, where the Chosen can pass through some mystical, death-defying trials in order to win an amazing army or mystical warriors. (view spoiler)[ There is literally nothing weird or mysterious about this village in the Shadowlands. The trials are less difficult, scary and interesting than anything else Shanti has already been through, not to mention completely pointless. They consists of a few non-brutal attacks, in which the attackers stop for a chat and a cup of tea, and a wild animal attack or two. You know, like Shanti would have faced while she was living in the wild. Meanwhile, the bad guys are breaking all the rules and these supposedly amazing warriors are too dumb to do anything about it. But don't worry, Sanders and his guys are there to randomly kill them and leave dead bodies scattered all around town and their hotel, and yet no one retaliates or even notices, because the plot is dumb. But don't worry, here comes a Deux Ex Machina! (hide spoiler)] 
 The "romance". Here is a quote or two: (not really a spoiler)(view spoiler)[She was already setting up the tarp, not waiting for him to give his approval, and unlike with his men he felt no need to reclaim control or authority. Of course, he had no authority here. He was her support in this endeavor, and he never felt that he had control over this woman. Even when he forced her to follow his commands, she did it because she chose to. When that desire ceased, she did as she pleased. A large part of him respected her more for it. 
 And then there's this gem: He could force her to run again, as she always seemed to do, or he could match her violence and force her to submit. (hide spoiler)] 
 Gross gross grossity gross. It seems that Cayan Pepper really loves forcing women to do things, but if they turn out to be human beings, wow that's amazing and so admirable. I know, imagine a woman being like an actual human person! Still, you do need to force them sometimes because as a man you're still superior. 
 And yet I somehow still feel like I want to know what happens in the next one, even though I am like to be completely underwhelmed like I was by this one.