Buroker loses no steam (ahem) in book #3 of the Emperor's Edge. I enjoyed the action in this book (more than Dark Currents) as Amaranthe and her team set out to discover why athletes from the Emperor's Games are disappearing in sinister circumstances. 
 While book 2 had a focus on "Books", Deadly Games switches to Basilard and we get to learn more about the scarred and mute reluctant warrior. Once again, the strength of these books is the characterization and while there is much scheming, working out of mysteries and bringing down of evildoers, the action is really a backdrop to the interactions between Amaranthe and her team of misfit heroes. I love the way they interact (some of the banter...priceless), how the longer they stay together the more cohesive they are as a team - each of them becoming a better man because of Amaranthe and her leadership. Even Sicarius is letting down his guard a little bit now. 
 The books are a fastpaced mix of fantasy and steampunk, and while at times they require a reasonably high level of 'dont think too much, just go with it' (for example Basilard's hunting sign language seems to have expanded in a very short amount of time to suddenly include words like telekinetics) they are such a fun and enjoyable read I can forgive almost anything. 
 Now a review of book #3 would not be complete without a comment about a naked Sicarius ...oops...I mean, THE KISS. I love that the romance side of things is not the plot itself. I love how it has taken THREE books to get one short kiss, and that Amaranthe doesnt let her feelings intefer with her mission or her judgement. Slow burn indeed, which I think will make any eventual 'bed friends' arrangement all the more sweeter for the wait. 
 Awesome cliffhanger in this book which has me reaching for book 4 already.