** spoiler alert ** 
 Since I read the last book in the trilogy, I wanted to read the first book. I really got to see how the characters were in the first book. The characters were really different in the first rather than the third. Tory, in the beginning did not want to have magical powers because she thought she would be a disgrace to her family. She also wanted to focus on finding a good husband. However, she still was heroic when she saved her nephew Jamie from falling off the cliff. I really despised her father because he seemed like brave earl to every one else but really he was a coward who was ashamed to talk to his daughter and sent her away to Lackland because she saved her nephew. Allarde was far more guarded and secretive. He appeared to be drawn to Tory but ignored her in the beginning. Jack was more flirtatious which was expected. Elseph was pretty much the same. I really didn't find her different from the third book. Cynthia was a brat in Dark mirror which many people didn't like. But in the third book, I would say I really like her as a character. The author did that on purpose to show the character development. When I read the reviews for Dark Passage, the second book many people liked her a lot better because she had changed for the better.