Dessa, Fisk, and the other kids from Astaroth are on the pirate king's ship when they pull Drake, minus an arm, out of the water. He begins to train Dessa to fight with a sword as they sail back to North Huntington, where Greyfalcon has installed Jared as a puppet on the throne. When she makes it back, though, Greyfalcon throws her in the dungeon - along with her mother, who has been there all along! - and reveals his story: he is actually a twin as well, and was supposed to inherit his own kingdom. His twin became the Toymaker, and Greyfalcon schemed to attain as much power behind the throne as he could. Ultimately, though, Fisk breaks Dessa and her mother out, and they, Jared, and Drake force the Greyfalcons out. Jared becomes king, and Dessa one of the king's Dragons. An exciting, satisfying conclusion to this seven-book series! ( )

Solid end to a solid series. I'm eager to see what Chantler does next. ( )

With all the twists throughout the past 6 books, it would seem impossible there could be more in the concluding episode. The Iron Hand does offer at least one, but it is almost immediately resolved and the book ends with a classic epilogue to round out our look at each character.

Chantler picks up almost immediately where Book 6 ended: two ships, one carrying Dessa and the other Drake & Jared, were each facing calamity. Book 7 opens with Drake being pulled from the water by the crew of the Sea Wolf, the ship carrying Dessa. But Jared isn't there. Unlike the previous books, for the first two sections we follow Dessa & Drake to the end in this one, only meeting other characters as they meet them. The last section switches between Dessa and Drake after they've been separated.

It's hard not to wonder if Chantler's pacing and planning ran out of real estate: a good bit of the solution is provided in a clunky As-You-Know-Bob flashback. Based on the prior installments, this information would have been doled out in more interesting ways, woven into side adventures and new supporting characters. It would seem Chantler backed himself into a final room not quite big enough to hold everything. Still, a satisfying solution to the puzzle laid out in the first books, and emotionally fitting too.

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Three Thieves offers a strong story arc over seven books, well plotted and set in a fabulist world. Each book has a distinctive subplot while moving the larger plot forward. Events include set pieces (castles & kings, chase on horseback, piracy & floating islands) as well as the through-line of a search for a missing sibling. There is enough here that is original to avoid feelings of recycling or cliche, while at the same time Chantler readily incorporates recognisable elements from classic adventure tales and even pop culture.

Overall, chock-a-block with cliffhangers & plot twists, well written and a good challenge for younger readers while keeping the interest of the older among us ( )

The ending felt a tad rushed, but the story finished up so neatly that we were highly satisfied. ( )