Conspiracy by Lindsay Buroker

Type: Novel
Genre: Action/Adventure/Steampunk
Price: $4.95
Grade: A++

This is the fourth installment of the Emperor's Edge series, of which there will be 6 novels total (plus short stories). This story picks up after where book 3 ended, when the Emperor manged to sneak a message to Amaranthe and her crew.

Though the first book will always be special, I feel that each book in this series gets better, and more exciting. This adventure is non-stop action from page one. The gang finds themselves in some new scenarios that not only add more danger to their already dangerous antics, but will also tickle any steampunk fans out there as they find they need to battle on top of trains, and even in a dirigible! Each book has a secondary point of view character, and this book was Akstyr's turn. I admit that before this book he was not my favorite character. In fact I found him as insufferable as he was supposed to be, but other than that I couldn't ever really feel a connection to him, which seems easy to do with the other characters (even Maldynado). However, in this book not only do we get to get inside his head a bit and understand how his mind is working, but we also get to know him better as an individual, not just as a practitioner who comes in handy to the crew. It helps that at this point he is starting to grow up, and grow as a person, which he is able to do in large part because of the familial bond Amaranthe's crew has provided for him, something which he was severely lacking while living on the streets.

We also get to know our dear Emperor much better in this book, as he gets to be an active character, as well as a no-longer-drugged-out-of-his-mind individual. And you'll find that Sespian is as completely developed and insanely likable as any of Lindsay's other characters.

And, anyone who is rooting for Amaranthe and Sicarius, Or rooting for Amaranthe and Sespian will want to munch on through this story. That is all I am going to say on that part. Although if you have gotten far enough to be rooting for anyone you no doubt have been as anxiously awaiting this book's release. But be warned, it ends with a quite infuriating cliff hanger that makes the wait until book 5 is written, and published, nearly unbearable!