Review - Taste of Darkness (Healer #3) by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Taste of Darkness

Author: Maria V Snyder

Series: 3rd (Touch of Power, Scent of Magic)

Pages: 400

Published: December 31st 2013 by Harlequin MIRA 

ISBN: 9780778315858

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever. But there's a more immediate threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever.Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision. 

I Give This ...

I was waiting very patiently for this one.  I knew this was to be the last in the series and I hoped that it would have a satisfactory ending.  It's Maria Snyder!  I shouldn't have worried!

One thing I always have loved about Avry is that she doesn't like to be used and she doesn't like to be cornered.  She has a hard time taking orders from Ryan.  It's not so much that she wants to do her own thing.  But more along the lines that she can see the better way to get things done.  And she's always trusts her instincts, which don't always match up with what everybody else is doing.  I admired her courage when Kerrick is missing and presumed dead.  I love her interactions with the Peace and Death Lilly's.  She always puts others first to the point that some of them leave out little details to keep her from putting herself in harms way.

Kerrick was interesting to me.  He's character took a drastic physical transformation that I found fascinating.  Turns out his forest magic is way more intricate that I though possible.  But for the longest time I wondered how he would be able to help Avry and his friends.  He has way more limitations that he ever did.  At times I did enjoy this though because it required him to step back and admit that Avry could do that work.

There's a lot of details in this book.  Way to much to cover in a short little review.  But, the story was surprisingly fast paced.   Enough so, that as I reached the end I wondered if we would see a conclusion or if Maria would surprise us with a 4th book.  Thankfully it ended in a way that didn't really surprise me.  I'm just thankful those damn Lilly's are around!

I have no idea what's up next for Marie, but you can bet I will be reading it!