The Hero's Guide to Being an Outlaw by Christopher Healy
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars for this series conclusion.

Some familiar faces from the first two books are the main antagonists this time around. There are also plenty of old friends who make appearances. The plot was fun, clever, and quick, culminating in an epic, if somewhat disjointed, multi-kingdom battle. The banter was amusing, especially where Duncan was concerned, and the heroes all made some progress along their paths of personal growth.

However, while I still enjoyed Healy's writing, I found the characters more irritating and less competent in this latest installment of the series, especially in any scene where Liam and Ella were together. Even my daughter, with whom I read these books, would roll her eyes and remark on their over-the-top immaturity and incompetence. Ignoring Liam and Ella, I enjoyed spending time with the rest of the cast, including getting to know a few new faces.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read despite my being a bit underwhelmed by the delivery, and I highly recommend the entire series for middle grade readers.

View all my reviews