THE BOOK OF CHAOS

This third installment of Strong’s YA fantasy series finds a teenager braving assassins and unknown terrain in search of a magical book.

Rapier-wielding Katheryn Stewart fights off assailants who raid her farm. She succumbs to her wounds but not before saving her 14-year-old daughter Diana’s life. The girl’s father, Richard, who’s the commander of the Army of the North, has “united the Northern States” in keeping the Sulerian Empire, an enemy in the East, at bay. Mercenaries who fight for “the Sul” are likely behind the attack against his wife and child, so Richard leads the Army of the North to war. The Sulerian Emperor may have a distinct advantage; Katheryn, with her last few words, tells Diana of the magical Book of Chaos that the emperor uses to see the future. Diana wants to head down to Branwyn, where a copy of said book is said to exist. Richard resists this plan, but Diana, undeterred, hones her archery skills, trains with a militia, and eventually travels south, and Northern general Jon Henlow follows her. Finding a specific book is a challenge, as “bound books” are rare; most people have only seen and read scrolls. The presence of assassins doesn’t make things any easier on Diana and Jon. It’s not long before the pair identify one of the people determined to kill them, and they soon suspect another individual who’s been pushing assassins in their direction. Even if Diana and Jon survive, they still have to make it back home.

Strong’s novel introduces a new protagonist to the series, although there are hints of the earlier installments’ recurring hero, Astria Sannfjaer. Diana is an admirable, empathetic lead character who’s burdened with guilt when she believes that something she said resulted in a person’s death. As this story unfolds over the course of several years, readers watch Diana mature into adulthood and, after Richard is named king, become a princess. She and Jon have an intriguing dynamic; there’s a clear sense of mutual respect, but he also must act like her father at times: “I have the king’s charge to protect you. When he relieves me of that responsibility, I’ll bow to you despite your petulance.” Their journey is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the highlight of the book, as the pair stumble upon potential spies, an attempted coup, and, of course, a touch of magic. This may all sound lighthearted in tone, and some of it is, but Diana and Jon also face grim threats throughout. The fact that they have trouble deciding who’s out to kill them indicates just how many foes they face; Diana makes one serious enemy even before she sets off for Branwyn. Over the course of the novel, a handful of action scenes, combined with quite a bit of travel (by land and sea), establish an impressive pace that rarely lets up. The ending provides resolution and a welcome tease for yet another series entry.

A diverting adventure with a young hero whom readers will surely rally behind.