This is the finale of a trilogy focusing on three different magically tinted women in historical France. The first installment follows The Vine Witch, the second The Glamourist, and now we get the story of Sidra, the Jinni conjurer who is being hunted by someone from her past for a secret she holds and a murder she may have committed.

Had I read this as a standalone, I likely would have given it a lower rating. Though each installment in this trilogy can read as an individual novel, this one really needed the character connections formed in the previous books to give it a boost.

The first portion of the book felt like it moved too fast, with events being rushed and scenery changes lacking a bit of a comfortable transition. This somewhat jerky movement of the narrative happened a few times during the plot, making it feel like the bones of the story were well established, but the blending work of the writing was maybe rushed and not given enough time for the author to fully flesh out. While the writing was still good and the story was intriguing, it didn't really seem to be the same quality of composition as I had seen in the first two books.

That fast movement did have another effect. Though truly a full novel in length, something about this made it feel more like a novella. The pacing was fast, but there was something else at work that I can't quite put my finger on. This feeling was not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't feel like we got to explore as much of Sidra's life as we had the primary protagonists of the other two books. Because of this, I think I had a hard time connecting to this story as well as I had with her other works. There was a clear conflict that should have felt very tense, but I just didn't have a good investment with Sidra as a character so it felt a little flat. It may have been mostly to due with my not really seeing her as a sympathetic character, so this may not be an issue for other readers.

I loved Smith's creativity and ability to create a very atmospheric setting. She has a knack for making her scenery feel nearly tangible and her supporting characters always have just enough uniqueness to them to feel real without feeling over the top. Some of the plot pieces did feel a bit overly convenient and there was an odd piece in one of the ending sequences where a side character seemed to drop off the map for a bit of the story, but otherwise things moved pretty comfortably and the story felt believable.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this series. It was fun and imaginative and Smith's writing was just so great at being descriptive. Her books are easy, fast reads with good characters and magical twists that make things even more interesting and unpredictable.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *