I really never know where this series is going and I love it.

We continue the adventures of Rick, the personification of that meme about anime characters refusing to be main characters even though they have colourful hair. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a character so obviously steering away from plot hooks as he does. Big things keep popping up, people keep trying to entangle him in their schemes and he resolutely marches in the other direction.

This is occasionally a problem. For example if you were wanting to see Emily in this book I’m afraid there’s no sign of her. And it does leave a few dangling plot hooks as he refuses to bite. But man, I love him for it.

The book opens with Rick continuing to try and work out what he should do with his life and what use a fighter is in modern society. As such he takes a step that is obvious in hindsight but which I didn’t see coming. He becomes a professional athlete. This is a lovely addition to the series as, for the first time, he leaves Branton and travels the world.

This is allows us to fully appreciate the differences between the book world and our own. A lot of background has been thought about and it’s nice to see it appear in this book.

I’m not going to say anything else because I don’t want to spoil anything. Suffice it to say that everything you love about the first two books is here in the finale. Good action scenes, good training scenes and good character development. The ending is fantastic and everything I wanted from both the characters and the book.

I’m really sorry the trilogy is completed and that we won’t get any more books. But it ended in such a satisfying way that I can’t even be mad. From beginning to end it was a fantastic read.