Mark of the Fool 3 was a lot of fun but, as I said in my last review, it felt almost like a break from the main plot. A fun break but a break non-the-less. But Mark of the Fool 4 picks back up and we finally get to see Alex Roth’s return to Thameland.

And if the last book was a break then this one is definitely not, setting up a lot of plot threads going forward. For one, we get chapters from the perspective of other characters. While we did get these before they were only on occasion. There’s a lot more of them here and they give some much needed context to what’s happening. I wouldn’t say that Alex was relegated from his position as main character but in terms of what actually happens, more in happening in the background than the foreground of this novel. There’s plots being hatched, power being gathered, enemies, allies and others moving about. And what’s Alex doing? We’ll what he’s always done. Studying, preparing and bettering himself.

Oddly my favourite part of this book was where Alex started seriously hitting the gym. It’s not a long section and it’s intercut with other parts but there was something very satisfying about watching him set a slightly crazy exercise routine, stick to it and get much stronger. It’s the progression part of progression fantasy, sure, but condensed and about the physical.

And the progress he’s made, not just in the gym but in all parts of his life, was shown very nicely in the last few chapters. It was a great ending for the book, not wrapping up many plot threads per say but definitely giving a good snapshot of where Alex Roth is as a person. The last chapter is almost a moment of calm before whatever happens next and I’m looking forward to what that’ll be.