This is the 11th book in the Harley Merlin series and the 2nd of Finch Merlin.
Magical mapmaking is an ancient art—and also a major pain.
At least, Finch can’t help but feel that way, since Erebus transported him to the Mapmakers’ Monastery with little to no instructions. Now, he’s stranded on some Greek island until he can learn how to draw maps to places he thought only existed in legends, like El Dorado and Shangri-La.
Only the worthiest of magicals can attain such a rare skill. The weak are weeded out through nearly impossible tests that involve mind-bending poisons, weird plants, and… pottery-making?
But Finch isn’t the only one looking to learn the art of mapmaking. Magicals from all over the world are drawn to the Monastery. As Finch encounters both greedy treasure hunters and knowledge-hungry explorers, he must decide who is trustworthy and who has more sinister intentions.
When Erebus knocks on her door, Kenzie is roped into delivering secret messages to Finch using her ability to Morph into the bodies of animals. In exchange, the God of Darkness will reveal what she wants most: to find the lowlife who cursed her mother.
Both Finch and Kenzie know they’re pawns in Erebus’s long game—but to what end?
I absolutely love this series. The storyline is brilliant, the characters are great and the world building is amazing.
I love Finch. He is a great main character and I love how much he has redeemed himself. His heart is in the right place and he really trys to protect everyone he cares about, and even those he has just met.
I loved Kenzie having a point of view in this book. We’ve seen glimpses of her prior to this book, but only now are we getting to know her. It was interesting and I’m glad she was drafted into the story.
I also loved the new characters introduced. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Melody and Luke. I really hope they are genuine and don’t double cross Finch.
I like the fact Ryann is still involved and I’m enjoying seeing the interactions between her and Finich. I really hope we get to see their relationship develop.
I’m enjoying the plot with Erebus. The tasks he is having Finch undertake are making an interesting storyline. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this series. The world building behind magicals is brilliant. The characters are great and the storyline is fantastic.
My rating: 5/5*
