This book was great! I think it's the most enjoyable out of all the others, and it's a fun read the entire time. We got introduced to a new cast of characters and even got to see a few familiar faces, but the best part was seeing Kel learn new skills and become even more worthy of becoming a knight.

Raoul may perhaps be my new favourite character. The beginning of the book, showing him taking on Kel as his squire was a great introduction to his character and to the book, and he was a fun person to read about the entire time. His aversion to parties and ladies of marriageable age is a great quirk, and he is also honourable and kind and that really made him my favourite character.

I didn't particularly enjoy how Kel's romance was handled in this book, however, and it's a problem I always have with young adult fiction. Her relationship with Cleon felt forced; I would've preferred her being someone else's lover, like Neal's, if only because of the feelings she got. It may seem like infatuation, but she also had other reasons to like her friend. With her current lover, it felt like she only liked being with him because he gave her attention and like the way he kissed or the way his hands felt on her body. The way potential sex was treated was also bad - and this is done in a way I've often found in YA. Kel loses herself in the moment, and it isn't until something jars her out of it that she regains her sense - and that lack of responsibility for the moment has always irked me. It makes both people involved blameless for any actions that could take place, and that's not something that should be planted in the heads of teenagers - but it so often is. Kel is a smart girl, and to have her swept away like that cheapened her character and her relationship.

The way Kel's leadership nature grew was explored well in this book, and we got to see her develop nicely amongst the King's Own. Every adventure was exciting, and it was great to see her so absorbed in her duty that her Ordeal wasn't too often on her mind. Her obstacles about being a female gaining knighthood were also finally explored well here, and it was great to have good role models helping her along the way.

I didn't like the ending very much, though, although it is a continuation of how the other books ended. They also always stop too abruptly for me, but the ending of this one was still satisfactory and I was able to jump into the next one quickly enough to keep exploring Kel's story.

Because of the characters and the adventures in this story, it definitely makes this the most exciting book in the series and I'd absolutely reread this book even right after having just finished it.