Masks Book

In many ways this was a much more difficult book for me to read, even than the previous book. Evolution dealt with quite a bit of turbulent teenage emotion shown in an almost melodramatic way even though it is completely and universally relatable. Where in that book the difficult emotion is brought forth from Eric like a fiery burst of angry passion and anger, this sequel shows us an Eric that has in many ways lost his fight and is constantly shifting his identity. In Ordinary Champions, Eric is in a situation that is compounded many times over from what he had to deal with in the second book, but the stagnancy, loneliness and at times hopelessness from Eric was much more difficult for me to read. That said, I think that the choices Hayden Thorne made for Eric in the end of this first trilogy were the right ones, no matter the misery it takes for Eric to get through them.

The choice that the story demands yet is most difficult for me to accept is the lack of time between Eric and Peter. The second book had them splitting apart, and here they are apart, whatever relationship they might have completely up in the air. That was difficult for me, because I felt like so much of Eric's motivation was in Peter, and that distance from him was hurting him so much. It's also difficult for me after reading the second book to not have any of Peter's POV in this book. And with the two separated, we can't even get much about him through Eric's observations. When I felt like I desperately needed validation from Peter that he regretted his actions from Evolution , I was only able to hold on and hope. These little strategic moves that Hayden Thorne makes are the tools she uses to manipulate emotion, and with my emotions so thoroughly enmeshed in Eric's, it brought me closer to the book and the characters.

I'm off to read Curse of Arachnaman next, though I've given myself a break of a day or so since I read all three of the first books back to back. It looks like Eric and Peter are going back to the roots of their relationship and maybe trying to start over, hopefully with a little more hard-won maturity this time, and I'm excited to get back to the story. Hopefully they'll find a way to work together more often, because as much as Eric's story needed to diverge from the relationship for a while, I enjoy a happyily cozy Eric and Peter much more than when they're at war.