Three: A Tale of the Bookseller’s Children is the initial installment of The Bookseller’s Children series. Deven Balsam tees up a mostly familiar universe, with a number of interesting twists. For an example, the concept of an “elven pastor” is definitely a first, but compatible with the overall vision. The editing and execution is that of a first-rate journeyman, nothing interferes with a reader’s enjoyment of the story.
My main quibble is the story isn’t a complete one; the characters seem to be limited to reaction against random plot points without overarching logic or theme. It may be that the exposition lacking here is fully explained in subsequent volumes, making sense of the many dangling threads and unexplained hints. I didn’t get the sense there is a contiguous adversary throughout the series, although there was one post-climax hook which was also unattributed. I’m generally a fan of this genre and enjoyed my reading of Balsam’s story. I do hope it evolves into something more in the next episode.
(Disclosure: I received a free copy through Veracious Readers Only)