The book Malatras of The Anterra Collection by Blake Vanier matches up well with its predecessors. We are three books in, and this time around, we read about a band of misfits led by an unnamed hero, and they are attempting to save Anterra.
We are first greeted with a map at the beginning of the book to guide the visualisation of the story. In the first pages of the story, we are thrust into a battle, and the adventure unfolds thereon. The narrative is engrossing, and Blake has been creative with the plot. There was mystery, action and twists. We learn more about Anterra, as well as the many obstacles and perils that exist in that world. We also find love and wit among the adventure and intensity of the story. It is similar to the first three books, which balanced seriousness with light-hearted moments.
How well characters are written about could make or break a good plot. There were some nice additions to our usual list of characters in this book. Moreover, previously existing ones have developed through the past books. All the characters work well together in the story.
A few indications could be found regarding the future of the story. The hints Blake gives make us interested in the successor of this book.
The writing style is detailed as always. The preciseness of this writing style also causes the vocabulary used in the book to be a bit advanced. I have always found that feature to be a positive aspect as young readers can learn new words while they read as long as it is not too hard for them to understand.
The book could have been edited a bit better. Additionally, it may be unsuitable for very young readers as death, slavery, and suicide are mentioned, and mature language has been used.
In all aspects, Blake has maintained the consistency that we expect after reading the previous three books. He has done an excellent job with his writing again. We enjoyed this book, and we can hardly wait to read the next book of The Anterra Collection.