Part three was a lot of fun to read and I definitely feel it is the strongest book so far. The enjoyment for me came from the world building that takes place throughout the stories. Early on we are shown that magic exists in this world and I loved how the author didn't feel the need to explain how it worked. Too often I have read stories that get bogged down in the mechanics of magic, yes it can be interesting to find out how things work but I quite enjoy not knowing. Personally I think the ambiguity makes it more magical. We are also shown that monsters can be summoned by certain people, I've mentioned before that I am a fan of Kim's monster designs but I think the summoned creatures are his best yet.
The dialogue seems tighter with far fewer cringe inducing moments and generally book three feels more mature. The stories have more serious plots and they are significantly more violent. There are some pretty dark sequences, especially one involving a dog which is particularly gruesome. It is well used as a way to introduce a new bad guy so it doesn't feel gratuitous.
I was happy that Kong, Banya's mate, got his own story and we also get to see him fight. Speaking of fighting, the action sequences are very nicely done, they have a frenetic energy that makes them a joy to read. Plus there is even some clues to our heroes past so all in all volume three is a great little book. So far Banya has been episodic in nature but as of this volume we have begun the final and longest story arc. There was a great cliff hanger ending too so roll on volume four.
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