The Demon Redcoat

In the engaging conclusion to the Traitor to the Crown trilogy, Finlay moves to Europe to explore the diplomatic side of his magically reimagined American Revolution. Proctor Brown, witch and revolutionary hero, must leave his wife, Deborah, and their newborn following an attack by the Covenant, a group of mages who rule Britannia. Proctor, John Adams and former slave Lydia Freeman cross the Atlantic to fight their enemy on Covenant territory. With the help of Ben Franklin and magic, Proctor infiltrates England and uncovers the Covenant's plans to destroy Washington's army at Yorktown. Disappointingly, Finlay's final chapters rush precipitously to a climax more cinematic than historical in an attempt to wrap up the entire trilogy. Though the abrupt ending lessens the book's charms and the Deborah-less narrative lacks some of the intimacy of the first volumes, inspired scenes and some imaginative historical revisionism still yield an enjoyable tale.