Kingmaker

Weis and Krammes conclude their fantastical epic Dragon Corsairs trilogy with this wordy, enjoyable installment, packing action into every page and glossing the whole with a fairy tale feel. Immediately after the events of 2018’s Privateer, the kingdom of Freya is in chaos, as the throne has been taken in a bloody, muddled coup. Prince Thomas, heir to the Freyan throne; Captain Kate, a privateer; and Phillip, a duke, are embroiled in a political power play with at least four distinct factions. As war looms with the neighboring country of Rosia, the three friends must trust their few allies—and dodge their multitudinous enemies—as they navigate a sea of plot twists and well-thought-out coincidences. Fans of the series will likely be able to overlook the authors’ occasionally obvious ploys and information dumps, focusing on interactions among loved and hated characters. Dragons, magic, romance, and political machinations of epic proportions make this a satisfying conclusion to the series. (Aug.)