Simon & Schuster Canada continues to fire my imagination and sense of adventure with the third book in The Blackthorn Key collection which is now available on its own or as part of a gorgeous six-book hardcover collection available now!

It’s the tail end of 1665 and the fact that apothecary apprentice Christopher Rowe and his friend Tom Bailey have been on two big adventures has caught the attention of the King. So off they go to meet his royal majesty. Just in time, because it seems there is an assassin at foot with their eyes on eliminating a number of the royal family.

The King sends Christopher, Tom, and their young friend Sally to Paris to keep an eye on his sister, Minette, and to find out who the assassins are, and their plan and stop them. So amongst the City of Lights, Tom finds himself in a new mystery of puzzles, murder and the lost treasure of the Templar Knights!

The mystery is well-crafted, and even as Christopher finds himself caught up in a new adventure the story continues to layer out the characters, as we learn more about Christopher’s late master Blackthorn, and through it all, Sands makes sure to ground everything that happens within the historical reality of the time.

It’s a fun ride and also introduces a new villain for the series, who may be back soon, especially with how the story ends, and the reveals Sands delivers. Sands is a wonderful author, and each book in the series so far has gone by at lightning speed, he delivers fast and incredibly engaging tales that have a wonderful trio of friends at the center.

It’s also nice to see that Christopher is trying to sort out his feelings for Sally, but she already knows how she feels about him, and everyone around them, except for maybe Tom, sees it.

I love how Sands has opened up the world so much from a murder mystery in the first book to a trip to the Continent that involves royalty, the Templars, more puzzles and iconic locations. The marriage of history and adventure works perfectly in this book, just like the previous two and I can’t wait to see where Sands takes me and Christopher (and friends) on the next adventure, Call of the Wraith.

And wow, Christopher has had quite the year, as the first three books have taken place within the span of a year! I hope the poor guy gets a chance to rest and relax before the next story opens.

The Blackthorn Key collection has been a great read so far, and once again I advise everyone to ignore the Young Adult genre classification, they’re just an incredibly readable and engaging series, and you can pick them up one at a time, or pick up the gorgeous six book collection from Simon & Schuster.

It’s the perfect gift for the reader in your life, even if that reader is you.

I’m ready Mr. Sands, let’s answer the Call of the Wraith!