The Gray Wolf Throne

The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms, #3)by Cinda Williams Chima

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana"'Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he's concerned, the princess's family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it--he's saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive--and even that might not be enough.The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate. (goodreads.com)

That's a much better summary length. Was worried they were all going to get longer and longer until I didn't need to write anything myself! ;)The number of people trying to kill Han and Raisa throughout this and the next book, sort of amuse me. These two crazy kids seem to have their days numbered. It's hard to live in a fantasy novel you know.I really liked how smart Raisa could be while handling situations. Sure, she doesn't have Han's street smarts, but she comes pretty close to being able to best her enemies and keep the situation somewhat under control. I like that she and Han have the arrangement to have him take the rooms next to hers, all the while convincing the court and everyone else that she feels nothing for him. (Although I found that one a little hard to swallow, because they kept getting caught talking together and stuff so I think the court must be pretty dim to have not clued into their ruse earlier.)The series is so totally addictive and because of that I read these all one after the other and they are all blurred together in my head now. The sad part is I don't know what else to say about this book that I haven't said about the first two - it is that amazing. The world, the characters, the political plots, the deception, the pending war. This series is pretty much everything you want out of a fantasy series. I'm sort of sorry that I waited so long to read it BUT I'm also happy that I did because this meant I could read all four books in a week. HA!Seven Realms1)    The Demon King2)    The Exiled Queen3)    The Gray Wolf Throne4)    The Crimson Crown