The God's Eye

Highly anticipated but slightly disappointing conclusion to the Lancaster's Luck series. Rafe's first person narration is as distinctive as always - erudite, witty, dry and full of affection for his beloved Ned. And therein lay the problem for me: there's no relationship development in this book. Rafe and Ned love each other, their families either don't mind or turn a blind eye to their homosexuality, and there are no challenges. Yes, Ned disappears and they are both in danger at various points in the story, but there's no doubt that Rafe will find Ned and they will survive the ultimate battle with the bad guys.There are many intriguing aspects to the story. Rafe is trying to settle into his surprising new role in his House, and he has very complicated feelings about the father he recently discovered and is about to lose. His stepsister Nell adds a spirited flair and a secondary M/F romance to the story. And of course there is lots of danger, adventure and a mysterious, miraculous archeological discovery that could change the balance of power in the world if it is brought to light. So YMMV especially if you don't mind the lack of anything new with Ned and Rafe's relationship. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want Butler to have them break up in each book just so they can get back together, but a writer who can develop such intricate plots around the Imperial Houses should surely be able to come up with a novel way to test or further explore their romance. I thoroughly enjoyed the series overall, especially the second book [b:The Jackal's House 36361060 The Jackal's House (Lancaster's Luck, #2) Anna Butler https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507247315l/36361060.SY75.jpg 58044794]; I just think Butler didn't quite nail the landing.