The Spirit War by Rachel Aaron
Eli Monpress’ goal is to be the a world renown thief with the largest bounty on his head. But when his colleague and friend Josef suddenly has an even larger bounty, Eli realizes Josef hasn’t been completely honest with his friends. Josef is the son of a queen who needs him home to fulfill his duty as prince and defend their country against a looming invasion. But the invading army of the Immortal Empress’ main goal is to defeat her most hated adversary – Eli.
This is the fourth installment in the Eli Monpress series. While each has a specific plot, the overlying arc comes to a head in this story. The Immortal Empress’ jealousy of Eli has driven her to try to conquer the world. And with her ability to command spirits, she’s almost unstoppable. Aaron has done an incredible job of worldbuilding in this series. Her unique fantasy world is one where all things from wood to the wind has a spirit and personality. And the characters are diverse and complicated. As before, this latest installment is full of humor, drama, magic, and several fun surprises. The Spirit War is exciting, complex, and riveting. This series is a must-read for fantasy fans. I can’t get enough of Eli and this fantastic series.