Book Review: All the Skills: Book 3 by Honour Rae
The "All the Skills" series by Honour Rae is truly something special. After thoroughly enjoying the first two books in this card-magic saga, I was eager to dive into Book 3. Before discovering this series, I didn't realise that a card-based fantasy novel could be so captivating, but I've been proven wrong.
The series' premise revolves around a unique card-based system where cards come in various rarity levels, granting different powers to their users. Our main character, Arthur, is fortunate enough to possess two legendary cards. Dragons are a big thing in this world, with each one linked to a specific card at birth. This connection allows dragons and their riders to bond, becoming inseparable companions and if that isn’t enough to get you hooked then I don’t know what is.
At the start of Book 3, we find Arthur and his dragon, Brixaby, leading a group of dragons and their riders, preparing to defend against scourge attacks. However, there's a catch — Arthur isn't skilled in combat, and his dragon is still too small to ride. This sets the stage for an interesting journey where we see Arthur as a leader, but having to learn pretty much everything as he goes along.
Here's a spoiler alert so heads up: Arthur and Brixaby are captured by a Free Hive, a group of dragons and riders who operate outside the kingdom's laws. This shifts the focus of the story to their time within the Free Hive, limiting the development of the external plot. However, this smaller setting allows for in-depth character development and introduces new cards to their growing collection. By the end of the book, Brixaby has grown large enough to ride, hinting at exciting developments in future books.
Arthur and Brixaby's relationship evolves, becoming a very interesting dynamic that perhaps should be so. Brixaby is all-powerful as a legendary dragon and Arthus is… Arthur. It's clear that the dragon cares for Arthur more deeply than we initially realised though and this emotional connection between them adds depth to the story and keeps us all engaged.
As with the previous books, the characters are well-developed and likeable, the card-magic system is unique and fascinating, and the plot keeps the story moving along at a nice pace. The only drawback is that the narrative focus within the Free Hive limits the broader story's progress, but this is balanced by the character growth and intriguing card reveals. There certainly isn’t much you can switch off at in this one, because you’ll quickly find yourself going back to figure out what on Earth just happened.
If you've already read the first two books, you won't want to miss this one. We need to know if Arthur gets that third legendary card for his set and I'm eagerly awaiting Book 4 to see how the story unfolds.
