#Review - The Warrior by Sarah Fine (#Urban #Fantasy)

Series: The Immortal Dealers #3
Format: Paperback, 300 pages
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Publisher: 47North
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

For those who deal in the fate of the world, salvation and destruction are not games of chance.

Ernestine “Ernie” Terwilliger never intended to live among the Immortal Dealers, much less to be party to an ongoing battle where the fate of humanity is in the draw of a card. And the stakes have gotten only higher now that a shady new Forger has been crowned.

Virginia may be in charge of creating the chaos that makes the universe tick, but her assignments have been noble—each one in the aid of strangers. But when Ernie discovers Virginia’s true purpose, she realizes it’s going to take an entirely new kind of play to stop her.

The game changer lies within a mysterious artifact dredged from the ocean. To unlock its powers, Ernie and her partner, Gabe, must traverse dangerous new realms and uncover the history of Forgers past. Joined in a tenuous alliance with a former enemy and stalked by old friends turned lethal foes, Ernie had better play her cards right—because this time, the whole universe could be destroyed in the shuffle.

 

The Warrior is the third and final installment in author Sarah Fine's The Immortal Dealers trilogy. It has been six weeks since the events of The Guardian. There is a new Forger, Virginia, who Ernestine "Ernie" Terwillger doesn't trust as far as she can throw her. There have been no attacks, no ambushes, but also no assignments for her. Ernie has been one of the Immortal Dealers for four months now, and to say it's has been anything but boring, would be greatly understated. 

But, things quickly gain momentum. Gabe gets an assignment, then Ernie is given one where she has to travel to Munich, Germany and stop a bank robbery which leads to a bunch of questions. Ernie controls what's being called the Diamondback card and her companion is a snake that she calls Legs. Ernie has an abundance of issues to deal with this story along with keeping her alliance with other immortal dealers like Gabe, Minh, Kot, Nuria, and even Tarlae even though she blames Ernie for events that happene in the previous story. (NO SPOILERS!)

As the dealers form a plan to take down Virginia, they quickly find they need help, but at what cost? Who can they trust to teach them their new powers? Can they take Virginia down and stop the chaos? If they do take down Virginia, who can they trust to take her place? Ernie forms an unlikely alliance with Rupert in order to find the one artifact (Sunrise) that might be able to stop Virginia and her diabolical plans for domination. 

Readers will also get a huge storyline whereas new dealers on both sides of the confrontation are introduced. Readers also get a hint about how utterly awful Andy and other forgers were to the dealers. A fact that leads to yet another possible villain to walk through the door and up end the apple cart. This is a world where there are unlimited number of splinter dimensions, and here is the place where one can maybe fine allies in their fight against Virginia.

I would like to thank the publisher for allowing the author to continue this trilogy from start to finish. That is a sign of true loyalty. I really liked the idea behind the Immortal Dealers, and the kinds of decks they each carry, and the ideas behind the use of each card that allows the holder to do near impossible feats. I am glad that the whole Ernie/Gabe situation was resolved to a satisfaction, and I am glad that there was yet another story which managed a happy ending as well. I think I am absolutely satisfied with the way the story ended. It made absolute sense to me that this is the choice that was made, especially considering who Ernie is and the fact that she never once wanted more power than anyone else.  

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