Abounding Might is the third book of the Extraordinaires series and I thought it was amazing! There was intrigue, espionage, humor, and romance. Lady Daphne and Captain Fletcher are great characters, with amazing abilities. Lady Daphne is an Extraordinaire Bounder. She can teleport to places without restriction and learns more and more about what she is capable of in this story. Captain Fletcher is a Discerner. He is can detect your true emotions, even when your face says something different. This is what attracted Fletcher to Lady Daphne. Her emotions and her thoughts always match.

This story takes place in India and I love it. The story is amazing, but the culture itself is another great character. I don’t know if there will be another book in this series, but I think this one is my favorite. Lady Daphne doesn’t allow anyone to dictate what she should be and I love that about her, especially given the time period. I loved Captain Fletcher because he let her be who she wanted to be. He didn’t try to change her and he trusted her opinions; which was more than any of her other counterparts could say. If there is another book in the series, I greatly look forward to it. If not, I take great comfort in being able to re-read the entire series all over again!

I adore this series and I was so exciting to read this third installment. Bounders have continued to intrigue me, and I was so excited to finally dig deeper into that ability in this book. I love that Daphne has worked hard and trained to build up her strength so that she could be just as good, and even better, than her fellow male bounders.

The India setting was exciting and new, and I loved her developing relationship with Captain Fletcher (swoons).

I can't recommend this series enough. Each book focuses on a different female protagonist with a different extraordinary talent (ability). While all are set in the same world, each book is essentially a standalone with only a few minor details bleeding into each book. BUT I recommend starting from the beginning so you have a better understanding of the world.

Can't wait for the next book!

Lady Daphne was an enthusiastic and effervescent character in the previous story of The Extraordinaries series and I was boundless with excitement to get her story. Her raw youthfulness and joy was the heart of this third installment of an engaging historical fantasy romance series.
Review

As I just noted, Abounding Might is book three in the series. It works much better in order, but also has the distinction of also allowing for a reader to get it out of order. Fair warning, the world of The Extraordinaries is considered to be already introduced and understood by this point.

So, this is Lady Daphne’s story. It begins on a solemn low note for her. For all her powerful ability and her drive to be the best and have amazing adventures, she has a flaw. Well, two, but who’s counting. Her physical handicap of fainting at the sight of blood gets an officer killed and has her, tail tucked between her legs, ignominiously packed off to India away from the battlefront to serve the Governor-General’s wife.

Daphne isn’t down for long and finds adventure and intrigue in an unexpected place. She wanted to wallow a bit, but her natural personality takes over and has her making a friend in a fellow female magic user, Bess, who is a ‘Speaker’ (she can broadcast thoughts into other minds and exchange thoughts with fellow Speakers). Daphne’s own magic as an Extraordinaire Bounder (one who can travel between two points with just a thought or with effort carry others with her) gets her assigned to the attractive Captain Fletcher’s unit along with her more mundane duties.

With Fletcher, who has a rather sensitive magic that allows him to know a person’s emotions, she gets some of her own back. She is conflicted between shunning the attraction between them out of fear that she will lose out on future adventure or seeing love as its own adventure. But, the romance is often secondary to the conflicts around them. I enjoyed the suspense plot of figuring out who was fomenting the rebellion in the Indian province and how to stop them. Daphne, like the other heroines before her in the series, has some great action scenes and is a hero in her own right rescuing the men included.

The blends of history, romance, fantasy elements and even mystery make this a riveting story for action, but also has lovely depth and development for the heroine as she comes into her own. I can highly recommend the series even as I settle back to anticipate the next book’s release.

My thanks to Curiosity Quills for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series and skipped the second as the plot didn't appeal to my personal tastes, but I was intrigued by 'Abounding Might'. While it didn't match the high standards of book 1, which was practically perfect in my eyes, it was still an immensely enjoyable read with a riveting plot and endearing characters.
 
I'll start with my main complaint because there was really only one thing that kept this from receiving the full '5 kitty approval' rating, and that was Daphne's frustrating need to throw herself into the middle of the action over and over with no thought to whether it was sensible, appropriate or warranted. I do appreciate that the author treated this as a serious character flaw and repeatedly had other characters call Daphne out on this trait; I also realize that in real life, recognizing that you have a flaw isn't the same as correcting it.

But in a fictional story, it's wearying to have the protagonist make the same mistake repeatedly, even when they have been told off for it or suffered the consequences, because we do expect some level of consistent character growth and payoff for the scenarios we read about. And yet right til the end, Daphne's inability to sit still and listen to the advice or outright orders people give her leads her into trouble one chapter after another. 

It took me a little while to warm to Daphne - we start off by discovering that her phobia of blood led to a man's death because she was overcome by the sight of his wounds and couldn't use her powers to transport him to receive medical attention. That isn't what put me off, after all, I don't think I would be much use in a battle situation (although I think she probably shouldn't have vied for that position knowing her weakness), what disturbed me was how her ambition seemed to be more important.

---
"One moment's weakness and she was to be packed off to the far side of the globe, never to have a chance to prove herself. She knew her talent to be powerful, knew herself to be the most skilled Bounder of her generation, but thanks to her weakness, no one else would ever know the truth."
---

Er, let me reiterate - a man bled to death because she couldn't do her job, literally her one objective was to retrieve the major, but she fainted at the sight of blood and he died. But her main focus is on how this impacts HER CAREER. I can't say I was too sympathetic to her plight and I found her despair at her assignment to be pretty distasteful considering she had demonstrated she couldn't be trusted on battlefield missions. Damn the bureaucracy, I guess they should've risked more people's lives just to give Daphne a chance to win herself fame and glory!

Okay, that was a long rant disparaging the heroine of this story - but now that's out of the way, let's move on to everything 'Abounding Might' did right!

Main Characters: Daphne shows herself to be self-aware, attempting to better herself and accepting the demotion with outward good grace in order to try and redeem herself, which went a long way to making me warm to her. She's also very honest and kind, outgoing and eager for new experiences, and I liked seeing India through her eyes as she immersed herself in the new country and culture, rather than holding herself separate and superior as her peers tended to do. The best thing about Daphne is how much agency her character is given, the way she actively molds the story around herself instead of passively reacting to events or being guided from one plot point to another.

Captain Fletcher was such an interesting character, I was intrigued at the choice to make him a Discerner, ie. someone who can read people's emotions and even thoughts upon making skin-to-skin contact, as this empathic ability is more commonly seen in female characters. It's a pleasant change to have a male lead who isn't the typical alpha male and is more in touch with his emotions and sensitive to those of others; I really enjoyed his calm professionalism and cool competence, as well as his easy acceptance of Daphne's abilities and willingness to have her employ them in the field as necessary, instead of wrapping her in cotton wool and trying to coddle her like the other men.

Romance: The growing bond between Daphne and Fletcher was a GLORIOUS slow-burn transition from fellow officers to friends to more, which I absolutely adored. You could see why they would fall for each other, with Daphne all effervescence, incapable of guile and Fletcher a wry, steadfast pillar of support. Their banter was delightful and I basked in the witty back-and-forth between their characters, especially given how much they obviously enjoyed being in each other's company. Sometimes there'll be an endgame couple with so many obstacles in the way that you don't get a sense of who they are together without that drama, but Daphne and Fletcher got on so well upon their first meeting at a ball where she coaxed him into dancing with her even though he was notorious for avoiding the dance-floor, and later they worked well as a team when paired up in India. I loved how the need for close proximity in order to Bound or Skip together led to delicious UST between them as they needed to embrace while Daphne used her ability to transport them!

Minor Characters: The focus wasn't solely on the main couple, this world was populated with other well-drawn minor and background characters who all felt very real and were equipped with believable traits and foibles. The various military characters that recurred throughout - Fletcher's team with Ainsworth, Phillips and Wright; Lord Moira and Colonel Dalhousie at Government House - weren't given much in the way of personal backgrounds, but they were all convincingly portrayed nonetheless.

My favorite was Bess, who became friends with Daphne in India, and I believe she will be the protagonist of the next book in the series (fingers crossed). I love that the romantic relationship wasn't the only one developed in this story, we had a lovely female friendship threaded throughout as well! 

Daphne's parents played only a tiny role, but they were absolutely hilarious and so lovable, best fictional parents ever, imo! It's obvious how Daphne grew into such a confident and self-assured young lady as she had parents that were wonderfully doting and encouraging and who trusted in her abilities and intelligence. 

Writing: The author's writing style is one of the highlights of my reading experience, I'm very partial to the droll manner in which the characters converse with each other and the more formal language conventions employed here:

D: "I am not so admirable as that - and pray do not take that as an invitation to reassure me, I am simply being honest. I believe most people have faults they wish they could eliminate from their characters."

F: "And I believe those faults should not blind us to our virtues. Though if it would make you happier, you can tell me your faults and I will properly castigate you for them."
D'aww! Fletcher, you charmer! <3

Plot: This was a little less action-packed than 'Burning Bright' as our heroes aren't battling pirates this time around. I didn't anticipate being as drawn in as I was, since the reason for Daphne accompanying Fletcher in India was to root out the dissidents who were planting the seeds of a revolution to take back control of the province from the British. I'm not a big fan of political plot-lines, but there were enough red herrings in their investigation and scenic detours that allowed for greater interpersonal growth and surprise plot twists that I was engrossed nonetheless. 

In Short

Things I didn't like: the heroine's frequent impulsiveness grew tiresome, the odd spelling choices with 'Hindoo' and 'Eskimeaux'

Things I liked: well-developed characters, the wonderful romance, witty banter, intriguing plot and the fascinating alternate world created by keeping most of our history but adding superpowers

3.5 stars

Lady Daphne is an Extraordinary Bounder, which would make her incredibly important on the battlefield save for one fatal flaw: she faints at the sight of blood. After she accidentally causes the death of a soldier, she is sent to be a human chaise for the Governor of India's wife and her children. Bounding from England to India is incredibly boring, yet just as Daphne begins to feel the strain of the misuse of her talent, she means Captain Fletcher and finds herself on an adventure she had never dreamed of.

Daphne isn't content on abiding by the rules of propriety for her time, particularly not when they do nothing but hamper her talent and her ability to do what needs to be done. She is constantly pushing the limits of her talent, and when driven by the desire to help her friends she finds that she can do more than any other Bounder. I wasn't overly thrilled with her relationship with Fletcher, mostly because he was so...bland and standoffish...but I suppose that's because he's a Discerner and able to feel the emotions of others (plus the guy is a skilled interrogator).

The exploration of India at the time of Britain's beginning stages of occupation is fascinating, particularly with the presence of talented people. I wished that Daphne had been able to explore more of the culture and interacted with more people, and I really wanted to know more about how the talents were treated among the Indian people, particularly with the caste system.

While the book felt like it dragged for the first 50% or so, things really began to pick up and it sped along quickly once the villain was identified and the plot was revealed. Burning Bright remains my absolute favorite of the Extraordinaries series, but Daphne and her sense of wonder and yearning for adventure is a close-ish second. I'm curious to see how the rest of the series continues and how this alternate history plays out.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Abounding Might (The Extraordinaries #3)
Book THREE of The Extraordinaries
by Melissa McShane
Definitely a buy buy book. While this is not a fantastic book like the ones prior. It is a very good addition to the series. I fell in love with this series and while this book had a few things I disagreed with, all in all it is a good read! This talented author just pulls you into the story as you become a part of that world. It feels difficult to emerge into the real world once more. SO if you like different fantasy books, this is a good one to buy and relax and enjoy. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna

I love regency romances and fantasy novels and this series is one of my favorite combinations of the two.

This latest installment did not disappoint. Lady Daphne is a marvelous heroine and I truly enjoyed her eager earnestness. Captain Fletcher was perfectly swoon worthy and a great match for her.

Lovable secondary characters and tons of adventure had me racing through this book in a day.

I am always excited for the next book by Melissa McShane.

this cover might not be as pretty as the previous two in the extraordinaries series, but don't count abounding might out for a good story. this time the adventure leads us to india. where daphne st. clair, an extraordinary bounder is essentially banished after her propensity to faint at the sight of blood leads to the death of a good man in battle.

once in india, daphne meets captain phineas fletcher, a discerner charged with trying to find a group of missionaries who has gone missing in a remote part of the indian continent. he recruits daphne, partly because he could use her talents on the field, but also because he knows she can be doing something more than she is currently in india.

as they work together to solve the mystery, daphne and phin spend time in each others company, and it becomes quite clear that they feel something strong for one another. captain fletcher's talents add an interesting twist because in a sense he has a better idea of what is going on between them because he can feel her feelings every time he touches her.

one of the things i've enjoyed in each story is seeing how each person's talent is described. there's always a glossary of sorts at the end of the book that helps, but as you get to know the individual characters and their own abilities, having how they do things or react to things describes is really cool.

the regency era in india is an interesting and fraught moment in british colonialism. the author has researched the time period well and has crafted an interesting story for this latest set of extraordinary talents. i love this series.

The story is interesting because of the setting and because it is magical and action packed and will make you fall in love all at the same time.

I enjoyed burning bright, and did not read book 2, but luckily this book 3 is a separate story. I like the heroine here, her attitude towards people who made fun of her.

But what I enjoyed the most is the love story of Phineas and Daphne. 😍

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the third in the author’s alternate world Regency fantasy series The Extraordinaries.

The focus of the story this time around is Lady Daphne St. Clair and her ability to magically Bound from one location to another with a mere thought. Daphne has worked hard to strengthen her 5-foot-nothing body to be able to pick up and carry people from one place to the next with her Extraordinary talent, but she isn’t able to overcome the weakness that causes her to faint at the sight of blood. So, rather than serving her nation in war-torn Portugal, Daphne is exiled to India to serve as a conveyance for the governor’s family. Daphne is bored at first, but her life becomes more exciting when she meets handsome Captain Phineas Fletcher and he offers her the opportunity to help him investigate some brewing trouble in another city. Daphne loves seeing more of the real India and enjoys spending time with Captain Fletcher. But when their mission turns out to be more complicated and serious than expected, Daphne’s skills—and heart—are put to the test.

I was looking forward to Abounding Might after meeting Daphne in the previous volume of the series, and she didn’t disappoint. I appreciated her enthusiastic embrace of adventure and her desire to use her abilities to their fullest. The only thing that bugged a bit about the character was her tendency to stumble over her words whenever she is uncomfortable. I think it’s supposed to be an endearing reminder of how very young and inexperienced Daphne is, but that note gets hit a little too often for my tastes. To me, it makes her seem a bit silly, and she’s not, at all.

This is a fantasy novel first, not a romance, but the relationship between Daphne and her captain was rather sweet and probably my favorite of the series. It’s foregrounded more than the romance in the first book and is a bit less fraught than in the second. Daphne doesn’t want to fall in love, because she unabashedly wants to the best Bounder ever, and she needs to be free of entanglements to do so. However, as written, Captain Fletcher is pretty irresistible—intelligent, kind, and willing to acknowledge Daphne’s strengths. It’s not surprising that Daphne falls in love with him. (I probably would, too.)

McShane introduces the main character for her next Extraordinaries novel here. She is Bess Hanley, an Extraordinary Speaker (someone who can telepathically speak with others, although she cannot hear their thoughts). Bess should be an interesting heroine, since she has a fairly severe visual impairment. I’m looking forward to learning more about her—it’s going to be a long wait for that next book!

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

I am greatly enjoying The Extraordinaries and book three continues the story of strong, talented women who overcome adversity with intelligence and will - and learn something more about their abilities in the process. With Abounding Might, we follow Daphne as she enters Napolonic era military service for the British crown. Daphne is an extraordinary bounder; she has the ability to traverse long distances and even take people or items along with her. Her travail will involve the repercussions of a debilitating reaction to the sigh of blood.

Story: The irrepressible Daphne, daughter and heir to a Marquess, is sent to the peninsula to rescue important officers from the height of battle. But on her first mission, the sight of the bloody battlefield causes her to temporarily black out, resulting in the death of the officer she meant to save. Her dreams of being the greatest bounder are dashed in that one event and she is sent in disgrace to act as a 'human chaise' for a diplomat's wife and family in India. But it is there that she meets the officers attempting to set up a British government in the wake of the collapse of the indigenous rulers. She will become embroiled in a conspiracy that soon mushrooms into a full blown revolt against British colonial rule.

I have greatly appreciated how each of the women have had very different personalities and temperaments. I am reminded most of the women in Jane Austen novels - intelligent, comfortable with themselves, but also making mistakes in finding their way and loves in the world. This is in direct contrast to so many romance novels these days where the heroine is full of energy but too often falls into the 'too stupid to live' or 'too lucky to be real' archetypes. There is a grounded realism to the characters in the Extraordinaries.

The 'magic' systems are well developed and it is quite obvious that author McShane has thought through how they work, their limitations and strengths, and how they can be most effectively used. As well, each of our extraordinary women are trialed and learn how to push their abilities further - often with dire consequences on their physical or mental health. There are smart imitations that keep the extraordinaries from being too powerful (aka the superman principle).

In addition to the well thought out magic, it's also clear that McShane has done her homework on the settings. Whether on board a naval ship, interacting in London Regency ton, or in Colonial India, she gets the facts straight. Yes, we do get the most common denominators - pirates in the caribbean, Almacks and the ton, the East India Company machinations in India. But I'd rather see the more obvious than to have someone playing light and fast with the facts simply because this is an historical urban fantasy rather than an historical.

We're set up for the next extradonary heroine as well - Bess, an extraordinary speaker. I greatly look forward to reading her story in the next book. If I have one nitpick about the series, it's that I would like the characters a bit more likable. Especially with Sophia in book 2 with her constant stubborness and Daphne in book three who could be a bit childish, it was hard to like the women at times. That did make them more nuanced but it also made it harder to connect to them and especially to appreciate or really like the very underdeveloped romances (which too often felt like insta-romance). Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Melissa McShane's Abounding Might is the Third installment in the authors’ The Extraordinaires series. The Extraordinaires is an alternate history Regency-era fantasy series that will apparently feature eight different women who have powerful magical talents. In this universe, there are two separate groups of talents: The Corporeal Talents (Mover, Sharper, Scorcher, and Bounder) & The Ethereal Talents (Seer, Speaker, Discerner and Coercer.) Each book follows one woman as she learns to use her magic to change the world.

The series begins in 1812 and, according to the author, will cover the final years of the Napoleonic Wars, culminating in a confrontation with Napoleon himself. If you have read the first two installments, or if you followed my reviews for the first two installments, you will know that Lady Daphne St. Clair appeared in Wondering Sight. Daphne is what the author is calling an Extraordinary Bounder. She can move from one place to another without passing through intervening space. Daphne has a minor issue with blood which was discovered at the end of Wondering Sight. Oh wait, that's not true. 

She has a major issue with blood which causes her to pass out which unfortunately causes the death of a superior officer. Like other Extraordinaires before her, Daphne agreed to a 4-year term of enlistment with the War Office. But, with her "condition," Daphne soon finds herself banished to India, and the East India Company to serve as the Governor-General's wife and children's transport to and from England. But, don't worry your little head that Daphne is going to be stuck as a glorified human transport. The thing you should understand about Daphne is that she wants to have adventures before she finally settles down to marry. 

She is an amazing Bounder who may be the most talented Extraordinary in the War Office. But, she is also prone to being called out for her short stature, and the fact that she is a woman which has been the case for all three women who the author has introduced. Daphne meets the dangerous & charming Captain Phineas Fletcher & ends up getting involved with life or death mystery against the East India Company. She develops a friendship with Miss Bess Henley, Extraordinary Speaker, and perhaps a future that even her parents would be proud of. Her actions in this book are amazing, and she has definitely become a heroine that readers will enjoy reading about. 

McShane has a tendency of introducing the next character in her books before they end up with a story of their own. One could presume that Bess would be the next protagonist, and that would be fine with me. Bess is a really interesting character who is nearly as important to what happens in this book as Daphne and Phin. But, I wouldn't wage money on that just yet. According to the author, she foresees Daphne in future installments as well. That's actually a very good idea.

It’s been awhile since I read the first book in this series and I unfortunately did not get the chance to read the second. Luckily for me they can each be read as stand-alone pieces in a bigger world so I had no trouble reading through this book and feeling right at home again in the world McShane has created.

Just as before, I come away from this book feeling like I had a grand adventure while still learning something new. Setting off to India and all of the intrigue and plots that followed there were a wonderful way to weave the stories of the characters and the book’s pace never slowed down to a point where it felt boring. I was always interested and engaged in what was going on, whether it be the romance, the secret war or just the average days of the characters, it was all meaningful.

The romance in this book was again very likable. Although I discovered toward the end of the book the courtship was much shorter than I thought, which makes you question the whole validity of the relationship, I still really liked Daphne and Fletcher together. Their mutual trust and respect for one another was wonderful and the things he said to her were just so adoring and honorable, how could you not fall for him. He was by far my favorite of all the characters in the book, although I wouldn’t mind learning more about Major Schofield or Bess, or any one of them for that matter, they were all intriguing their own ways.

I still wish there was more background on the abilities. While Fletcher’s Discerner ability has to be the most intriguing so far, I have to say I want to know more. There’s just enough there to know how things happen between the characters and of course, in regards to Daphne, the limits of their abilities, but there’s so much that still hasn’t been said. I guess in a way that’s what makes these books exciting and mysterious, not everything is explained, which keeps me coming back for more!

Overall I really enjoyed this third book. The plot was great, the setting was interesting, although I fully admit to being in the dark when it comes to past or present knowledge of India, and the characters were once again very dynamic. I’m so glad I got to revisit this blend of real and unreal world McShane has created. She’s such a talented and unique author who’s able to write stories with depth, heart and characters that you honestly like getting to know through the pages. I hope that if she writes more I will get to experience these future stories as well. I recommend this to any reader who loves adventure and a book that will sweep you up until the last minute.

"Abounding Might" continues the extraordinaries series with Daphne St. Clair, an Extraordinary Bounder (she can travel across great distances instantaneously). I had some mixed feelings about this book, although I loved the other two, and some of it was the main character, I think. Daphne is immature and falls into some stereotypes. She has a tendency to babble, does not quite fit into the regimented military lifestyle, and faints at the sight of blood. It is the latter which renders her useless to the War Office, as someone ends up getting killed because she faints and is unable to carry out her duty. In shame, she is sent to India to transport a military leader's wife and children back and forth to England as desired. This is a pretty simple task and well beneath her station as an extraordinary bounder.

While in India, she meets Captain Phinneas Fletcher, who is a Discerner, which means that he knows others' emotions when he touches them. This is often used in interrogations as he can tell whether someone is lying or not. Seeing her talents being wasted, he lobbies for her to come along with him on a mission to Madhyapatnam, where missionaries are stirring up trouble. In the course of investigating, they discover things are no so simple as they seemed and the dangers grow rapidly. Daphne is escorted by Bess, an Extraordinary Speaker (she can send thoughts into the minds of others), who I imagine will be featured in a future book (just a guess). Bess was very likable, although her role in this book was very small.

Daphne seemed incredibly young and while she seemed to try to resist the expectations of womanhood in the 1800s (e.g. marriage and a life of childcare), she seems to be somewhat overtaken by the idea of marriage in the later parts of the book. I found her to be really immature and I wasn't sure I liked her all that much, which made it hard for me to really invest in her story. Finn (Captain Fletcher) was an intriguing character, but his role was relatively small and we only really observed him when relevant to Daphne. The romance was rather slow, and I didn't find it well-developed.

I also had some concerns about sexism/racism with many of the events in the book. However, this is probably historically accurate as it was the 1800s and Britain was colonizing India. I liked in the previous books how the women were, for the most part, breaking through the boundaries of the past, and I didn't feel the same way in this book. I am sure someone else could describe it better, but it sometimes hit me the wrong way.

The first part of the book was pretty slow, but it really picked up after about halfway through, when we start to realize there is more going on in Madhyapatnam than we originally thought. Daphne's role in unraveling this mystery is more of a supporting one, as she really aids the people who are figuring it out, rather than getting involved in it herself. I would have liked to see her take more of a leading role in the investigation/actions. Overall, I felt this book was a bit borderline for me in terms of how much I enjoyed it (it was pretty hard to convince myself to keep reading to the end when the others were so engaging), which was a shame, as I loved the first two quite a bit. I am still interested in continuing the series, however.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

*I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

After the slightly disappointing second book (Wondering Sight--not a bad book, just not as good as the first one), I had my fingers crossed that Abounding Might would measure up to Burning Bright. I feel it was a solid comeback, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Although Lady Daphne St. Clair (21 now) sometimes bothered me in the previous book, I liked her a lot in this one. Yes, she still rambled a little bitt; for the most part, however, I think the time spent in service of the War Office between the other book and this one likely tempered her tendency to interrupt and speak seemingly without direction. Though she grows weak at the sight of blood, she is not a weak character and is determined throughout the book to prove herself. I appreciated her eventual willingness to not only accept that sometimes our plans change, but to embrace those changes that are better than what we previously had made. (Cryptic, much?) I liked how she pushed the limits of her Talent.

I have to say that I liked Captain Phinneas Fletcher (28) pretty much the same as Captain Miles Ramsey in the first book. Although now I can't honestly give you a good picture of his physical appearance (except tan and taller than Daphne), his character and personality are quite clear to me. He was open minded--accepting and interesting in the culture where he was serving (India). I liked that he didn't view the customs or beliefs of the people there with derision or condescension as some of his fellow officers. He was protective of Daphne but recognized her capability to get herself out of trouble. I enjoyed seeing how his Talent as a Discerner was utilized throughout the story, both with the political aspect and his dealings with Daphne.

Supporting characters were also well written. I wonder if Bess will have her own book in the series and if any of the other characters from this book (Ensign Phillips, Major Schofield, etc.) might play a part as well.

Something I've really been enjoying about this series is how seamlessly these Talents fit into the historical world. McShane makes them feel natural, not like I'm reading an obvious piece of fantasy. I also like the historical notes at the end, as well as the explanations of all the different Talents and Extraordinary Talents afterwards (Mover, Bounder, Scorcher, Shaper, Seer, Speaker, Discerner, Coercer).

I really look forward to reading the rest of the series as it comes out and am excited that there are a total of eight books planned--that's five more for me to read in this version of the Napoleonic Wars.

Note: A little mild swearing.

Melissa McShane crashes the superhero genre into Regency romance, by way of Napoleonic military adventure. The effect is... pleasing.

In part, it's pleasing because she has a sure hand on the wheel when it comes both to basic storytelling and the mechanics of grammar, punctuation, and word choice. There was nothing to distract or detract from my enjoyment of the characters, the plot, and the setting, and those elements were very well handled.

I much enjoyed the first in this series, <i>Burning Bright</i>, with a heroine who could control fire battling pirates in the early-19th-century Caribbean, and this volume is as good or better. Set in the British-dominated India of the East India Company during the Regency, it follows Lady Daphne, a teleporter ("Bounder") who is determined not to let her small stature or feminine nature prevent her from becoming famous for her skill. She lifts weights, since, to transport other people, she has to pick them up; and she chafes against, and often effectively circumvents, the restrictions imposed on her as a woman.

She does, at one point, make a less-than-sensible decision which leads to bad consequences, but it's a completely believable one (not just shoehorned in against character in order to complicate the plot), and she deals with the consequences with courage and determination. She's principled, intelligent, and in general exactly the kind of character I enjoy reading about. Her love interest, while perhaps a touch bland compared with her (since we're in her viewpoint throughout, we don't really get to see his inner life), is worthy and capable.

I wasn't sure I quite understood how the minor antagonist was disturbing the hero, though I do have a theory, which Daphne would realistically have been too naive to think of. Apart from that, everything was clear, and I didn't spot any plot holes or obvious historical gaffes.

A very sound effort, and I believe I'll pick up Book 2 and watch out for Book 4, if there is one. I received both Book 1 and Book 3 via Netgalley for purposes of review.

Once again I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Melissa McShane! Having not read the second book in the series yet, I did stumble a bit in the beginning as I was getting acclimated to the time that had passed between the first book and this one. However, I was able to easily follow along and became engrossed as the story picked up. Though I did find the heroine to not be as likeable, at least in the beginning, she quickly grew on me, and the hero was equally charming.

Lady Daphne St. Clair has been reassigned - to India - as nothing more than a human chaise conveying a lord's family back and forth from England. Having just failed on the battlefield, her mistake leading to a man's death, she reluctantly accepts her punishment. However, not long after arrival, she meets Captain Phineas Fletcher, a quiet yet charming Discerner, who is in need of a Bounder for an upcoming mission. Daphne, being an Extraordinary Bounder, is perfect for the job and quickly accepts, bringing along her newfound friend, Bess, an Extraordinary Speaker. Though both girls are there for a serious purpose, Daphne finds that love has a way of making itself known even at the most inconvenient of times. But what will happen when she inevitably returns to the battlefield and leaves the Captain behind?

Daphne and Finn complimented each other nicely! Daphne was headstrong, impulsive, and talkative, while Finn was reserved, steady, and quiet. I enjoyed seeing Finn come out of his shell when around Daphne, as her exuberance rubbed off on him, particularly when she Skips with him to an abandoned palace for a tour. It's an interesting change of roles, as Finn must place his life entirely in Daphne's hands. The role reversal was exciting, to say the least! I did find Daphne's behavior to be childish at times regarding her situation, considering that she was in India because she caused a man's death. It's not as if they are punishing her for no reason. She bucks up eventually, but there are moments throughout the story when her selfishness sneaks out. She checks herself and recognizes when she's doing it though, so that helps me get back on track in the story. Overall I loved her interactions with Finn, and they were a delightful couple!

As always, I highly recommend this book to my blog readers! Any book in this series is bound to be a delight, and I can't tell you how eager I am to see what's up next.