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Calanar Series #3

House of Cards

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The stakes have never been higher

Just when Kira Talon is sure her life couldn’t go better, the unthinkable she’s found out her beloved brother is alive.

But when she chooses to remain behind in one of the nonmagical cities to find him, she has no idea how much everything is about to change.

Because her brother isn’t in the city—he’s fled into the brutal, nearly uninhabitable Wastes, one step ahead of the Talented.

If Kira wants to find him, that’s where she’ll have to go, too.

With no time to contact Trevor Harrison for help, she joins a group of Resistance fighters and their strange Traveler guides, intent on locating her brother in one of the ruined cities. But she soon discovers her allies aren’t what they seem, and that their fanatical plans could destroy all of Calanar—including New Argana.

Desperate, injured, and alone, Kira must find her way back home, and hope she isn’t too late to prevent an apocalypse.

But even with Harrison’s magical might backing her up, their mad, untested plan still may not be enough.

Revisit Calanar, where magic reigns supreme—and where those without it resort to deadly measures to escape its stranglehold on their lives.

No familiarity with the Alastair Stone Chronicles series is necessary to enjoy this book.

539 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2022

32 people are currently reading
17 people want to read

About the author

R.L. King

70 books334 followers
R. L. King is the author of the Amazon-bestselling urban fantasy series The Alastair Stone Chronicles.

When not doing her best to make life difficult for her characters, she works as a software technical writer for a large Silicon Valley database company.

She also freelances for Catalyst Game Labs, publisher of the popular roleplaying game Shadowrun, where she's contributed fiction and game material to numerous sourcebooks and one full-length adventure, "On the Run," which was included as part of the 2012 Origins-Award-winning "Runners' Toolkit."

Her first novel in the Shadowrun universe, "Borrowed Time," was published in Spring 2015. She's working on her second Shadowrun novel, "Veiled Extraction," which will be released in late 2016 or early 2017.

When not writing or working, she enjoys hanging out with her very understanding spouse and her small herd of cats, and watching way too much Doctor Who.

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5 stars
204 (76%)
4 stars
49 (18%)
3 stars
11 (4%)
2 stars
2 (<1%)
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Tami.
217 reviews5 followers
October 1, 2022
Amazing finale to the trilogy!

Loved learning the backstory to Trevor and the new characters of Calanar. Kira is a fascinating persona, getting magic later in life, finding the people in her life that helped her to become such a strong woman. This final book in the trilogy brings the Wastes into play,and the Travelers, who help her survive an injury and get her back to civilization. She helps save her home, finds people to bring into it, brings closure to past hurts and finds Trevor's past. A great finjsh, although I hope there might be future books with more Kira and crew.
Profile Image for Renee Minor-Ramage.
140 reviews
October 13, 2022
Awesome story!!

For us Alistair Stone fans, we've been enamored with Calanar for a long time. This is the third in that trilogy. It is a great stand alone series if you haven't read the Stone Chronicles. However you do need to start with book one. But it's totally worth it!! I'm begging R.L keeps this series going and doesn't end here. There's so much more we need to know!!!! Begging, bribing whatever it takes!!
2 reviews
October 7, 2022
Absolutely Magical!

R.L. King has delivered another masterpiece in House of Cards: Calanar Book Three. There are a multitude of plot twists, intriguing characters and settings. I simultaneously wanted to speed read and slow down to stretch it out. Fingers crossed more books are forthcoming in the series.
Profile Image for Jerry.
10 reviews
February 8, 2023
The entire trilogy was phenomenal. World building, plot, character development, visualizations, etc. just everything. I’ve read everything written by the author, and this trilogy really should continue as it’s own series. There is so much more about this world, and it’s connection to earth, that I want to know about.
Profile Image for Paige Guido.
198 reviews5 followers
September 30, 2022
This was always intended as a limited series, but Kira, Harrison and Calanar are so interesting, compelling... I'd love to see more, especially with other Talented who aren't the sneering sadists most depicted here.
A great end to the series, but... Please, Ma'am, may I have some more?
11 reviews
October 6, 2022
Damn Good Read

I have read everything this author has written and could
Not be happier. If you are looking for a series start with the Alistair Stone books and then move into this series. It is fantastic with great character progression and a strong storyline
21 reviews
October 12, 2022
Loved this book

This was a completely satisfying end to a great trilogy. I love these characters and was very intrigued about the new information we learned about Trevor. I just hope that the story continues in further books because there is still so much more left to discover.
Profile Image for Tim.
25 reviews
October 15, 2022
Magnificent trilogy of books

A superb story in a world where magic is everyday but human problems are as tough as always, so well told and relatable I already wish there were more to read from Calanar. A triumph of reading, I very highly recommend!
321 reviews5 followers
October 4, 2022
Excellent

Calanar Forever !!! I hope 🙏 this isn't the last book 📗 in the series. This was excellent. Stone would be proud.
4 reviews
October 30, 2022
Always a Great Read!

This was great! Hated to see the trilogy end and am hoping the author decides to give us more on Calanar as well as Happenstance and Braun. Be sure to check out the Alastair Stone Chronicles.
68 reviews
December 9, 2024
What a harrowing ride

Activated Mr imagination and whisk me to Cleaner where Trevor, Kids and Erring reign ready and willing to take on the challenges of the faint oh heart.
64 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2025
Another great read by RL King

I have enjoyed every book in the Alistair Stone and adjacent series’s. They always keep me coming back for more.
Profile Image for Lady Mockingbird.
215 reviews9 followers
January 10, 2023
Lots of tense moments.

Good world building, continued from the previous two books in this trilogy. Characters are multidimensional, and interesting. It's core is about the struggles of a disenfranchised people, those without magic, and the elite and often needlessly cruel society who dominate. Plus, a small few of those with power who want change, but must move in secret or be killed for their empathy.
Profile Image for Robyn Gregory.
24 reviews
March 1, 2025
Incredible ending to the trilogy!

This was a wonderful way to end the trilogy. I am a visual person so it definitely fulfilled that part of me.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews