Up until now, each book of the Street Rats of Aramoor series has focused on different tribe of kids, and the time has come focus on Ayrion's own tribe, Avalanche. Yes, technically Ayrion started in a different tribe that has already had a book, but let's not quibble right off the bat. This is the finale of the series and Michael Wisehart uses it to bring back some key characters from prior books into one final adventure before Ayrion moves on to become the Guardian Protector of the King. Like a meal full of comfort food in front of a warm fire, this book seems to have everything a fan of the series would want in a finale, but how is the story itself?

Ayrion finds himself overworked and stretched thin as he tries to fight in two wars at the same time, one for his King, in the battle between Elondria and Cylmar, and the other for his friends, as Sandstorm tries to eliminate Avalanche from existence. Ayrion is the focal point of both battles, and is able to use his unique relationships with the Queen and the Prince to bring resources to the table to help Avalanche, while also solidifying his future as Protector of the King.  It was fun to have the crew of the Wind Binder involved and it was the memory lane aspect of this one that really carries the day, because some other aspects of the book are just not the same as the earlier entries in the series.

Ayrion is 20 years old now and a Lancer, so he isn't really a street rat any longer. Combine that with the fact that Avalanche lives in a mansion, has 2 carriages with a  driver, as well as a chef and a bard, and none of it feels like a street rat story any longer. In fact, the whole sequence where Avalanche hosts the crew of the Wind Binder to a lavish multi-course meal was so extreme in its opulence that I knew that Wisehart had gone way too far. But if you can push aside logic and just focus on the characters, there is a lot to enjoy here.

As always Tim Gerard Reynolds delivers a great performance as the narrator of the audiobook version, and I recommend listening to the entire series as he just makes it all better.