The Zodiac Legacy: The Balance of Power

Summary: Picking up right after the end of Book 2, Steven and the zodiac team embark on a perilous journey deep into the heart of a volcano to rescue their stolen powers and most importantly their kidnapped member. Just when the team has a sense of normalcy and can catch their breath, a shocking revelation unfolds as Steven's parent's arrive with a chilling video showcasing the dragon laying waste to an entire village, along with a sinister plot to wipe out humanity. Faced with this grave threat, the team is thrust into a race against time, grappling with the weight of responsibility and the daunting task of thwarting the dragon's catastrophic plans before it's too late. The stakes are higher than ever as they confront their most formidable adversary yet, pushing themselves beyond their limits in a desperate bid to save not only themselves but the entire human race from annihilation.

Suggested age rating: 15+ based on language, violence, and some indecency.

Review: After the disappointment of the previous installment, my expectations for the following novel were rather low. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the plot of the book immediately drew me in with its captivating start. The narrative continued to unfold in a way that kept me engaged, building up to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion for the series as a whole. While the storyline was strong, the same could not be said for the character development in this book. Unlike its predecessors, which excelled in portraying the growth and evolution of the characters, this novel seemed to stumble in that aspect. Steven, a character I had admired for his maturity and development in earlier books, regressed in this installment, coming across as a whiny teenager rebelling against everything, a trait that felt out of character based on his previous portrayals. Despite this setback in character development, I found myself truly enjoying the novel as a whole. The writing style and pacing kept me hooked, and the ending was executed flawlessly, leaving me satisfied and happy I pushed on to read the final installment. Overall, while the book may have had its flaws, the strengths of the plot and the overall storytelling overshadowed these shortcomings, resulting in a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Language: 5 he** and 1 da****.

Indecency/Sex: A girl and guy kiss, mention of a girl and guy being in love, and a character is described as being gay.

Violence and Gore: Mention of a character being dead, characters are hypnotized and mind controlled, a husband hits his wife, a dragon kills many people, and characters are injured and killed with guns, crossbows, and darts.

Frightening Scenes: None present.

Substance Abuse: A character is drugged.

Spiritual Content: Mention of chanting, monks, a mosque, gods, a character wrestling with their demons, a church is present and destroyed, and a character is said to not believe in any gods.

Genres: Fiction, middle grade, illustrations, science fiction, superheroes.