In the conclusion of the Pledge trilogy, Charlaina, usually called Charlie, has become queen of Ludania, but she can't escape the essence of the evil Sabara, which still lurks within her. Although she's determined to avoid a war with Queen Elena of Astonia, Charlie can't resist Elena's secret offer to rid her of Sabara's essence. She teams up with elite guard Eden and best friend Brooklynn to sneak out of the Capitol and trek to Astonia in disguise. She also hopes to rescue Xander, Eden's heartthrob and Max's brother, whom Elena captured and whose severed hand she sent to Charlie. Charlie also carries on her romance with Max, delivered with all the conventions of the genre, including sentence fragments and pages-long clinchés. The plot's suspense plays itself out effectively against the story's mix of medieval and modern elements. Charlie's characterization is not so successful, particularly when contrasted against such nifty secondary figures as Caspar, the sly young leader of a group of rogue children. Charlie herself suffers from nearly constant insecurity punctuated by momentary episodes of badass strength. These occur so seldom that the weakness wins, making Charlie seem more victim than heroine and prompting the author to resort to deus ex machina in the climactic scene. Entertaining, but not up to Derting's usual standards. (Paranormal suspense. 12 & up)

Gr 9 Up-Those who haven't read the previous titles in the "Pledge" series (S &; S) will be hard-pressed to jump into this trilogy's conclusion. Charlie of Ludania is still recovering from Queen Elena of Astonia's assassination attempt and trying to bring about change in her flawed realm. In an attempt to facilitate peace with Astonia, the young ruler has sent Niko (Sabara's ancient lover) and Xander on a diplomatic mission to Queen Elena-with catastrophic results. When the Astonian monarch sends Charlie a secret note that details a way in which the protagonist might avert the impending war between their queendoms, Charlie decides-rather foolishly-to take matters into her own hands. This novel tackles too many subjects: Charlie's love affair with Max, her relationship with her sister, the attempt to reinvigorate Ludania's technological and scientific achievements, and more. Despite all these trajectories, none are nuanced enough to propel the story. Instead, the plotlines feel like sidebars in a conversation that's mostly about a young queen trying to act like a warrior and embarking on an ill-advised attempt to end a war. The class division in her country-which was a major theme of the first two books-is not addressed sufficiently. Though character development is light, there are no shrinking violets in this title; Derting offers a cast of strong, independent women, which will entice young readers hungry for powerful female role models. Despite this, those who enjoyed the first two installments may find this conclusion too fractured. Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

In her first months as queen, Charlie has made advances both in relations with neighboring queendoms and in Ludania's treatment of its own citizens. Now she must find a way to avoid war with Astonia and destroy the Essence of the former queen, Sabara. This underwhelming conclusion resolves most of the series' plot threads, but character development is nonexistent.