Books like Dark Moon Defender

Highly recommended to fans of the sword & sorcery / romantic fantasy genres.Well, Sharon Shinn is the effing uncrowned Queen of Political Intrigue in the romantic fantasy genre, and no mistake. I am reading the paperback format & kind of missing Jennifer van Dyck’s excellent reading it aloud to me – but the audiobook series switched to a male narrator whom I did not particularly like after having been offered a sample.I did not like the book as much as the first 2 installments of the series, but it was a very enjoyable read anyway & earns a solid four stars from me.It is Justin’s story, and as he is on a „lonely” assignment to spy on Coralinda Gisseltess & her Lumanen Convent, we do not get as many circle-of-friends-moments as I would have liked. Whenever all the 6 friends (Senneth, Tayse, Justin, Cammon, Kirra & Donnal) are together, those are always the most powerful-joyful parts of all the books of the Twelve Houses series for me. However scarce, when we they occur in Dark Moon Defender, they are always full of excitement & moving moments. As other reviewers pointed out, the story in general does not move forward a great deal. The Twelve Houses are still plotting for or against King Baryn or try to stay neutral. Everybody is still assessing the odds of war or peace though it is becoming more pronounced who allies with whom. Yet, you can feel a kind of eye of the storm calmness that will most probably culimnate in the fourth book, Reader & Raelynx. Nevertheless, the individual storylines picked up from Books 1 & 2 are developing absolutely to my liking and also enough happens with the friends and Justin & Ellynor that I never found the overall pacing dragging.We are shown life - seemingly pious and innocent- in the Lumanen Convent & but at the same time we get the overall workings of dangerous and alluring fundamentalism through the worshiping of the moon goddess, the Pale Mother. This goddess is used by a blindly fanatic, ambitious Coralinda & her followers to further their own vicious causes in killing others who are mostly harmless, only different than they are. We are shown that not all followers are that devoted or vicious, yet how much harm they cause by standing by mutely or unaware of what is committed on behalf of deity. What I liked: - Senneth & Tayse’s overall storyline. I was so happy for them.- Cammon being able to „feel” Justin’s distress & need for help over hundreds of miles - Finally we are introduced to House Brassenthwaite & Senneth’s brothers in person. I love what happened there. :)- The pairing of Casserah Danalastrous & Will Brassenthwaite- Sabina’s storyline, how she ends up being helped both by Ellynor, Justin and the Senneth.- The Friendship Bond (view spoiler)[ and Wedding Ceremony (hide spoiler)]