Wereworld #3: Shadow of the Hawk by Curtis Jobling

My name is Drew, and I woke up to find myself sold into slavery. The Werelord here expects me to fight and kill in the ring, but I refuse to do his bidding. The other gladiators have given up hope, but I'm slowly convincing some to consider escape. The Werecats have returned to Lyssia, and their evilness is spreading to the other kingdoms. I hear they helped King Leopold escape his imprisonment, but he was killed shortly after. The prince has taken his place, and I don't think that's any better. I hope my friend Hector is well and that he's been able to rescue Lady Gretchen. I hope he's fully recovered from communing with his dead father; that's very dangerous dark magic. It's time for me to accept my destiny to unite the seven kingdoms, but I hope it's not too late.

I've enjoyed Drew's plight, as he slowly brings hope to the citizens oppressed by the Werecats. However, violence and its graphic description are still central to the plot, and I'm still not crazy about how Hector's character has changed. The vile in his head is leading him astray, and he's slowly becoming another antagonist. Drew's character continues to be virtuous and compassionate toward the disadvantaged citizens. He constantly steps up to help others who might be bullied or abused. However, he frequently finds himself outmatched and in need of being rescued by one of his friends. Luckily, he makes many new talented friends along the way. I'm happy to see Drew finally seems to be making progress toward uniting different realms. He's been on the run since the start of book one and has been losing key supporters along the way. However, there's now hope of success leading into book four. Reunions between Drew and his brother and Drew and Hector seem inevitable, although the results should be dramatically different.