Empress Stela returns in the third book of the Realm of Hulsteria series, preparing for what may be her most difficult challenge yet as Empress, and as a mother. Braynard continues to influence the decisions of everyone in the known kingdoms, including Stela, as he pushes them towards an impending war. The known kingdoms, as well as a newly discovered realm, will find themselves in the middle of an ancient battle between God and the goddess Diana. As the servants of both deities struggle to gain the upper hand in the fight, shocking events will have not only Stela, but also her friends and allies, questioning her state of mind. Can she learn to control her newly uncovered powers? Or will she break and allow her powers to control her, destroying all that she holds dear?

Making of a Magister is the perfect continuation of the two preceding books in the Realm of Hulsteria series (Making of an Empress and Making of a Warrior). We see the return of many of the core characters from the previous books, whose personalities and history are pursued even more deeply in this work. We also are introduced to some new characters, who are equally as well written. The interactions between the characters are natural and very well written. The scenery is described in vivid enough detail that it is easy to visualize where the characters are, but the descriptions aren’t so overwhelming that they choke out the story. Overall, it’s a very pleasing read!

Making of a Magister by Frank David is Volume 3 in the Realm of Hulsteria series. I read Volume 2, Making of a Warrior, before I read this one. Both books are great, and though they are about the life of one very special woman, the books are complete novels in themselves. I would recommend reading them in order, but I did not feel that reading them out of order took anything away from my enjoyment of either book or the series itself. This series and this book are just that good. I like action. I like love. I like drama and I like suspense. Making of a Magister has all of this and more. I compare Frank David to George R.R. Martin because Hulsteria reminds me of Westeros. There are plenty of detailed descriptions and vivid details in Making of a Magister and I found many more cleverly constructed conversations with rich dialogue, and that is what I like. I like this kind of royal family drama.

The characters are the strongest feature and the thing I loved most about Making of a Magister. I liked Roderick from page one and his grandfather Antonio and his sister, the empress Stela. I enjoy tales of royalty and royal families so much. It is probably a result of reading and loving English history so much. I have met many readers who also love the family aspect of royal history. Making of a Magister shows royalty at its best and its worst, and this is what makes the series and each individual book a real contender for bestseller status. I am following this series. I read book one in this series a couple of weeks ago. I plan to follow this story to the end. So far it has been one of the best series I've read in the last couple of years. This is one of those familiar worlds where a reader can get very comfortable with the characters, the world, and the story.