pub: Pyr/Prometheus Books. 299 page enlarged paperback. Price: $16.00 (US). ISBN: 978-1-61614-543-9).

check out websites: www.pyrsf.com and www.kriswrites.com

'Boneyards' the third and final book in Kristine Kathryn Rusch's series, jumps five years ahead from the second book, 'City Of Ruins', with Boss and her team joined by Cooper and Yash from the Dignity Vessel Ivoire, brought forward five thousand years from the distant past as they seek out other derelict vessels before the Enterran Empire grabs them. The alleged stealth technology is actually anacapa space-folding technology and only Boss' team knows this and a need to keep it out of the Empire's hands.

In the meantime, former member of her team Squishy has destroyed an Empire stealth-tech satellite base and faces being imprisoned or give away her secrets. Along the way, we visit different times in her past which, I have to confess, comes over more as padding that could have been better used elsewhere.

After discovering a spaceship graveyard encased by a force field and probably more Dignity Vessels concealed in it, Boss discovers Squishy's problem and has to persuade Cooper and his military expertise and team to help rescue her.

I hate saying this after such an interesting middle book, but Rusch really felt like she was running out of steam with the final book. Even the lack of detail towards the end and saying what was going to happen next kinda belays the book title. Granted Squishy needed rescuing but the title suggested that we were going to see what happened to the main fleet and sadly, this isn't the case. Rusch is so much better than this and it seems a shame that this book series ended so unsatisfying.

GF Willmetts