• Age: 10 to 14
• Grade: 5 to 9

Rowan faces her most dangerous monster-slaying challenge yet, confronting what could be the most infamous monster of all, in the third book in this fantastical series by New York Times bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.

Rowan is Tamarel's Royal Monster Hunter, and her twin brother, Rhydd, will be its king. After the events of The Gryphon's Lair, Rowan, along with her friends, her brother and an entourage of monstrous companions, makes her way back to the Dunnian Woods to deal with the pack of dropbears the group trapped in an abandoned cabin after a vicious attack. The dropbears are just one of a number of rare monster species acting erratically in Tamarel.

After a swarm of colocolos nearly tramples the group, Rowan becomes convinced that someone (or something) is driving these monsters out of their natural habitats. But nothing can prepare the Royal Monster Hunter for the truth of the matter: monsters even bigger and deadlier than gryphons have returned to the world, and their nest-building, as well as the actions of the humans trying to drive them out, has upset the balance of nature in Tamarel.

Do Rowan's "monster magnet" skills work against the most fearsome monsters imaginable? Find out in this exciting third book in the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series!

An illustrated guide to the creatures appears at the back of the book.

When librarians finally granted Kelley Armstrong an adult card, she made straight for the epic fantasy and horror shelves. She spent the rest of her childhood and teen years happily roaming fantastical and terrible worlds, and vowed that someday she'd write a story combining swords, sorcery, and the ravenous undead. That story began with the New York Times bestselling Sea of Shadows and continues with Empire of Night.

Armstrong's first works for teens were the New York Times bestselling Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising trilogies. She lives in rural Ontario with her husband, three children, and far too many pets.

Kelley Armstrong's profile page

• Short-listed, Aurora Award - Best YA Novel

One of CCBC’s Best Books for Kids and Teens, Fall 2021 — Starred Pick

“Armstrong immerses readers in her ever deepening external and internal worlds. . . . The fourth book cannot come fast enough.” —Kirkus Reviews

"This conclusion to the trilogy does the action-packed series justice." —School Library Journal
"The central, ongoing theme of wildlife management and protection is relevant, and it continues to be framed within a fun story. Those who enjoyed the first two novels will enjoy this one as well." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“There’s plenty of action and suspense for lovers of fantasy as Rowan finds that not all the danger in the woods comes from the monsters.” —Winnipeg Free Press