Hidden by Jade - Razor's Edge Chronicles #5 Paperback

Apiya has come a long way from being a mere barber to the magical beings of Panong
You gotta love a heroine who will put herself in danger to help a friend out. In Hidden-by-Jade, Apiya does just that. But in doing so, she will bring even more trouble to herself. And if you have been reading the series, you know that her friends will try to help her, but in the end, Apiya is the one that does all the heavy lifting. Still, friends are good.
Unless that friend is Sarroch. That particular relationship is getting quite complicated. Sarroch's wife hates Apiya, but has struck a bargain with her (agreeing not to kill Apiya). Sarroch knows nothing of the bargain. And it is beginning to look like Apiya will not be able to fulfill her side of the bargain. Our heroine's Mayak friends seem to cause nothing but trouble.
By the end of Hidden-by-Jade, the reader comes to realize that Apiya has come a long way from being a mere barber to the magical beings of Panong. And she still has a long way to go. The story will continue
Honestly, the Razor's Edge Chronicles is my favorite series of the year. It has several things going for it. First, rapid release. 5 books so far in 2021. Short books yes, but 5 books. There is an engaging, quirky heroine who never met cat, dog, turtle, etc. she didn't like. She lives in a fascinating city. There is a cat ' a talking cat ' with so much attitude and ego he is impossible not to love. Plus the usual non-stop action, magic, danger and hope.
Many thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

Very little resolution
**minor spoilers**
This book starts out with Apiya dealing with the revelations and repercussions from the events that happened at the end of the last book, Marked-by-Azurite. She is scared yet chafing at the need for her to stay in her home. Add to that the fact that she cannot get in touch with Ilmu and you have a recipe for poor choices. Which she makes, unfortunately. In the end, she is able to help Ilmu but lands herself in even deeper trouble than she already was.
There were many interesting aspects to this book. For instance, we meet quite a few more Mayak and learn a little more about those we have already met. It also brings the fact that they are definitely not benevolent beings even more into focus. The author also explores the ideas of existence and the remorse that comes when someone is forced to do something terrible, even if it is for a good reason. I found how Apiya and Ilmu physically travel through Ilmu's memories to be very intriguing. That being said, I will admit I found myself very frustrated with Apiya and her choices. In each book she gets herself into worse and worse tangles, and even though Chai talks sense to her and Sarroch talks sense to her, she still goes off to do something incredibly hare-brained. She always has a good reason in her head as to why she should do it but when things go sideways, she always looks outside herself for resolution. And to be honest, what happens between her and Sarroch at the end of the book was a little questionable, given that Sarroch is magically bonded/married to Yue, also a little confusing. Still, I felt like maybe the author is bringing Apiya to a cusp, putting her in a position where she will have to grow and become self-reliant. I guess we will see.
I received an ARC of this book and choose to voluntarily leave my honest review.

What an amazing installment to this series.
It's packed full of new insights into the world of the Mayak where no one agrees on what's best for their society, conflict and strife abound, and everyone discounts the importance and value of those not like themselves. Sound familiar? This installment also builds on the romantic triangle that started to develop in Marked-by-Azurite. Hidden-by-Jade was a very fun read, and my only disappointment is that I'll now need to wait for the next installment. Really looking forward to it though.
If you're new to this series, it's worthwhile to start with the first book 'Touched-by-Magic'. The author Celine Jeanjean also has free short stories to introduce this series as well as her 'Viper and the Urchin' series if you sign up for her newsletter.