Skykeepers: Final Prophecy, Book 3    by Jessica Andersen Order:  USA  Can Signet, 2009 (2009) Paperback      Reviewed by Martina Bexte Sasha Ledbetter never had an easy relationship with her father Ambrose; the professor's obsession with Mayan ritual and doomsday prophesies caused a permanent rift between them. When Ambrose goes missing in the Yucatan, she's determined to find him or, worst-case scenario, recover his body for a proper burial. She soon discovers, however, that Ambrose wasn't alone in his mad ravings. Men belonging to what she believes to be a demon worshipping cult (controlled by a man calling himself Iago) hold her captive and demand she reveal the location of a sacred Mayan library that holds the secrets to releasing powerful underworld demons. Michael Stone has spent his life battling his darker half, a persona he's dubbed the Other. In an effort to control his murderous urges he enlists in law enforcement and is recruited by a shadowy Black Ops organization that allows Michael to assuage the Other's appetites. Once he embraces his new role as Nightkeeper mage however, he must once again battle the powerful voice inside him that demands he embrace the underworld. To quell that voice, even for a short time, he joins his fellow Nightkeepers in a dangerous rescue mission to find Sasha Ledbetter before Iago gets his hands on the ancient scrolls that could doom humankind to a dark and bloody future. The first two Final Prophecy instalments suffered from Andersen's penchant for wordiness as well as an overabundance of hero angst. While the author still leans toward long and repetitive exposition, she's created a fascinating hero in Michael Stone. His conflicted persona carries the story with aplomb as he battles to either control or give in to his ultra dark alter ego. Adding even more zest to the story is a very tough and determined heroine and love interest in Sasha, a briskly paced and action packed plotline, and interesting dashes of Mayan history. Skykeepers is definitely the best of the series thus far and will leave readers wondering what new enemies the Nightkeepers must battle as the doomsday clock continues counting down to 12/21/2012. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews