Elizabeth, Sara, and Helena investigate a barren field when one of the local farmers suggests that the women may find answers in a local monastery. Ferenc, meanwhile, suspects a dark magic spreading throughout the kingdom. As the three ladies reach the monastery, they discover the abbot to be ill. His illness has connections to Leona/Winnifred. As Elizabeth questions the frail old man, she wonders if he blessed the king’s daughter—an act that reveals the source of the baby’s curse. Elizabeth dispatches the old man and returns to speak with Winnifred. The two reaffirm their uneasy alliance. While the artwork remains good on this book, the story feels as though it drags along. Small revelations add some twists to the plot; however, the tame series of events in Elizabeth’s investigation into the dark magic doesn’t offer anything in the way of excitement.

This book’s slow burn of a build-up is now causing this title to smolder.

Score: 2/5

Writer: Troy Brownfield Artist: Fritz Casas Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/1/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital