Lady Knight/Tamora Pierce

Lady Knight (Protector of the Small, book 4), by Tamora Pierce; young adult; 464 pages (about 11 1/2 hours, listening)

The conclusion to this series was just as much fun as the rest of it. Kel's finally a full knight, just in time for a war with the country to the north. But instead of being on the front lines of battle, Kel's stuck running a refugee camp far from actual combat. Of course, trouble finds her before the book is out, so there's lots of action to entertain. There's no love interest for Keladry, which was also a refreshing change from previous Pierce series. As if to make up for that, we do get updates on characters from each of the previous two series, and their ongoing lives. This book was definitely scarier than some of the others, and the battle scenes more graphic, but I felt like it balanced it well with scenes of life outside of battles, and the aforementioned relationships. I loved this series, and can't wait to dive into the next one!