The fugitive circus mates of Chantler's Three Thieves series are still on the run, but as the third instalment begins, our young tightrope-walker Dessa stumbles upon a kidnapping in progress and frees the manhandled prince. When the companions return the boy to his kingdom, Dessa finds that the bookish prince has fallen in love with her. There are heaps of charm in both Chantler's little twists on familiar fantasy-adventure standards and the snappy, colourful artwork. Most interestingly, however, is that amid the derring-do and royal intrigue, what you actually have here is a full-fledged romance. More so than the other episodes of the series, this one can stand well on its own, though it successfully expands on the growing epic.