Interesting Opening

I'd never heard of this series before, so seeing that the excerpt is from the third book I didn't want to read too far and spoil it all for myself. But the opening couple of pages give a great opening for the reader to see what the series may be about. I liked the way it was written, I enjoyed the cadence of the text, and even the first page of the first chapter drew me in. The first book is going on my to-read shelf, even if I don't win, although I would love the chance to read these since they sound right up my alley. I'm intrigued, and want to know the whole story.