You tell me magical blacksmithing and I’m sold. Even so I was a little wary because I’ve heard a lot about this author and wasn’t sure if we would get along. But I actually loved Blade of Secrets so much! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Eighteen-year-old Ziva prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her, using her magical gift to craft unique weapons imbued with power.
Then Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord, and the result is a sword capable of stealing its victims’ secrets. A sword that can cut far deeper than the length of its blade. A sword with the strength to topple kingdoms. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister and flees.
Joined by a distractingly handsome mercenary and a young scholar with extensive knowledge of the world’s known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a worthy wielder or a way to destroy it entirely.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: attempted sexual assault, anxiety, panic attack
Blade of Secrets was an engaging and steady paced series opener. It’s been a while since I was just carried away by a book, but Blade of Secrets did that. Maybe it was the fact that sisters ended up being such a strong core of the book, but I was so engaged! At the same time, Blade of Secrets asks us how complicit we are. As a weaponsmith, is Ziva responsible for the damage her weapons do? Is she as guilty as the blade wielders?
While Blade of Secrets just briefly touches upon that theme, Ziva was a character who unexpectedly stole my heart. How she’s so scared of being close to someone, of that fear of not knowing, of possibly being hurt. The ways she holds her fears close to her heart, opens up to her vulnerabilities, I loved Ziva and her character growth. As a whole, Blade of Secrets just flew by. It hooked me and the steady pacing allowed me to fall into the book. There’s a great combination of action as well as character development.
Ultimately if you love the idea of magical blacksmithing, sister relationships, and the idea of picking up a new series, check out Blade of Secrets. I ended up reading this in a few days I was so hooked!
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Find Blade of Secrets on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.