Rating: 5 Stars
Ziva is the only magical bladesmith in the world, and
she spends her days working on her craft with her sister Temra as her only company.
Her social anxiety, at times debilitating with panic attacks, makes it
uncomfortable for her to interact with anyone else. After creating a weapon
with too much power and dealing with a warlord bent on world domination, she
and her sister go on the run with a scholar and a mercenary to keep the blade
safe from anyone who would use it for ill intent.
Some authors use conditions like anxiety as a device
to make their characters more interesting, but Ziva’s portrayal felt realistic
and easy to empathize with. I appreciated how Kellyn, the love interest in the
book, adjusted the way he did things (without being asked) to make things
easier on Ziva. He did come across as arrogant at times, but his sweet and soft
side came out when dealing with his family or with Ziva.
Despite there being not one but two romances in this book, I think my favorite part was the sisterly bond between Temra and Ziva. It reminded me a lot of my own relationship with my sister. Despite Temra being the younger of the siblings, she is Ziva’s self-appointed protector. They seem somewhat opposite, as Temra is carefree and talented with a blade whereas Ziva is often troubled by the turmoil in her mind and has little talent with weapons despite her status as the Bladesmith.
I’ll definitely be picking up Master of Iron when it’s published in 2022. I need to know what happens after that cliffhanger.
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.
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