#Review - Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller #YA #Fantasy

Series: Bladesmith # 1
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

In the first book in Tricia Levenseller's exciting new YA fantasy duology, a teenage blacksmith with social anxiety is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she's ever made.

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 distractedly 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. 

Blade of Secrets is the first installment in author Tricia Levenseller's Bladesmith duology. Eighteen-year-old Ziva Tellion prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her. She is known for being the only magical smitty in existence and her Zivan blades are legendary. People come from all over the world seeking out her weapons. The bulk of her customers are mercenaries, sellswords, and fighters for hire. But things are going to quickly change for Ziva and her younger sister. Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord named Kymora Avedin. Kymora was once the King's General and now has her own army. She is powerful and deadly. After Ziva sees a gorgeous man walking by her shop, she ends up putting her emotions into the broadsword she built.  

She ends up creating a Sword of Secrets. The most powerful magical sword ever known. One of the many sword’s magical abilities is that with a drop of blood, the sword and the swordbearer will know your secrets and your intent. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister, Temra, and leaves everything behind. Joined by a Kellyn Derinor, a mercenary, motivated by the money Ziva can pay and the offer of a custom weapon, and a young scholar named Petrik 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 way to destroy it entirely. The problem is that nobody betrays Kymora and gets away with it. 

So, the four end up hightailing it from place to place trying to stay away from the high bounties placed on Ziva's head. Ziva will do anything to protect Temra. This is a bit of a quest novel, except they are trying to outrun someone rather than find something. A lot of the book is spent as the four main characters are on the road, trying to find someplace safe to stay, as well as discover some way that Ziva might be able to destroy or hide her powerful weapon. It is also a beautiful thing seeing how the sisters get along. Temra is a free spirit, social butterfly and well able to protect herself and Ziva with both blade and her wits. She has always been at the forefront trying to protect her older sister who raised them after their parents were murdered. 

Ziva's social anxiety is presented very authentically throughout the book. It’s not a feature of the story, and yet it does effect every part of the book. It’s a very powerful part of the book and the way Ziva thinks, reacts and guards herself is a genuine reflection of her anxiety. Ziva's conflict/affection for Kellyn is something new for Ziva. Even though they start out at odds and often argue, as they journey together, Ziva learns a little more about his motives and history and continually surprises herself with how her feelings change towards Kellyn. I dare say that there are two romances in this book and it will be interesting to see if either pans out. 

The good and the bad. 1. The book ends on a cliffhanger. 2. This is only a duology which means that we shouldn't have to wait 2 years to find out a resolution to Ziva's story and what happens next.

 

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