kelsjreads's review
4.0
*4.5⭐️ i didn’t realise how badly i needed to feel seen in a book & to remind myself it’s not just me, until this one.
carahamelie's review
3.0
Not bad... not amazing. A little on the basic side, and probably something I will end up forgetting in the long run. I did love that the main character had social anxiety. It made her feel a little more unique, and less like a character I have read hundreds of times. As for the romance, there was definitely something missing for me.... not sure if I will read the next book, if I do.. it will have to be soon, or else I never will.
caromalfe's review
3.0
The only thing that made me finish this book was Tricia Levenseller’s writing. But I have to say that there were scenes when I hate the protagonist. But I believe is my fault for reading a book where the female lead was weak and had serious social anxiety problems, when I cannot stand those type of women in books. I was warned and I took the risk and the story wasn’t all bad. But ziva’s personality was a huge no no for me. I wanted to throttle her most of the time and sometimes kick her
haynoelle96's review
5.0
Okay. I haven't read a book this good in AGES. Tricia Levenseller, you did it again!! Please please please read this book, it's totally worth it and has EVERYTHING.
This book is about a pair of sisters and their quest to protect the most magical weapon one of them has ever made. Ziva is a blacksmith and has been for years, she likes the safety of her forge. It helps her quell the anxiety in her. But what makes her special is her ability to imbue magic into her weapons. Ziva unwillingly promises to make a weapon for someone that has nefarious reasons when Ziva only wants to help make the world a safer place. In order to keep the weapon safe, Ziva, her sister, and their two companions travel across their country to make sure the weapon doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
Fine, I'll admit it. I'm certainly a character-driven reader. And this book? Hooked me right from the start with the descriptions of Ziva's anxiety. And her relationship with her sister. This is one of the first books I've read in a while with a sibling relationship that was just perfect. They didn't hate each other, but they bickered like siblings. One of them wasn't DEAD (believe me, this trope gets on my nerves) and they both worked together in order to live. I would consider the book to have one main character, based on the fact that it is first person, but the three side characters (Ziva's sister, and their two companions) really get depth and character development along the way. This book makes you fall in love with the characters, makes you feel their pain and their victories. I cannot rave enough about how these characters are written.
I legit could not put this book down once I started. The pacing wasn't too fast that I couldn't understand the world-building and the magic system of the story, but it kept you engaged the ENTIRE time. I was never bored, nor were there any info-dumps that I felt were out of place. This is a fantasy novel, don't get me wrong, but if you're one of those people that is afraid of high fantasy, this might be a good segue book for you. It was fast-paced, not too complicated, and just out of this world.
One thing you have to know going into this book is that there are instances of our main character having anxiety/panic attacks. If you reading this would cause a bad reaction, I would just proceed with caution. I felt the author handled this extremely well and with care. As one with anxiety myself, I was really excited to read a fantasy novel that has a main character with anxiety. All anxiety is different and mine isn't exactly like hers, but it made me feel like I was represented. The scenes given were extremely relatable and I'm glad Tricia Levenseller included this in her book.
The plot of this book, while simple, gave a lot of opportunity for character growth and action. The writing and characters gave life to this plot and allowed for such a book to grow into the excellent work of fiction that it is. My spoiler thoughts will be below!!
If you are at all interested in a magical blacksmith with anxiety and her sister going on an adventure to prevent a powerful weapon from falling into the wrong hands, then please give this book a try. Tricia Levenseller deserves so much for this book and more people should know her name. This is one of my favorites this year for sure!! Happy Reading!!!!
The couple twists and turns that our group faces are well placed and while expected, also not expected. You know that there's more to Kellyn that meets the eye is obvious, but him having a whole-ass family and that's why he earns money as a mercenary???? Precious. And those family scenes give me LIFE. And the fact that Petrik is Kymora's son??? I knew something was up with him but not that!!!! Consider me shook.
Having a sibling relationship like Ziva and Temra's was so great and well-written and while there were normal bumps and bruises, they ended strong and I can't wait to see what's in store for them in the next installment. Especially with that magical healer that Petrick has told them about. Intriguing to say the least.
I was a little irritated that Ziva was mad at Kellyn for not running and getting Temra to safety when they were fighting Kymora, but I have a feeling that will be resolved in the sequel. But those scenes of Ziva and Kellyn getting closer just warm my heart. And how Kellyn handled her anxiety and didn't judge her for it was really special and sweet.
This book is about a pair of sisters and their quest to protect the most magical weapon one of them has ever made. Ziva is a blacksmith and has been for years, she likes the safety of her forge. It helps her quell the anxiety in her. But what makes her special is her ability to imbue magic into her weapons. Ziva unwillingly promises to make a weapon for someone that has nefarious reasons when Ziva only wants to help make the world a safer place. In order to keep the weapon safe, Ziva, her sister, and their two companions travel across their country to make sure the weapon doesn't fall into the wrong hands.
Fine, I'll admit it. I'm certainly a character-driven reader. And this book? Hooked me right from the start with the descriptions of Ziva's anxiety. And her relationship with her sister. This is one of the first books I've read in a while with a sibling relationship that was just perfect. They didn't hate each other, but they bickered like siblings. One of them wasn't DEAD (believe me, this trope gets on my nerves) and they both worked together in order to live. I would consider the book to have one main character, based on the fact that it is first person, but the three side characters (Ziva's sister, and their two companions) really get depth and character development along the way. This book makes you fall in love with the characters, makes you feel their pain and their victories. I cannot rave enough about how these characters are written.
I legit could not put this book down once I started. The pacing wasn't too fast that I couldn't understand the world-building and the magic system of the story, but it kept you engaged the ENTIRE time. I was never bored, nor were there any info-dumps that I felt were out of place. This is a fantasy novel, don't get me wrong, but if you're one of those people that is afraid of high fantasy, this might be a good segue book for you. It was fast-paced, not too complicated, and just out of this world.
One thing you have to know going into this book is that there are instances of our main character having anxiety/panic attacks. If you reading this would cause a bad reaction, I would just proceed with caution. I felt the author handled this extremely well and with care. As one with anxiety myself, I was really excited to read a fantasy novel that has a main character with anxiety. All anxiety is different and mine isn't exactly like hers, but it made me feel like I was represented. The scenes given were extremely relatable and I'm glad Tricia Levenseller included this in her book.
The plot of this book, while simple, gave a lot of opportunity for character growth and action. The writing and characters gave life to this plot and allowed for such a book to grow into the excellent work of fiction that it is. My spoiler thoughts will be below!!
If you are at all interested in a magical blacksmith with anxiety and her sister going on an adventure to prevent a powerful weapon from falling into the wrong hands, then please give this book a try. Tricia Levenseller deserves so much for this book and more people should know her name. This is one of my favorites this year for sure!! Happy Reading!!!!
Spoiler
Ohhhh boy, seeing the romance behind the scenes of this book was EVERYTHING to me. I love romance, I'm a romance reader, so the fact that Tricia Levenseller added romance to this book with how short it was and she made it quality???? Dang girl. You deserve all the props.The couple twists and turns that our group faces are well placed and while expected, also not expected. You know that there's more to Kellyn that meets the eye is obvious, but him having a whole-ass family and that's why he earns money as a mercenary???? Precious. And those family scenes give me LIFE. And the fact that Petrik is Kymora's son??? I knew something was up with him but not that!!!! Consider me shook.
Having a sibling relationship like Ziva and Temra's was so great and well-written and while there were normal bumps and bruises, they ended strong and I can't wait to see what's in store for them in the next installment. Especially with that magical healer that Petrick has told them about. Intriguing to say the least.
I was a little irritated that Ziva was mad at Kellyn for not running and getting Temra to safety when they were fighting Kymora, but I have a feeling that will be resolved in the sequel. But those scenes of Ziva and Kellyn getting closer just warm my heart. And how Kellyn handled her anxiety and didn't judge her for it was really special and sweet.
abigail98's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kimberlyyyreads's review
5.0
*4.5
AHH
THIS BOOK
THIS BOOK
SO MUCH TO SAY
I have to start off with Ziva, I could connect to Ziva in many ways. I liked how her anxiety was a constant thing throughout the book and wasn’t dismissed at the beginning. I also enjoyed having the argument that Ziva and Temra about Ziva not feeling comfortable or safe anywhere, although Temra said it in a blunt way I feel as if it was sorta needed for both Ziva and Temra.
I loved Kellyans character as well!! I absolutely adored the fact that he was patient with Zivas anxiety and was at time understanding of her. The ending upset me tho because I knew that he was gonna protect Ziva instead of Temra
AHH
THIS BOOK
THIS BOOK
SO MUCH TO SAY
I have to start off with Ziva, I could connect to Ziva in many ways. I liked how her anxiety was a constant thing throughout the book and wasn’t dismissed at the beginning. I also enjoyed having the argument that Ziva and Temra about Ziva not feeling comfortable or safe anywhere, although Temra said it in a blunt way I feel as if it was sorta needed for both Ziva and Temra.
I loved Kellyans character as well!! I absolutely adored the fact that he was patient with Zivas anxiety and was at time understanding of her. The ending upset me tho because I knew that he was gonna protect Ziva instead of Temra
breesel's review
5.0
now when i read the blurb months ago and saw that ziva had anxiety, i knew i had to read this.. ziva the MC has social anxiety and i’ve never felt so seen in a fantasy book before???? it made me so genuinely happy to see this sort of anxiety rep in a book, especially in a fantasy setting.
the first thing i noticed was that i loved how fast paced this book was! lots of fantasy books have tons of world building that can be draining to read sometimes, but it was a light read and understandable. if you’re looking for something like that, this is for you!.
anotber thing i loved was the group of characters the book followed and the sisterly bond between ziva and temra. temra is quite literally zivas opposite and sometimes acts as ziva’s buffer in most social settings, whereas the other two other characters come in a little later. seeing all four of the characters relationships grow through this book was really nice to read especially when they would open up more to eachother (specifically zivas anxiety i literally never felt so called out)
this book does have romance in it! it’s definitely not the main focus but it’s there! ziva and kellyn, the mercenary, have a slow burning type of relationship but they were very cute and gentle and i loved them very much.
the only problem i had with this book was the fact that after being a bladesmith for so long, you’d think ziva would have at least some skills in fighting and defending herself?? i completely understand her hesitation considering her anxiety and not wanting to bring any attention to herself but they lived in more secluded location and somehow didn’t practice self defense by herself?? idk. it was sort of frustrating to see the other characters around her fighting against the people after them and had ziva act defenseless even when she had some of the magical weapons at her disposal. i hope in the second book we will see more growth on some sort of fighting skills because i know she physically capable !
anxiety isn’t something that can just go away and i really loved reading about someone with social anxiety but i’m looking forward to more of her personal growth in the second book next year (booooo)
NEVER FORGIVING TRICIA FOR THOSE LAST COUPLE CHAPTERS BTW . THAT RUINED ME .
bellebookcorner's review against another edition
5.0
Ever since [b:The Shadows Between Us|35702241|The Shadows Between Us|Tricia Levenseller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558027905l/35702241._SY75_.jpg|57195957], I've been looking out for another book from the author and when I saw this appealing cover and intriguing synopsis I added it immediately to my TBR list.
The plot is simple, quick and fast-paced. This book is perfect for those who need to get out of a reading slump because the story is well written with no complicated magic system or world-building which makes is easier to understand and get lost in this story.
I really like the characters, each character is unique and has their own secrets. Especially Kiva as the heroine of the story. Usually the heroine will be this badass girl that is not afraid of anything and has powerful gift, but in here we can see Kiva is struggling with her anxiety and panic attacks which makes her more relatable.
I really like the relationships in this book especially the sibling relationship between Kiva and Temra. Although it's a little bit frustrated with Kiva love life at the moment but hopefully in the next book they can sort out their feelings for real.
There's some surprises at the end that I didn't expect at all. Like With how the book ended I really wish I could time travel to next year and grab the the second book because I want to know what happen next!
Overall, this is really great, entertaining and enjoyable. This book is obviously a page-turner that I finished it in a few hours because I can't seem to put it down. Definitely looking forward to the final book next year!
The plot is simple, quick and fast-paced. This book is perfect for those who need to get out of a reading slump because the story is well written with no complicated magic system or world-building which makes is easier to understand and get lost in this story.
I really like the characters, each character is unique and has their own secrets. Especially Kiva as the heroine of the story. Usually the heroine will be this badass girl that is not afraid of anything and has powerful gift, but in here we can see Kiva is struggling with her anxiety and panic attacks which makes her more relatable.
I really like the relationships in this book especially the sibling relationship between Kiva and Temra. Although it's a little bit frustrated with Kiva love life at the moment but hopefully in the next book they can sort out their feelings for real.
There's some surprises at the end that I didn't expect at all. Like
Spoiler
there's a bit connection to the Excalibur story on how the blade of secret is finally contained and how Petrik become the son of the villain whose been chasing all of them from the beginning. I miss all those signs and didn't even suspect him at all.Overall, this is really great, entertaining and enjoyable. This book is obviously a page-turner that I finished it in a few hours because I can't seem to put it down. Definitely looking forward to the final book next year!
katrae's review against another edition
3.0
So three stars is really being generous lol. The romance aspect was about 3.8-4 stars but the actually story and plot (lol what plot?) was 2 generously 3. The main character was so annoying after awhile like I really just enjoyed this because of the cute romance and how they interacted. Even the audio book wasn’t that great I think that made the main character more annoying