A review by chapters_and_pages
Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller

adventurous challenging tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I didn’t really know too much about this book going into it, but as I liked Daughter of the Pirate King, I figured I’d give it a go and I’m so glad I did!

Ziva spends her days hidden away in her forge, using her magical abilities to craft unique and powerful weapons. She much prefers to be surrounded by metal than people. When Ziva creates a sword for a warlord that can share a person’s secrets, Ziva discovers the Warlord’s true plans with the sword, and must flee with her younger sister to stop the sword ending up in the wrong hands. 

I really enjoyed this book! It was a really fast paced, easy to get through read, which I think isn’t as common in fantasy. I really enjoyed our four main characters, as well as the relationships that developed between the group. 

I also really liked the representation of social anxiety which we don’t see all that often in fantasy books. I did pick up on some aspects of Ziva’s character that could suggest that she is neurodivergent. Of course, neurodivergence and Autism isn’t really present in most fantasy books (at least, I’ve never read a fantasy book with the rep) and it could be that as a neurodivergent person myself, I’m seeing similarities in my personality and behaviour to that of Ziva, but whether it was intentional or not, I really enjoyed that aspect and wanted to mention it. 

I loved the gentle romance that blossomed between Ziva and Kellyn, it was honestly adorable, and the sisterly bond between Ziva and Temra was really enjoyable as well. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the sequel. 
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