Written by contributor Graceley Knox
Please note there are mild spoilers through this review. Stop reading now if you don’t want to know anything!
As a long time fan of Tricia Levenseller’s novels, and a survivor of the epic hangover that came with reading The Shadows Between Us, I knew going into Blade of Secrets that it would be another amazing read. What I didn’t know was how much I needed this book in my life, and why every other person who has any hint of anxiety out there, should move this book to the top of their TBR, and meet Ziva and her ragtag gang of misfits, immediately!
Social anxiety representation in a fantasy novel? Oh, yes.
In a young adult fantasy novel, no less? Mmhmm, that’s right.
Actual authentic depictions of what anxiety is like for the main character?
Say what? I KNOW! FINALLY!
After what feels like forever and a few too many days, the YA fantasy genre has caught up and entered the realm of mental illness representation in a main character with Ziva. And by representation I don’t mean they skim over it, make light of it, or they suddenly lose all their fears midway through the book because someone made a snarky comment and they broke through their cocoon.
I mean, we’re with Ziva through her panic attacks and insomnia and see first hand how her anxiety not only impacts her daily life, but how she’s able to work through it. Not only that, but how she’s able to do something she loves, with the full support of her family. Full stop they’re not trying to change her at all. They accept her, no questions asked, no what ifs and I’ll be damned if it’s not one of the most refreshing family dynamics I’ve read in a book in a long while. Temra, Ziva’s sister, who’s pretty much the exact opposite of her in every way, is able to relate to and help Ziva cope with her fears without treating Ziva as though she should be encased in bubble wrap.
Does it seem like I’m stuck on this aspect of the book? Yeah? Well, good. Because it’s about freakin’ time we get to see that mix of magic and panic tossed in with the typical fantasy tropes we all love so dearly.
Speaking of those must haves in a fantasy novel… Blade of Secrets checked all the boxes I would expect a novel written by Levenseller to have with a reluctant heroine, witty banter between characters, a slow burn romance (not to mention that side romance that I can’t wait to see develop further in book two!), and all the adventure and sword fights a reader could ask for, plus how cool is it that Ziva forges magical swords? Can I have one too please? Promise I won’t use it for evil.
Moving on…
Despite the fresh take on the main character, and the high stakes to keep the blade Ziva forged from the evil warlord, I found a lot of the descriptions of cities and towns to be similar and bland in comparison to the attention to detail given to the cast of characters and their individual quirks. Petrick with his love of books, writing, and magical knowledge is my spirit animal. Temra is brave and feisty and doesn’t apologise for being perfectly capable of handling everything herself. If ever there was a sister you could wish for, she’s it. And then there’s Kellyn… Sigh… He’s got that arrogance that we all love in a hero, but here, instead of the usual snark and disregard for the heroine’s feelings, he’s sweet, and there’s no question about how much he cares, even when he doesn’t say as much. Swoon.
This fantasy world was on the safer side of things in comparison to previous novels Levenseller has written, which is by no means a bad thing as there is plenty going on to keep a reader turning the pages eagerly, but I do hope that the second book gives us more of an insight into how this world works, and why it is the way it is in regards to who’s able to use magic etc. That and I’d really like some more of that fan yourself steamy kissing, and all the angsty feels between side characters.
Even though the book ends on one heck of a cliff-hanger, like a, bring your climbing gear, because you’ll need it to keep you from falling into oblivion while you wait for book two, kinda cliffhanger, Blade of Secrets is a powerful story to behold, and one that is so needed in this day and age.
Thank you, Tricia Levenseller for writing a believable and relatable character I not only see aspects of myself in, as an adult, but for writing one that I wish I could have read over and over again when I was a teenager and thought I was alone with my anxiety. This book is a game-changer, and I can’t wait to see the impact it has on readers, and the industry as a whole.
Blade of Secrets is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 4th 2021.
Will you be picking up Blade of Secrets? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
A teenage blacksmith with social anxiety accepts a commission from the wrong person and is forced to go on the run to protect the world from the most powerful magical sword she’s ever made.
