Blessed with the magical ability to bend steel to her will, Ziva works as a magical blacksmith to provide for herself and her younger sister. Her weapons are world renowned and draw business from all over the land. From mercenaries to famous generals, everybody wants to get their hands on a Zivan blade. When making a sword for a general, Ziva learns a terrible secret that threatens life as she knows it. Desperate to save herself, and more importantly her sister, she sets out on the run with a curious scholar and the mercenary she has hired to protect them in tow. But can she ever outrun the secret she’s unwillingly learned and the person hellbent on enslaving her?
Don’t let the fact that this is a YA novel fool you, the characters are complex and relatable. The love Ziva and Temra have is so pure and simple and heartwarming; as a person with sisters I would do anything to protect, that aspect of the story was absolutely heart wrenching. I also found myself relating to Ziva. From the overwhelming thoughts to shutting down in the face of simply having to speak to another person, I saw a lot of myself in Ziva and her anxieties. I felt that Levenseller did an incredible job capturing social anxiety and what that can feel like for a person. She was sensitive to the topic while calling it exactly as it is.
The writing and of this story is wonderful, as well. Descriptive and vivid, the word building is fast and detailed, but not at all hard to grasp. You’re just IN the world and it never feels clunky or chunky or like you’re just wandering around lost.
This book was simply phenomenal. That’s really all I can think to say about it. It’s entertaining and heartwarming and incredibly human. It’s feminist fantasy at its purest and I am entirely obsessed with it. I don’t know how this duology will end but I can absolutely see it being developed into a movie or limited series. If you need me, I’ll be devouring all of Levenseller’s books!
Don’t let the fact that this is a YA novel fool you, the characters are complex and relatable. The love Ziva and Temra have is so pure and simple and heartwarming; as a person with sisters I would do anything to protect, that aspect of the story was absolutely heart wrenching. I also found myself relating to Ziva. From the overwhelming thoughts to shutting down in the face of simply having to speak to another person, I saw a lot of myself in Ziva and her anxieties. I felt that Levenseller did an incredible job capturing social anxiety and what that can feel like for a person. She was sensitive to the topic while calling it exactly as it is.
The writing and of this story is wonderful, as well. Descriptive and vivid, the word building is fast and detailed, but not at all hard to grasp. You’re just IN the world and it never feels clunky or chunky or like you’re just wandering around lost.
This book was simply phenomenal. That’s really all I can think to say about it. It’s entertaining and heartwarming and incredibly human. It’s feminist fantasy at its purest and I am entirely obsessed with it. I don’t know how this duology will end but I can absolutely see it being developed into a movie or limited series. If you need me, I’ll be devouring all of Levenseller’s books!