Synopsis:
Heartstopping slow-burn romantasy, blending dark magic, high-stakes trials and an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers romance. Set in a world of elite warriors, Blood & Steel is the first entry in the sensational Legends of Thezmarr series from Helen Scheuerer.
Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher.
‘A true man won’t cut you down as you fight your battles, nor will he fight them for you. A true man will help sharpen your sword, guard your back and fight at your side, in the face of whatever darkness comes.’
With her death foretold, Althea – Thea – only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.
But in Thezmarr, women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.
Wilder Hawthorne is her brooding, powerful and unwilling warrior chaperone. The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder.
All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms. Will Thea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr, or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?
Review:
If a man has ever told you ‘no’, or ‘girls can’t do that’, this is for you.
I read the sequel series first: Iron and Embers. So yes, I knew the trajectory and the end result. However, when my mum said she was reading Blood and Steel and was having a fun time, I thought why not?
I think I preferred this to Iron and Embers. First of all, I’m a sucker for an academy setting. Then, we have the only woman allowed to be trained as a warrior despite everyone being against her. Of course, the friendships between misfits that band together – aka my two favourite characters from Iron and Embers, Cal and Kipp.
We also get to see the strong sisterly bond between Wren and Thera and the alchemist’s origins.
This is just fun. I can’t tell you whether it’s predictable or not as I knew everything already. However, this had enough banter and character growth that I thoroughly enjoyed. Just ignore the fact that a self-trained female becomes stronger and more efficient than some of these men who have been trained from birth to be warriors.
The audiobook performance was addicting.
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