Review: The Blade of Death by Taylor Lust

★★★★½ #outnow #BladeofDeath #TaylorLust

New to me author Taylor Lust captures my full attention with this series. Book two, The Blade of Death starts off where book one ends. This unlikely band of friends are together to fight off the "Lady in Blue". The quest for them is fraught with peril and betrayals. What I like about this story is that the villain origin story is spectacularly justified.

There are several clues along the way that gave me a clear picture of the foe they must battle. This story gives me a little of the Scarlet Witch vibes which I totally love. The main character, Laira is a bit sheltered yet not. She has a complicated past and is estranged from her sole remaining family member. Willow, Thelas, and Faldorn all have a past that is more or less heartbreaking. Sebastian may be the only one who has a questionable difficult life.

What I enjoyed about this story is how each of the characters were forced to go into their own side quest before they come back together. The trials they go through do make them stronger and even increases their bonds to each other. From a character development perspective, this book hits all the high notes and keeps me interested. Even if at first, the characters did bug me a bit because of their whining. Their constant self doubt early on is a bit heavy handed for me, but some readers may need it to help see the clear progression and growth. I love stories that incorporate character growth. This draws me in and makes me want to root for them. Especially as Laira is an underdog and she needs all the support she can get.

The pace of this story moves quickly as four different storylines weave in and out to create an action packed book. I hesitate to touch upon the quests and who is with whom because I do not want to give any spoilers. Suffice to say, this book was a page turner for me and I read it all in one sitting. This fantasy is recommended to readers who enjoy rooting for the underdog and also questionable villains.

* I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.