The Fireborne Blade (Fireborne Blade, #1)

by Charlotte Bond

Martina Fačková (Artist) and Christine Foltzer (Cover Designer)

Maddileh is a knight. There aren’t many women in her line of work, and it often feels like the sneering and contempt from her peers is harder to stomach than the actual dragon slaying. But she’s a knight, and made of sterner stuff.

A minor infraction forces her to redeem her honor in the most dramatic way possible, she must retrieve the fabled Fireborne Blade from its keeper, legendary dragon the White Lady, or die trying. If history tells us anything, it's that “die trying” is where to wager your coin.

Maddileh’s tale contains a rich history of dragons, ill-fated knights, scheming squires, and sapphic love, with deceptions and double-crosses that will keep you guessing right up to its dramatic conclusion. Ultimately, The Fireborne Blade is about the roles we refuse to accept, and of the place we make for ourselves in the world.

• ISBN10: 1250290317
• ISBN13: 9781250290311
• Publish Date: 15 July 2024 (first published 28 May 2024)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tor Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 176
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250290311

Reviews

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Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, for the chance to read and review this ARC! 

Honestly, it's been a while since I read some good fantasy, and with this book only at 176 pages, it felt like an excellent place to try to get back into things. The shorter length was appealing as it allowed me to dive into a new fantasy world without committing to a lengthy read, especially given that I am not that crazy a fan of dragons, even though those seem to be in fashion this year.

Despite its short length, this book strikes a delicate balance between engaging the reader and building up the setting. Including brief chapters recounting past knights' tales was a brilliant touch.

The female characters were interesting enough; there wasn't much emotional investment on my part, but the writing and plot were enough for me to keep going. While I would like to read other books in the series, I do feel like a bit more on their development would have been good.

While the author stayed away from stuffing in tropes, a cheap tactic used to get readers in, and instead relied on her plot( which is fantastic), the representation of sapphic love in the blurb was a little misleading. Our main Sir Maddileh is bi, but that's all we get in this book. We don't see her interested in anyone, which is understandable given what happened to her. If you're looking for sapphic love or romance, we get none of that. However, there's potential for improvement in future installments, which is something to look forward to.

While the book was a satisfying read overall, I couldn't help but feel that the ending was rushed. A few more pages could have drawn out the climax, providing a more fulfilling conclusion.

Overall, I leave this book a well deserved 4 stars!