Black Blade #3
Jennifer Estep
Paranormal Young Adult
307 pages
Kensington Teen
Available April 26th
Source: ARC from author for review
THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Bad Things Always Come In Threes…
As a thief, I'm good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls.
Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families--and kill every last Sinclair. What they don't know is that I'm on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I've got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side…
MY THOUGHTS
Bright Blaze of Magic is a thrilling conclusion to the Black Blade trilogy, giving us non-stop action in the form of magic, monsters and sword fights to ensure we have to physically pry our hands from the pages when we've run out of reading time.
Lila is the same as she has been from the beginning in terms of her loyalty to those who matter most and her determination to keep them from harm, but she's also become more confident not only in her physical abilities since training with the Sinclair Family, but in herself as a person as well. With the Sinclairs she's found a true home, something she didn't even have with her late mother given how often they relocated, and having friends, family, and a sense of belonging has given her a newfound strength, something she of course needs in order to face down Victor Draconi when he finally makes his move against the rest of the Families.
While there's a little romance and a whole lot of heart to this series, Ms. Estep's books are always delightfully action-focused, and this final installment is the very definition of a page-turner. From beginning to end Lila and company are chased, attacked, and beaten down repeatedly, but though those moments are sometimes hard to bear, we read on with a sense of surety that comes from being longtime fans of Ms. Estep, knowing that good will ultimately triumph over evil in spectacular fashion. As expected, the final showdown between Lila and Victor is more than worthy of a final installment, with the battle just dire enough to keep us on our toes even though we know she'll ultimately prevail.
Overall, the Black Blade series is highly recommended, full to bursting with fun characters who makes us feel a part of their world for the all-too brief moments we get to spend with them, and hugely entertaining from first book to last.
Rating: 4.5/5
Find Jennifer:
This book was sent to me by the author free of charge for the purpose of a
review.
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.
Ah yes I agree with you, I really loved this one as well and the interaction with the monsters si really interesting!
ReplyDeleteOh no tentacles!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to see that this series was a success for you Jenny, lately I've been coming across amazing books starting off a series and then they sort of get weaker as the series progresses, so I'm all for strong books in a series. Also Lila sounds like a fierce character I can't wait to meet! Fab review! :)
ReplyDeleteanother end of a series :( I don't think I can read this one soon. I'm not good at goodbyes that's why I usually put finale books last on my TBR pile. I give this a year or less before digging in.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe this is the final installment. Ms. Estep is a master at managing never to lose impact in her series. Can't wait to read it. As always a fabulous review Jenny!
ReplyDeleteYay, Jenny! I'm so glad to see that this was a huge win for you. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series and I can't wait to see how it wraps up. It looks like I have nothing to fear. I'm looking forward to all the action and Lila's growth - love that girl!
ReplyDeleteWonderful review, Jenny! :)
You must be tired of hearing of how I haven't read an Estep novel yet, but this is going to change! This. Summer. I'm going to pick up this trilogy because three books is easy to get through and Estep's other series is a little daunting to start. I'm glad this author hasn't let you down, Jenny! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to this one. I love everything she writes. Spider's Bite was the first urban fantasy book I ever read and I've been obsessed with Jennifer Estep every since :)
ReplyDeleteSarah
The Midwest Darling
Yay! I couldn't agree more Jenny. I'm so happy with this but so sad it is over too.
ReplyDeleteI want to start this series ASAP!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear this series was really good from beginning to end, and now that it is completed and no waits in between books and clifhangers... I really need to get to it!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad this ended so well. I really enjoyed the first book and I would love to catch up on the series. I think one of my favorite 2nd characters was the strange troll, lol. So much fun in this. Glad you enjoyed it, Jenny. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this one immensely Jenny. I was sad to see it end! Glad to see you had fun with the trilogy too.
ReplyDeleteI'm always jealous of those who were able to complete a series! Gah. It's been so long, I tell ya. I know how much you love this author, so I'm really glad you are saying goodbye on a good note. :)
ReplyDelete