A review by novelnchill
Blood & Steel by Helen Scheuerer

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 

I received a free audiobook of Blood & Steel in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the audio version a lot - it was easy to listen to. I think the FMC’s narrator did a great job overall, but there were some moments where a weird accent came through. The MMC’s narrator doesn’t speak much, and he wasn’t my favorite. 

I love how fierce Thea is and was rooting for her the entire time. It was amazing to witness her become a lethal warrior and earn the respect of her peers. Wilder made me swoon, but it took a while to get over how awful he was in the beginning.

The magic elements and monsters are fascinating, and I get the feeling we’ve only glimpsed the fantastic aspects of this world. The author creates amazing action and battle scenes. I was kept on my toes the entire time.

I’ll be honest, this book sat at 98% for weeks because I wasn’t ready for the ending to split my heart in two. I finally got the courage to finish it - I’m glad I did, but now I have no choice except to start the next book, Vows & Ruins.