Blade of Secrets

3.5 stars

Tricia Levenseller really has a talent for YA quick reads, and I really enjoyed the unique character traits in the fantasy genre! I wouldn’t say that this is the best fantasy novel I’ve ever read, but it was fun and I’m excited to see where the sequel takes us!

Despite not being perfect, these characters overall gave me good vibes. I’m especially a fan of the relationship between Ziva and her sister! They weren’t perfect, they fought, and they weren’t always rational, but at the end of the day they were sisters who were there for eachother. I won't ruin anything by going into specifics, but I really loved that Ziva’s sister was there for her when I expected the basic trope of the love interest, Kellyn, swooping in to save the day. I enjoyed that Ziva didn’t simply ‘overcome’ her social anxiety and become a whole new person. Instead Ziva had some personal growth, and she accepted that her social anxiety is part of what makes her unique. 

On the subject of social anxiety - It’s seriously so exciting to see a fantasy novel that emphasizes social anxiety! Not a concept I see everyday in this genre, and if I find it at all, I’ve never seen social anxiety focused on to this extent. Don’t get me wrong, I get that at the end of the day fantasy novels are in fact fantasy, but characters just have so much more dimension when they have daily life struggles on top of their big exciting journey. As an added bonus, including a well explained disorder like this in fantasy novels is another way to get rid of stigmas associated with mental health! 

I wasn’t a huge fan of the pacing of this book because it was just weird. The book felt like it dragged sometimes by having one scene focusing on the smallest details in an interaction then completely breezing past a huge plot point in the next. The ending felt rushed, especially with how much happened in such a short time. Nothing gives me more rage than a cliffhanger, but believe me when I say that I’m READY for the sequel after that mess!