Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book to review. Ziva is a blade smith that forges magical weapons that people travel all over the world for. She prefers metal to people and has anxiety attacks when she gets flustered or is around too many people. Warlord Kymora comes to Ziva asking her to commission her greatest weapon yet. She tells her that she will come back and if her work is good enough she wants her to make weapons for her soldiers.

While making the weapon Ziva sees a gorgeous stranger walking on the road, Kellyn. She accidentally sets the magic into the blade by telling it a secret. She succeeds in making one of the most powerful weapons in creation. She soon realizes that if the weapon falls into the wrong hands it could destroy the kingdoms. She flees with her sister and some people she meets on the way.

I really wanted to like this book since I loved the shadow between us and the daughter of the pirate king. I felt like this story fell a bit flat for me. The story was a bit slow and predictable. I wasn’t too big of a fan of Ziva. For all her accomplishments she makes the biggest mistakes that made me want to scream at her. I did like that Tricia tackled anxiety and anxiety attacks. Not many people will tackle mental health issues so I applaud her for that

Blade of Secrets was such a fun, engaging, and addictive YA fantasy novel! It had a unique magic system, sweet romance, adventure, and incredibly well developed characters. One of my favorite parts was the relationships depicted between the characters - romantically, sibling bonds, and as friends.

Ziva is a bladesmith that has the ability to imbue weapons with magical abilities. She also has severe anxiety and suffers from panic attacks which is at odds with the fact that her weapons are highly sought after. I love to see a main character that suffers from something that I do, and thought it was done well.

I will say that the plot was pretty straightforward, but it wasn't a bad thing! I just kept expecting twists and turns that didn't happen.

I went into this book thinking it was a standalone fantasy and now I can not wait to get my hands on the sequel. I need to know what happens after that ending!!!! Tricia Levenseller became one of my favorite authors last year when I read The Shadows Between Us and so far hasn't let me down. I recommend reading any of her books.

This was such a fun YA fantasy with really unique magic and an amazing misfit traveling crew. There were so many amazing aspects of this book as well as fantastic representation.

First of all - the main character is uniquely gifted in her ability to imbue weapons with magical abilities. This has made her somewhat famous and highly sought after. But at the same time, Ziva deals with an intense anxiety and a panic disorder - and I really loved the exploration of that juxtaposition. While not everyone will agree with the representation (it's something that is wholly unique to everyone) I personally feel like the descriptions captured what it felt like to have a panic attack to perfection. I viscerally felt Ziva's panic and I loved seeing that level of anxiety represented in a book - especially by a hero!!

Outside of the anxiety rep, I really loved the dynamic of the traveling group. All 4 of the main characters are vastly different and I loved watching them travel and interact. They're dynamic was fascinating and I grew to love each of them in their own right - Ziva is complex and driven, Temra os strong and fearless, Petrick is bookish and clever, and Kellyn is a badass warrior whose actually a secret softy. The characters are so distinct and fully developed that you can't help but fall in love with them.

While I adored the characters, I did think the plot itself was very straightforward. There weren't a lot of surprises or twists and turns - and that's not necessarily a bad thing! At it's core, this is a classic hero's journey story with vastly better representation. I personally wanted just a little bit more. But I will say that I do love that the author took such a timeless plot/structure and gave it a modern twist (view spoiler). A lot of people will be able to see themselves in these heroes!

Overall this was a really engaging and addictive YA fantasy. Once you pick this us, you won't ever want to put it down! Where this first book left off, has me desperate to get my hands on the sequel/conclusion as soon as I can. And Tricia Levenseller is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me. Her books consistently hook me and leave me desperate to read more!

This review is live on my Goodreads and will go live on my blog on Wednesday May 5 @ 9am

Trigger Warning: social anxiety, panic attacks This was so much fun! I loved it! I had the best time reading it! I just feel like Tricia keeps bringing it with fantastic novels featuring interesting characters, a great romance, some action, adventure and everything I could ever want! I haven't given this author anything less than 5 stars so far, and I've read all that she had put out besides one novella! I love her work, and I feel like she's such a fantastic author! Overall this was a fun novel, I loved the arthurian elements of this book, I loved the band of friends trying to save the day! I enjoyed that we got to take this fun journey with them. I loved the romance in this story! I thought it was super sweet, and felt super realistic and I could really picture them both together, and I just enjoyed it overall. I felt the lovers had good chemistry together, and they really connected at times, and I enjoyed seeing them really get to know each other as the novel went on. Highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out! I had so much fun reading this book! I also recommend any of Tricia Levenseller's books! Espeically if you're a fan of fantasy with some great romance in it.

Levenseller’s books tend to be some of my faves. Her writing is easy to read with good flow and action throughout. This one didn’t disappoint!
I’m used to strong, confident heroines in YA fantasy books. This was not the case. Ziva is a blacksmith with magical talent, big biceps and serious anxiety. While I loved that anxiety was brought in and focused on, it was almost a bit too much. Ziva’s anxiety was almost debilitating and she was constantly accommodating to it. I found myself wanting her to break free and be strong but I know anxiety doesn’t work that way. I was torn with her character because I understood her, but as a book character, I wanted her to achieve more. Her sister was actually the character that most authors write about. I find it intriguing and admirable and frustrating that she chose Ziva as the POV and not her sister.
It’s full of excitement and twists at the end and a great villain named Kymora. She has to be great if she has my name in her name right? I loved the magicked weapons and the unpredictability they brought.
Levenseller left this on a huge cliffhanger! One of those cliffhangers that is frustrating and annoying so you throw your book and yell but you preorder book 2!

Tricia Levenseller became one of my favorite authors last year when I read The Shadows Between Us. She writes incredible characters, and when I saw she was writing a female smithy with ANXIETY I couldn’t hit the request button fast enough.

Ziva has a special ability. She is the youngest smithy alive and can enchant her creations as they come out of the forge. When she is commissioned to create her most impressive weapon yet she rises to the challenge... but then learns the client wants to use her creation for complete domination of the kingdom.

With only her sister, a traveling scholar, and a hired mercenary at her side, she flees in an attempt to protect the sword from falling into the evil blademaster’s hands.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. One of my favorite things about Levenseller’s writing is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s high quality writing but feels more whimsical and playful than some other YA Fantasy writers, all without lowering the stakes.

The depiction of anxiety in the book felt genuine, and as someone who suffers from PTSD and Generalized anxiety I feel qualified to make that statement. I love love loved the relationships in this book, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves found family, sisters, and light fantasy/adventure. 4.5 stars and definitely one of my favorites so far this year!

I have read some of Tricia Levenseller’s other book "The Shadows Between Us" and I thought that this one would be a standalone. It turns out that "Blade of Secrets" will be a series and I think that it will need it. I loved the story and the characters in this book. Oh, the banter and adventure were so fun to read. However, like her other novel, I felt the writing lacking. It is not the story or the character but the world-building that Tricia needs to spend more time working on. Overall, I did enjoy this title but I hope that with this one being a series that her writing does grow.

I went into this book thinking it was a standalone fantasy (for some reason,) and ended the book praying and searching to see if there’s a sequel after that ending *nervous giggles*

If you’re looking for a fun and very light YA fantasy this book will be your jam. There’s witty banter, budding romances, action scenes and magic of course! I found this was the perfect kind of book I needed for the kind of long week I had and I couldn’t have appreciated it more.

I will say, this isn’t some epic fantasy full swoon worthy quotes and sweat inducing scenes BUT it was full of, what felt like, accurate representation for social anxiety. The main character Ziva, STRUGGLES constantly with her anxiety throughout this entire book but still manages to show her badass side and decides to try and save the world and I couldn’t appreciate this storyline more as someone who’s had a bit of anxiety for awhile now. For that alone can this book is worth picking up!

This book is more then it seems and has little quirks ( Arthurian vibes?) that made me really appreciate it and recommend it for anyone who needs a faster, lighter kind of YA fantasy or just needs to feel seen when it comes to anxiety! I can’t wait to read more from Tricia Levenseller!

Content Warnings at end of review.

Thank you so much to Fierce Reads for a finished copy of this book and Netgalley for an arc!

Ziva is a smithy, working literal magic onto the weapons that she forges for those who can pay across the kingdom. But when she makes an indestructible blade for a warlord and discovers they want to use it for world domination, she has to face her fear of social situations and get help to escape the warlord and keep the blade safe.

I enjoyed the characters that Levenseller built in this book. Ziva was very interesting, and I really loved her sister. I also really liked the premise of this book, the way the magic worked and how few people had it. I loved the interactions with their estranged family and their group of friends.

This book definitely has a found-family dynamic which I loved! I did wish that some of the interactions were described better and that things weren't glossed over so much. I usually don't think this, but I honestly thought this book should have been longer. It cut out a lot of parts that I would have liked to see that would have helped develop the characters more.

I also didn't personally find the description of the panic attacks to be very realistic. Maybe others do, but it seemed to be more focused on depression than anxiety, even though the character clearly has trouble with anxiety. I also would have loved to see more diversity among the characters.

All that said, I will definitely read the sequel when it comes out and I still really enjoy Tricia Levenseller's storytelling!

Pub Date: May 4, 2021

Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Violence, Murder, Mental illness, and Gore
Minor: Vomit and Grief

Magic is rare in the world. It only comes through a few bloodlines. Ziva was born with the ability to imbue metal with magical properties. She spends her days in her forge creating weapons with magic in them and selling them. She prefers it to spending time with people, that she leaves to her outgoing sister, Temra. A commission from a dangerous warlord results in Ziva making a sword more powerful and unlike any other she has ever made. It is a sword she can not let fall into the wrong hands. Taking the sword, her sister, a mercenary, and a scholar, Ziva sets out on a journey to keep the warlord from gaining control of the entire world.
This book seemed to swing on a pendulum. The dialogue at times was rough to read. There were moments when I really liked the story. And other moments when I cringed.
I did like Ziva. Her growth over the course of the book from her crippling social anxiety to less crippling social anxiety was nice to see. It was realistic. She also had the best of intentions with the sword when she ran away from Kymora. Ziva had a good heart.
Overall, it was an ok book. For anyone who likes adventure and romance and fantasy. 3.5/5

This took a bit to get into but I really enjoyed the story and I am looking forward to the next installment. I feel that Levenseller did a pretty great job of showing us how Ziva lives with a severe social anxiety and panic attacks. You don't read to many fantasy books with the MC dealing with such an issue and it was done well. Ziva and her sister have to go on the run from a warlord after Ziva makes a weapon for the warlord but realizes she wants to rule all kingdom. They hire a mercenary and a scholar comes along for the adventure. I enjoyed the sister bond and the slow burn romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

So, I didn’t think I liked this book at first. The beginning was hard for me to get into, just because of the writing style. But once I got passed that, I was completely sucked into the story! It’s fast paced and will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time! You can’t help but be endeared by Kiva and just want her to find happiness. And I love, love, LOVE the mental health rep! Kiva, our main character, is a magical blacksmith who suffers from sever social anxiety. You almost never see mental health rep in fantasy and I think it was done wonderfully.

I managed to read this book all in one day because it was that entertaining, but it wasn't without its lackluster moments.

Overall, the story was interesting enough for me to want to know what happened next, but most of the plot points were very similar and it felt like we weren't really getting anywhere for a majority of the book. The story kind of repeats itself over and over again (different town, same problems) until the big climax battle at the end, which included a very abrupt ending. While it is reasonable to assume that the story had to end eventually because this is the first of a series, I felt unsatisfied at the end and I wished it had continued for a little longer so we could really see the story develop.

All that aside, I enjoyed and loved the cast of characters and their dynamics were fun. The main character (Ziva) of this book has anxiety, and while I didn't think the representation of her anxiety was perfect all the time, it was so appreciated because there are so few books that deal with it and it made me wish it was more commonly found. I also really enjoyed her budding romantic life as I appreciated that it was not perfect right from the get-go and took some time to understand the brewing feelings.

While this was not my favorite book by this author, it is certainly entertaining enough to have a good time while reading it, plus the characters make it a fun light-fantasy read.

Tricia Levenseller’s latest debut series brings an entertaining blend of Arthurian romance and pastoral storytelling. Even though readers are presented with common themes, Levenseller’s eclectic cast of characters offers a fresh take that many readers will enjoy and appreciate.

This is a true pastoral—an on the road story, where connections are forged, and friendships and relationships develop gradually through shared experiences. There are no instant love matches here. But there’s comedy and humor that’s thoroughly genuine and engaging.

Levenseller provides an honest and sympathetic portrayal of social anxiety in her protagonist Ziva. She’s paired well with her strong sister, who faces her own battles with trust, duty and gender roles within a heavily male-dominated society. Both pair well with a mercenary, born into a farming family, who simply wants to see the world, and a scholar, who loves his work and is willing to travel in order to seek the truth.

As a first part of a series, there are some storylines left unfinished due to the natural progression of the tale, which will continue with the next installment. Many readers will be clamoring to grab their hands on part two.

Blade of Secrets is my first read by Tricia Levenseller, and I've immediately gone back and added all of her other books to my list to read.

There's a lot about this book that is typical fantasy. Magical weapons, adventure, conflicts, an unwilling hero... those are all some elements that tie it to others in the genre. But there are many things about this one that stood out for me and made me love it.

Our main character Ziva is a magical blacksmith who's known around the kingdom for forging magnificent weapons, all magicked with specific features or benefits that are tailored to the needs of the buyer. It's a great premise, and I loved hearing about the different magical weapons that Ziva's created and what they could do. Early on in the book, Ziva meets a warlord that commissions her to create a weapon, and the resulting weapon is far more powerful than Ziva ever imagined. When she learns of the warlords intentions for this weapon, she finds herself on the run with her younger sister, a handsome mercenary, and a scholar who studies magic.

I'm not going to to go into any more of the plot than that, because it was a fun adventure as a reader to follow along on their travels and experience the twists and turns of the story with no knowledge of what's to come. I will say that I loved some of the twists towards the later half of the book, and the end of the book is a cliffhanger that made me want the next book in my hands immediately. If you don't like cliffhangers, you may want to wait until the next book is out to read them back to back.

Going back to things I absolutely loved... Ziva has social anxiety, and this is the first time that I've really seen this represented in the fantasy genre before. It's something personal to me, and I know that seeing that representation will be just as important to others. Not only does Ziva has social anxiety, but those around her accept her and support her throughout the story. Continuing in that vein, I loved the relationship that Ziva has with her sister. The dynamics between all the characters are ones that will stick with me, and the sweet romance that develops slowly over the course of the book is another favorite.

I could go on forever about how much I enjoyed this book. If you're looking for a fun, adventurous fantasy read with relatable characters, this one is a great choice!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

An Honest Review for an ARC copy from NetGalley.

This book is about eighteen-year-old Ziva who is a blacksmith with the ability to imbue weapons with power due to her magical ability. She is commissioned to make a sword that can steal people's secrets. When she finds out what the Warlord is planning on doing with the sword, Ziva runs with her sister and the sword. While she is on the run she is joined by a Mercenary and a Scholar who help Ziva on her quest to keep the sword safe.

I really liked Ziva. She has social anxiety and this is amazing to see in a YA novel. There is hardly any stories that deal with this and it was very cool to read. I also liked how the people around her don't treat her badly for having panic attacks. They don't try to change her, they instead show her that they have weaknesses too. She isn't broken.

This is a refreshing YA fantasy story and I do recommend reading it!

This unique fantasy had a slow start and was a a bit difficult to get into, but definitely improved as it went along. The heroine, Zica, is a terrible mage blacksmith with acute social anxiety and a huge talent for creating magical weapons and getting herself and her sister into interesting situations as a result. I think this book would be really great for people with social anxiety, as it would give them a character to relate to, and I found myself relating for sure. Good fantasy and unique premise. 3/5⭐️

This book was wonderful! I was hooked on the story and characters from the beginning and could see myself in Ziva (a little too much at times). In my opinion, the story was well paced and the characters were well written. I had no idea that this was not a standalone until I got close to the end and thought "there's no way this can wrap up in time." A few pages after that thought, everything hit the fan and I cannot wait to see where the second book goes. Definitely pick this book up!

Blade of Secrets is the first installment in author Tricia Levenseller's Bladesmith duology. Eighteen-year-old Ziva Tellion prefers metal to people. She spends her days tucked away in her forge, safe from society and the anxiety it causes her. She is known for being the only magical smitty in existence and her Zivan blades are legendary. People come from all over the world seeking out her weapons. The bulk of her customers are mercenaries, sellswords, and fighters for hire. But things are going to quickly change for Ziva and her younger sister. Ziva receives a commission from a powerful warlord named Kymora Avedin. Kymora was once the King's General and now has her own army. She is powerful and deadly. After Ziva sees a gorgeous man walking by her shop, she ends up putting her emotions into the broadsword she built.

She ends up creating a Sword of Secrets. The most powerful magical sword ever known. One of the many sword’s magical abilities is that with a drop of blood, the sword and the swordbearer will know your secrets and your intent. When Ziva learns of the warlord’s intentions to use the weapon to enslave all the world under her rule, she takes her sister, Temra, and leaves everything behind. Joined by a Kellyn Derinor, a mercenary, motivated by the money Ziva can pay and the offer of a custom weapon, and a young scholar named Petrik with extensive knowledge of the world’s known magics, Ziva and her sister set out on a quest to keep the sword safe until they can find a way to destroy it entirely. The problem is that nobody betrays Kymora and gets away with it.

So, the four end up hightailing it from place to place trying to stay away from the high bounties placed on Ziva's head. Ziva will do anything to protect Temra. This is a bit of a quest novel, except they are trying to outrun someone rather than find something. A lot of the book is spent as the four main characters are on the road, trying to find someplace safe to stay, as well as discover some way that Ziva might be able to destroy or hide her powerful weapon. It is also a beautiful thing seeing how the sisters get along. Temra is a free spirit, social butterfly and well able to protect herself and Ziva with both blade and her wits. She has always been at the forefront trying to protect her older sister who raised them after their parents were murdered.

Ziva's social anxiety is presented very authentically throughout the book. It’s not a feature of the story, and yet it does effect every part of the book. It’s a very powerful part of the book and the way Ziva thinks, reacts and guards herself is a genuine reflection of her anxiety. Ziva's conflict/affection for Kellyn is something new for Ziva. Even though they start out at odds and often argue, as they journey together, Ziva learns a little more about his motives and history and continually surprises herself with how her feelings change towards Kellyn. I dare say that there are two romances in this book and it will be interesting to see if either pans out.

The good and the bad. 1. The book ends on a cliffhanger. 2. This is only a duology which means that we shouldn't have to wait 2 years to find out a resolution to Ziva's story and what happens next.

I always like Tricia Levenseller's books, especially her character development and world-building. In this book (which I believe is the first in a duology), Ziva is an 18 year old blacksmith who can imbue her creations with magic. For example, she creates a staff that always returns to a thrower, a blade that turns black when its wielder is close to someone who wants to do them harm, etc. Ziva's weapons are works of art, but she can't handle being around people, so she relies heavily on her younger sister Temra to help her run the shop. The sisters were orphaned as children in a mysterious home invasion incident and have been on their own since, leaving them with a very intense A warlord commissions from her a blade that will give her significant power, and Ziva ends up creating an incredibly dangerous blade after feeding some of her own secrets to it - she calls it Secret Eater. She never knows what her weapons will do until they're done, and this one can cause significant damage from a long distance. When the blade cuts you, it absorbs some of your secrets, so Ziva unwittingly hears that the warlord (Kymora) plans to use it to slaughter a huge number of people so that she can reunite previously split kingdoms into a single centralized kingdom under her own brutal rule. Realizing what Kymora plans, Ziva makes excuses, tells Temra to pack, and the two of them recruit a scholar and a mercenary and go on the run. They strike out for the home of Ziva and Temra's paternal grandparents and finally make it there, only to be attacked by a religious sect against the use of all magic - the four go on the run again, and as they continue to barely escape Kymora's troops on their journey, the four become closer and form a strong bond. Just as they settle into a remote farming village (the home of Kellyn, the mercenary) and Ziva finds a way to contain the power of Secret Eater (which has turned out to be indestructible so Ziva has to create her own sword in the stone type of situation), things go south and Temra is seriously injured. The story ends just as the group is attempting to take Temra to a city healer. I basically read this in one sitting, and I thought the fast pace, the character development, and the sort of hero's journey elements were all great. I can't wait to read the sequel to see what happens to this motley crew!