Jamirh is a young Avari who is desperately lost. He is a member of a humanoid race that has been pushed to the outskirts of society by the human ruling class, and has been pushed into a solitary, impoverished life. When he is wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit, a mysterious Avari woman named Hel breaks his bonds and liberates him from human oppression. When he learns everything he knew may not be true, he begins to question what his role in the world will be.

T is a disgraced assassin of sorts. Part of an elite group of a masked police force, he is implicated in the murder of his empire's princess and exiled as punishment for his crimes. Equipped with nothing but his waning magic and his wits, he is his own master for the first time in his life. Presented with the opportunity to remain loyal to his empire, or forge his path, T wonders if everything is as it seems.

This book includes:
- magic weaving
- supernatural races
- spunky supporting characters
- concealed identities
- pirates
- insurgency
- re-incarnation and fate

"Lost Blades" is a compelling concept. The tension between humans and Avari has the capacity to be interesting, and I enjoyed T's journey. Unfortunately, I thought the pace dragged too much to get my full attention and I never connected to either of the protagonists. Hel, Jamirh's liberator, was an Alice Cullen-type quirky, superpowerful, and a bit flighty supporting character and she was the best part of the cast.

While this story just really wasn't for me. I would still say that it's well written and the world-building is well executed. The woven magic system is very cool and I think a lot of readers could find themselves drawn in by the plot. I recommend this book to fans of "the Unseen" as they have similar paces and both have a wide cast of characters.

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you Netgalley and Dark Water Publishing for the ARC of Lost Blades.

I took me a while to get into this book. The world building and seemingly disconnected stories were off putting. I almost DNF a couple of times. I don't know if I would have finished if I hadn't been taking a trip and read on the plane.

Takeshi's story was far more intriguing than Jamirh, who honestly seemed a little whiny. The supporting characters are what made me get through Jamirh's chapters.

While the plot is interesting, I am not sure if I will read the second book.

This was a solid start to what is shaping up to be an interesting series! Writing was pretty good and the characters were pretty engaging. Excited to see where it goes next.

Lost Blades by Liz Sauco
Release Date: September 12th
3/5 Stars
Thank you NetGalley and Dark Waters Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I was drawn to Lost Blades for two main reasons: I am trying to expand my reading material and the mention of goddesses. I have a mild obsession with Greek myths and gods, so I thought to give this one a try.

Jamirh is a street thief and Avari; nothing he does will ever change those things. So when he finds himself in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, this feels like it was fate. Until he meets Hel. Hel is a mysterious women who only gives ambiguous answers, and helps him escape from jail, starting Jamirh on an unexpected path. Meanwhile, Takeshi is from another land, recently banished for murdering his princess fiancée. Unbeknownst to most, Takeshi acted on the queen’s orders. Now, he finds himself honor bound to complete a mission he doesn’t fully understand. Jamirh and Takeshi are on paths towards each other and will need to combine forces to save the mortal world.

I want to start by saying, this is not the typical genre that I read. I want to get more into fantasy books, but I am a novice. With that said, this one was not my favorite. Each timeline felt different, and I cared more about one over the other, which made half the book feel slow to me. I felt the ending was both drawn out and then cut short. However, the world was fully fleshed out and realized. I don’t know that I will read the next book in the series, but I’m open to it!

📖REVIEW📖

Title: Lost Blades
Author: Liz Sauco
Genre: Sci-fi Fantasy, dystopian
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖Synopsis:
As the world ends once more, the goddess chooses who she will wield against Abomination

In Lyndiniam: A street thief attempts a heist far more ambitious than anything he has done before, but due to circumstances outside his control, finds himself locked up for crimes he both did and did not commit. A strange woman with abilities Jamirh does not understand breaks him out, and he finds himself on the run - fleeing to Romanii, a country he thought no longer existed.

In Ni Fon: A shinobi is banished by the Empress for killing her daughter and his fiancée, Princess Hotaru. This is a ploy, however - Takeshi is still working for Ni Fon despite the murder, trying to learn information about a rebellion against the Rose Empire that Ni Fon will be able to leverage to regain their own freedom.

Though thousands of miles apart, both Jamirh and Takeshi find themselves pulled into an ancient struggle between forces far beyond anything they have ever dreamed of, whether they want to be or not.

📖Review: (ARC) 4.7⭐️
This was the authors debut and I can’t quite believe it.

This was a a really really well built actualised science fantasy world and plot. Two very different main characters to get invested in. I loved that the author didn’t have both pov’s from the beginning. I’ve not seen this commonly and it really helped me get my head around the characters background/relationships/world rather than constantly switching. I’m really hoping I can get access to book 2s ARC soon as that’s out 12th January 2024 so not long to wait!

You know the books you read that you keep thinking about after - a hangover. This. This does that. Loved it.

📖Release September 12, 2023

*please note I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this books and I'm excited to continue on with the series.

The world building was fantastic and the story really drew me in. The story was well written and detailed enough to vivid and immersive without being a slog to get through. The characters were extremely likeable and well rounded, particularly Takeshi. I am a sucker for multiple POVs which really helped pull me into the story.
Overall a read I would highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book and was excited to see the story and how it played out. My main piece of feedback is that I had a hard time getting into and caring for the characters. The only character that really had my full attention was Takeshi. I think that is because his story seemed more exciting by the way the characters between him and Jamirh were written. I did have an affinity for Hades as well but she didn't draw me in as much as Takeshi. Otherwise, a great read but I don't know that I will continue the series.

Review:
This story goes back and forth between several lovely characters that ultimately regard a young man named Jamirh. The story is about a struggle to find out who he truly is as he is being hunted by those who believe he is the man they seek. It's a struggle for survival that is filled with magic, cunning characters, and incredible detail. Liz Sauco has a gift when it comes to describing every detail, down to the last piece. While it wasn't a book I totally got lost in, it was a good short read. I highly recommend you read it for yourself and decide how you feel about it!

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: I thought this was going to suck based on personal bias towards naming conventions. LOST IN SPA......er BLADES!!! Lost Blades, yup. BLADES OF THE GODDESS, eS,eS,eS,s,s,s,s. (Psst, that was an echo). Despite the blades not being much in evidence, or noteworthy, this was an inventive blend of tech and fantasy which seems to be the go-to formula for fantasy writers these days. At least there was no YA romance trying to mount the story line like a horny duck.

I liked all the characters as they drew you into their little worlds through personal POVs. The only thing that was a slight hindrance was the constant internal rumination. It tended to be a mess of lengthy second guessing. Foremost were Takeshi's and Jam's constant whining. Fug. Especially Jam's reluctant hero shtick. Double fug.

The world building is awesome, and the story line captures your attention. A good writer that I think will be a great one. I can't wait for BROKEN BLADES,eS,eS,eS,s,s,s,s.