Cahra was such a tough and compelling female protagonist, and her journey from having nothing—growing up poor and alone on the streets—to becoming a blacksmith’s apprentice was already an epic arc. But then she takes it even further, setting off on a quest to help save the world and rescue her love interest, Thierre. That alone made this book an exciting and adventurous read!

While the journey was fun, the romance took center stage more than I expected. I appreciated that the characters didn’t fall into an instant-love trope, but at the same time, their romance didn’t have much build-up—it felt like they were in love before they even shared a single kiss, which was a bit disappointing. A little more development in their relationship would have made the emotional moments even stronger.

That said, if you're looking for a young adult fantasy with a strong heroine, an engaging adventure, and a heartfelt love story, A Kiss of Hammer and Steel is definitely worth a read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Although I could have used a bit more world building, I was enjoying the pacing and the story progression as Cahra learned more on her journey. I liked seeing the blossoming relationship between her and Terryl.

Putting the next bit under spoilers.
<spoiler>The end is where it fell apart for me. The story had been setting up the beginnings of a relationship between Cahra and Terryl but (at least to me) it felt very sudden that Cahra had feelings for Hael? Like actual feelings and not just thinking he was attractive.</spoiler>

I devoured this book. Easy to follow and loved the FMC Cahra. Really enjoyed the story and can't wait to continue this series. Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for ARC.