New Release Review: The Sharpest Blade
The Sharpest Blade is the final book in Sandy William’s Shadow Reader series. In this installment, McKenzie leaves the relative security of life in Las Vegas and returns to the fae realm which is suffering from upheaval. Lena has declared herself as queen but she is running into opposition from the false blood who also claims the throne. This book is heavy on the court intrigue and maneuvering for power. It seems that a lot of people want to lead the fae, each with their own agenda.
The story is told from McKenzie’s point of view. While I like McKenzie as a character, it’s hard to be in her head all the time, especially when she agonizes over the men in her life. Will it be Kyol with whom she shares a bond, or Aren the gorgeous and hunky? McKenzie has gone through a lot of changes since the first book. She is stronger and has faster reflexes. I like how she is more poised and kickass at the same time.
I love the magic in this series. The fae realm is full of cool magic, especially how the fae fissure in and out of places. This makes the battle scenes very fast paced and exciting. There are lots of swordfights for fans of swashbuckling, too. The fae magic also makes for quite a colorful love scene as well. The imagery of the chaos lusters sparking across the skin was beautiful.
Be sure to check out the author’s website for a glossary of fae to English words. There’s also a map of the fae realm in case you have an ereader that does not do justice to graphics.
The Sharpest Blade was a satisfying conclusion to The Shadow Reader series. I can’t wait to see what other books Ms. Williams has planned for the future.
Be sure to check out Badass Book Reviews for a chance to win a copy of a book in this series. Also we are treated to a special excerpt from Paige’s point of view.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Berkley NAL for a review copy of this book.
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