Blood and Steel - Review

Blood and Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr, # 1)

By: Helen Scheuerer

Publication: December 12, 2023 by Dreamscape Media

Duration: 14 Hours, 53 Minutes

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.

Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?

If you like fierce sword-wielding heroines and brooding, tortured heroes, you will devour this sexy, addictive fantasy adventure.

Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher, BLOOD & STEEL is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn spice, found family, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters. Blood & Steel is the gripping first book in the heart-pounding, epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr.

I can't remember all of the details. Since I have the audio version, hunting down the deets would be nearly impossible. Here's what I remember: a while back, a prophecy stated that doom would come at the hand of a woman holding a blade. And well, that happened already. And the evil that threatens this fantasy world has been creeping closer by the day ever since. And since then, women have been forbidden to wield a blade. Women who used to be warriors are relegated to librarians and teachers. But Althea has only ever wanted to be a warrior of Thezmarr. Her death year was prophesied, and now she's racing against her death to achieve legendary status.

Because Thea wants to become a legend, she has been practicing in secret. But she's not allowed to spar against a real opponent or actually train, so she's terribly behind all the other recruits. Thea stumbles upon a meeting between the three top warriors in the realm. Wilder spies her, but he doesn't draw attention to her...then. He does later catch her wilding a blade that he knows isn't hers. And he hauls her in to answer for her crime. Thea pleads to be allowed to train and is ultimately sent to appeal to the king. Wilder is forced to escort her there and back.

Once there, Thea has to convince the king to allow her to become a recruit. I can't discuss the details, but Thea is allowed to join the recruits. And well, not many are in favor of a woman joining the ranks of the men. She finds a few friends who help her, along with some old friends. Honestly, the friendships between Thea and the other recruits are probably the most well-developed pieces of this story.

Wilder and Thea's story was slightly more shallow than I wanted. They have a physical attraction, but there's not a ton of talking that is needed to develop those deeper connections. But I still wouldn't fully describe their relationship as surface-level because they do have several shared experiences that build a bond. I just know that for truly deep romantic characters that will always be the greatest of the great (think Freye and Rhys level) they need more than physical attraction and a few shared experiences. I would like to see this progress more throughout the series. As always, wondering how the romance will go drives me to read more and more.

And then there's Thea's sister. She is studying the potions aspect of the realm--a place where women have been relegated but not one where she is weak or a victim of her gender or circumstances. I can't remember her name, but she's hiding secrets from Thea while being a great sister.

The audio version was even more entertaining due to the dual narrators, Mollie Stark & Sebastian Grove. Sebastian's voice sounded familiar, but I've not listened to any other books he's narrated. I'd recommend both narrators. And I think I appreciated this book even more because I listened to it instead of reading it. I love multitasking by listening to a good audiobook while doing chores or, lately, crocheting.

Blood and Steel was better than I was expecting it to be. I think the audio version added to my appreciation for the story because I kept listening during times when I would have been stalled due to life circumstances. I've recently learned to crochet, and audiobooks are a great option to help me pass the time while crocheting. The audio narrators did a great job. And I can't wait to continue the series. However, I expect to have to continue in print because I don't know if I can wait for the release of the 2nd book on audio when I know it's already available in print. Blood and Steel gets 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) Blood and Steel by Helen Scheuerer? What did you think? Let me know!