I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A group of people in a world where magic has been destroyed must discover if this is truly the case in author Andrew P. Merrit’s “Ballad of the Blade”, the first book in the A Serenade of Smoke series.
The Synopsis
Ballad of the Blade is a dark, gritty, multi-pov epic, with a dash of horror, and a dollop of gallows humor. It is the debut novel of Andrew P Meritt and the first story of many in A Serenade of Smoke.
Magic is dead.
The Order made sure of that. They gathered it up, and what they couldn’t destroy, they hid. Now, noble houses squabble over the realm, civil unrest smolders in the east, slavery and injustice run rampant, all while mankind hides behind their two-faced gods.
However, the truth is, magic isn’t dead. It’s just been sleeping, and I intend to wake it.
Under the light of a sinister moon:
A promising initiate struggles to conform in an organization that wants to exterminate the very magic running in his blood. A hired assassin fights to stay one step ahead of shadows, betrayals, and past mistakes. A musician in over his head tries desperately to trade debt from one group of killers to another. A slave of blood and sand claws his way toward freedom, one corpse at a time. An irreverent Justiseer struggles with a particularly obstinate severed head. A man wakes with no memory, only to discover a community with problems far greater than his amnesia.
Each of them is forced to question if magic truly is dead and wonder…
Should it be?
The Review
I loved the shifting perspectives of each chapter in this novel. Anytime a novel adapts a multiple POV style of storytelling, readers are given the chance to view the story from unique perspectives that change as each character sees a situation through their own lens. The dynamics between the characters were well ranged, from humorous and competitive at times in the dialogue to chilling and haunting all at once. The powerful imagery in the author’s writing really did an incredible job of bringing this story to life and the world it inhabits.
The world-building and powerful themes this story comprises will really drive the narrative forward. The unique implications of magic and its impact on the world, as well as the changes that result when it is stripped away politically and socially, are fleshed out in shocking ways in the story. The visceral, gritty detail the author puts into this narrative helps lend realism to themes of survival against all odds and of facing challenges and hardships, such as slavery and corrupt leaders.
The Verdict
Powerful, haunting, and compelling, author Andrew Meritt’s “Ballad of the Blade” is a must-read dark fantasy novel and a great start to a brand new series. The twists and turns, and the visceral tone of the story overall, capture a harrowing tale of shifting perspectives and overlapping storylines, resulting in a cohesive, massive world that readers can easily get lost in. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Andrew Meritt grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, where he began telling stories around the campfire. Work has taken him from Alaska to Minnesota, Ohio, and California. He is now settled in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Annika, and their two dogs, Zagreus and Alyeska. He spends his free time rock climbing, snowboarding, and woodworking. Ballad of the Blade is his debut novel.
https://www.instagram.com/andrewpmeritt/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ballad-of-the-blade-andrew-p-meritt/1148443293?ean=9798999537102
Discover more from Author Anthony Avina
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
