#sam sykes

I received this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. Thank you publisher!

3 out of 5 stars

I would like to start with the cover - the cover is one of the best covers I have seen in a while in fantasy. In a world where graphic covers rule the genre - it was refreshing to see a beautifully rendered painting. The color scheme and the subject is just superb! Lauren (art director of Orbit) and Jeremy Willson (the artist) created a one of a kind beautiful cover that I honestly wouldn’t mind hanging on my wall.

Now onto the book itself. Seven Blades in Black is my first Sam Sykes novel. I have heard a lot of great things about the writer and I was very excited to dive into this novel. However, while I liked it well enough, it took me a very long time to get into the story. I really did like Sal the Cacophony - she’s funny, witty, snarky and just a great MC. I also really appreciate that she is gay (or at least bisexual as this is a first book in the series and the reader doesn’t know everything). The main reason why I struggled with the book is that it moves REALLY fast - I mean videogame fast. I know that Sam said this series was his love letter to The Final Fantasy and it truly is, with many of the same elements - but it moves at a dizzying speed. Furthermore, I found the whole magic system really complicated and hard to follow. I had to reread the passages a few times and then think about what/how the magic would work - it really took me out of the story and did not let me enjoy the book.

I think that anyone who loves fast paced fantasy or Sam’s previous work will really enjoy it. I really appreciate Orbit letting me read and review this book.

-Iryna