Master of Iron (Bladesmith #2)
Published July 26th 2022 by Feiwel & Friends, Kindle Edition 385 pages
In Master of Iron, the conclusion to Tricia Levenseller's exciting Bladesmith YA fantasy duology, a magically gifted blacksmith with social anxiety must race against the clock to save her beloved sister and stop a devastating war.
Eighteen-year-old Ziva may have defeated a deadly warlord, but the price was almost too much. Ziva is forced into a breakneck race to a nearby city with the handsome mercenary, Kellyn, and the young scholar, Petrik, to find a powerful magical healer who can save her sister's life.
When the events that follow lead to Ziva and Kellyn's capture by an ambitious prince, Ziva is forced into the very situation she's been dreading: magicking dangerous weapons meant for world domination.
The forge has always been Ziva's safe space, a place to avoid society and the anxiety it causes her, but now it is her prison, and she's not sure just how much of herself she'll have to sacrifice to save Kellyn and take center stage in the very war she's been trying to stop.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I hope you guys love the cover for this one as much as I do. When I asked the team why the weapon was in water, they informed me that “water is trending.” 😂😂😂 So there.
The book is already copy edited. Nothing left for me to do except first pass pages, where I do one final read through to look for typos. Can’t wait for this one to hit shelves!
Rating: really liked it
i loved the first book in this series for its adventure. a rag-tag team on a mission is one of my favourite tropes, so
‘blade of secrets’ more than delivers on the entertainment front. and even though i dont love this sequel as much as the first installment, its still a pretty great conclusion to the duology.
the reason i didnt enjoy this as much is because of the plot focus. the adventure is done and over with and now the focus is on war and kingdom politics. its not quite my cup of tea personally and bit slower in pace, but i will admit that its a logical direction for the story to go and makes sense based on how the story was building in the first book.
and i found the story to make up for my lack of plot enjoyment in other ways. the world-building is pretty spot-on, the characters are just as amazing to read about, theres some good mental health representation, and the writing itself has an easy, binge-readable quality to it.
so all in all, this book is a nicely wrapped-up ending to a fun and unique series! cant wait to see what TL comes up with next!
a really big thanks to macmillan/feiwel & friends for the ARC!↠ 3.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Deleted the review cause I'm tired of defending myself. I liked the first book. I DID NOT have any problems with Ziva's anxiety.
I rated the first book five stars for god's sake! Why would I rate it 5 stars with a long "I LOVE IT" review if I had any problems with her anxiety?
I just didn’t like her character in this book. Apparently for some people that's not allowed because she has anxiety and I'm suppose to like her because of that?? Well, I don’t. If you can't respect someone's opinion maybe don't read negative reviews. Go read some 5 star reviews and stop giving some of us a hard time simply because we didn’t like your favourite book.
P.s: I deleted most of the comments.
Pre review:
Dear Tricia,
Temra better be fine and healthy in this book!
Rating: really liked it
dear God do I need this book a s a p
Rating: really liked it
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
oh my gay
temra 💖💖💖💖💖
zivaaaaa uwuwu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
THAT COVER
I AM LEGIT SCARED
*strangled panic sounds*
2022 isn't far away. No its not
Its not like I'm crying here wondering what happened to my precious
Nope not at all
Rating: really liked it
3.5 stars. A great sequel to the series, I loved it. BR with Nash and Madinah. 💕
RTC.
..........................................................
WE HAVE A COVER. AAAAH HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS BEFORE.
……………………………………………………
Don’t mind me, I’m waiting for this book. ♥️
Rating: really liked it
tricia never fails at writing a 5 star book!! i devoured this in half a day and cried when i finished it LOL. the anxiety rep is very well written and so comforting! i don’t usually write book reviews but god this book was just so touching!! tricia levenseller i <3 you!!!
Rating: really liked it
Before I begin raving about this book, and the whole duology altogether, I have to share its origin story. I recently met Tricia Levenseller on her tour for Master of Iron, and she shared her inspiration for this duology with magical weapons. When Thor forged his new axe in “Avengers Infinity War” she realizes she needed to write about magical weapons. Loving all things Marvel, and her books, she has completely won me over as a lifelong fan.
This series features a heroine that many of us didn’t know we needed.
Ziva is a talented and complex character. We learn of her ability to magic weapons that she creates with iron. In Master of Iron, Ziva is widely known for this ability and always being chased by people in power. Her primary mission is to get her sister to a magical healer before it’s too late. Along the way, she is thrown in to several battles that are not only physical combat with others, but also mental battles with herself. With severe social anxiety, Ziva successfully hid in her forge for years. Now that she’s exposed to love, friendship, and too many strangers, she is constantly fighting against her instincts to run and hide.
In Master of Iron, we’re taken through a wonderful progression of character for Ziva. It’s not that her anxiety is ever cured, it is a path of lessons that teach her better coping methods. Friends along the way learn how to best support her, and set her up in ways when she needs a good push. Kellyn is definitely key to her learning to trust herself, and make decisions that put herself first. It also helps that she finds him to be a nice kisser 😘 . Thank you to Tricia Levenseller for turning up the heat on their romance!
There is a lot more fighting amongst warlords, kings, and princes in this book. All throughout, Ziva hates hurting people but she knows it’s necessary. With each fight, she gets better while feeling worse. Ultimately what keeps her fighting against armies is the ever burning need to protect the people she loves most. Her magical weapons are being used against her friends, and it is the ultimate definition of bad ass when she reclaims new war hammers for herself. I won’t spoil what she names them, but it had me feeling like “yes queen!”.
Ziva is truly my favorite heroine ever written. Her struggles are person to my heart, as I raise a girl with anxiety. Ziva is the example that young readers need. She displays true inner strength being how we keep moving each day even if we’re carrying extra mental weights. She displays the bravery it takes to step out of your comfort zone sometimes, and survive the utter nervousness you feel on the inside. Ziva also shows that it’s ok to never be cured of a struggle, but rather shows how we can manage it, and keep moving forward. She’s the ultimate display of a survivor.
Thank you Tricia Levenseller for this masterpiece! It was so wonderful to hear you speak about Master of Iron during your book tour.
Rating: really liked it
Love it. So I was not aware that this was a duology until after I FINISHED the book lol. But I was absolutely in love with this book. I purposely paced myself with this book so it wouldn't end too soon. It was such a fun magical adventure. And it had real fun Skyrim vibes. To the point that most of the towns in my head looked like Whiterun lol.
This is now my 3rd book by Levenseller and I think it's fair to say that I LOVE her writing. And I'll probably read everything she's ever read.
Rating: really liked it
DNF 21%, the mediocrity continued & I was bored
Rating: really liked it
Alright, let's pray that I remember what happened.
Update: I did.
Tricia continues to give such well-written epic fantasies and I absolutely love her for it. Master Of Iron was a great conclusion to this duology.
We pick up right where we left off in Blade of Secrets and it feels like no time has passed since we got that book. I was worried I would be a little lost and confused after having so much time pass between books but I remembered everything. Tricia clarifies a little here and there, but the story moves effortlessly from book to book so there is little room for confusion.
Ziva, Kellyn and Petrik are in a race to save Temra's life and to protect their own. There are forces around them that are ready to act and if they're not careful, they might get swept up in it. The problem is, they have no choice when the only way to save Temra is to walk into the middle of it.
The rescue mission to find the healer Petrik promised is a go, however, the new rescue mission seems to be getting Ziva and Kellyn out of harm's way.... among other rescue missions. Honestly, the entire book felt like rescue mission, after rescue mission.
None of which felt like too much or repetitive. Levenseller throws you right into the action and you don't want to come up for air until you know it's safe.
The writing is great. It didn't drag on a bit and I felt like the story itself rounded out very nicely. I loved that the girls revisited their roots and had a full-circle moment! It felt very whole and I cannot complain at all about it.
I will just continue to blindly add this wonderful woman's work to my TBR. It is no hardship.
I will say, although there is romance I didn't feel like it took a front seat in this story at all. I did love the couples though. Kellyn is :') and every time he calls her sweetheart I swoon.
Once again, I loved the mental health representation in a very fantasy-filled story. Even badass magical fighters are allowed to be anxious. Ziva was great at overcoming her own obstacles but I liked that she also worked through them with the reader. I was happy with how her character grew and what she became towards the end of Master of Iron.
Definitely one of my faves from Tricia. Can't wait for the next one!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
Rating: really liked it
I really enjoyed this story! After just finishing the first book I needed answers and I got them!
This magical smithy is more than just her weapons. While it may not be easy the MC steps up to the challenge of fighting for what is right. Now she not only creates her blades, but wields them too.
I love the mental health journey that the MC is on and Kellyn is the answered prayer letting her know she is loved every step of the way. He accepts her for who she is and helps her gain her confidence in her own body.
What an awesome continuation of an already amazing story!
Rating: really liked it
I often enjoy YA fantasy and I enjoyed the first in this duology. However the MC suffers with anxiety and actually this made me feel unsettled this time round.
Rating: really liked it
I feel so seen by this duology. I absolutely love the anxiety rep in this story. Not all heroes have to be brave, adventurous and unafraid. Some might be just fine in their comfort zone.
And then there's Tricia Levenseller's writing. I don't know how she does it, but every time I pick up one of her books I find myself having read 100 pages without even realising. They are so easy to read, I'm sure her writing is the cure to any and all reading slumps.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
Rating: really liked it
"I can't live afraid of what might happen. All I can do is live." This duology just gives me all of the fuzzy feels! I absolutely loved following Ziva, Kellyn, Temra, and Petrik on their adventures. Ziva and Temra's sister bond is so strong and I loved how they were both protective of each other. In this sequel, there is an even deeper dive into Ziva's anxiety and her inner monologue. This book did a really good job exploring how her character copes, and how their adventures really force her to overcome her fears. Kellyn was so patient and understanding with her, and I loved their partnership a lot. This is definitely a story that will stick with me for a long time!
