Lukan is on a mission, in Korslakov, a city of alchemical and technological advancement, he seeks the Blackfire Bank, to which his father has left him a key to open a vault inside. In an act of drunken mishap Lukan loses the key which is stolen by the mysterious thief known only as the Rook. Hoping that whatever may lay inside that vault will lead him to his father’s killer, he knows he must retrieve the key at all costs and so he, master thief Ashra and Flea set out to uncover the Rook’s whereabouts. As events spiral Lukan finds himself indebted to Lady Marni, daughter of one of Korslakov’s most powerful nobles, and she has set him on a quest that will either lead him to gallows should he fail or unleash an unknown terror. 

The Blackfire Blade by James Logan is the thrilling sequel to The Silverblood Promise and as our journey follows more mysteries, more chaotic quests, our characters reach new, exciting depths. 

Logan skilfully immerses his readers back into this world by picking up events where they left off in the first book. As we now enter the city of Korslakov immediately the contrast to Saphrona is shown. Where the setting of Saphrona was warm, lively, and a heavily populated place, Korslakov is a cold, dark and silent city. It’s a place of shadows, secrets and alchemy, where a grand Tower with purple flames is the predominant eyesore. By Logan placing our characters in this alien setting, he forces them out of their comfort zone and shows us how they each adapt. In the beginning half of the novel, Ashra is the most affected as she begins to lose faith in her skills as a master thief/assassin and goes to quite extreme lengths to conquer her fears and prove to herself that she still possesses her abilities. Lukan, unsurprisingly, remains his naive, foolhardy self and tries to drink and bluster his way through the next phase of his quest. Flea, on the other hand, shows some vulnerability as she grows attached to both Lukan and Ashra and worries about the conflict between them. Yet in the second half of the novel the nightmarish dangers they all face in Korslakov forces them all to grow, to trust in one another and work cooperatively as a team. This is one of my favourite tropes in a fantasy novel, a found family, and I just loved how this journey unfolded. 

“It was as if a veil had been pulled back, allowing him to see his life clearly for the first time. And what he saw was a lie. An illusion that he had created and convinced himself to believe in, because it was easier to claim the world had wronged you than accept that you were at fault. But now, he saw recklessness instead of courage.

Arrogance instead of confidence. And instead of wit, he saw – actually, no, he was proud of his silver tongue and anyone who judged him for that could go to the hells.”

The side characters in this novel became stand outs and I loved that Logan brought back one of my favourites, General Razin, along with his butler Timur and trusted dog, Ivan. In the first book Razkin was a bit of a drunk and brought quite a bit of humour to his scenes, whilst he still enjoys a drink and is still comedic, there was some fantastic added depth as we learn of his experiences in the war and his desire to see better leadership in Korslakov. His character truly shines towards the end when we are given a glimpse into the great General he once was. Lady Marni also makes a return and as Lukan becomes indebted to her, she wastes no time in showing how ruthless, manipulative and powerful she can be. Then we have two new characters central to the plot, Lord Baranov and his daughter, Galina. At first this noble family appeared like any other, hungry for power, but underneath they had some fascinating secrets that hooked me. 

“The damp musk of rot was thick in her nostrils, and the air was heavy, as if it remembered the misery of what had happened here. She turned slowly, eyeing the haphazard rows of skeletons, the darkness roiling beyond the light of her glowglass as if furious at her intrusion. She felt like a trespasser. She supposed she was. This was no place for the living.”

As with the first book The Blackfire Blade also includes side quests, which allows our characters, and us in turn, to discover more of the barren places of Korslakov. This is where I truly began to love this setting. One aspect I love about both of Logan’s books is the blend of mystery with fantasy, it adds such an Indiana Jones esque style to the plot which never fails to capture me. My favourite scenes in this novel were where our characters are sent on a mission into Ashgrave, a place ruined and desolated by a plague, to retrieve a scroll with a highly sought formula, and all that follows from became unputdownable. Ashgrave held plenty of secrets to be uncovered and hideous monsters waiting and so there was plenty of action to keep me on the edge of my seat. We also explore golems, strange metal machines that do most of the labour in Korslakov. The inclusion of these added another layer to the worldbuilding, showing different ways that alchemy was being used for. Of course we also discover more about the Phaerons and their ancient artefacts, but I won’t say any more than that! 

The Blackfire Blade surpasses its predecessor with emotionally charged character growth, intricate worldbuilding and its charm and wit. It’s an epic fantasy that is certain to entertain and leave you craving more. 

ARC provided by Ayo at Arcadia and Quercus books in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy!

The Silverblood Promise and The Blackfire Blade are available now – you can order your copy on Bookshop.org