Seven Blades in Black, my review.

Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the best fantasy novel I've read in a very long time. The tale of Sal the Cacophony, a former mage of the Imperium, now a Vagrant wandering the wastelands of the Scar hellbent on revenge. When the book starts, Sal is a captive of the Revolution, a Stalinist police-state founded by non-magical colonists from the Imperium. Among her many crimes, Sal is accused of being complicit in the disappearance of a Revolutionary officer. Her interrogator wants to know what happened to him.

What follows is a story of revenge, doomed love, betrayal, horrific crimes, and at the center of it all, one very broken woman and the gun that gives her her name. The Cacophony is a character all on its own, much like Stormbringer in the Elric books. This is a world filled with interesting characters and a system of magic that takes from the mage in return for power.

Sam Sykes does a fantastic job of building this world, and Sal the Cacophony is one of the more complete characters I've run across recently. The reveals in the plot are handled well, and the big reveal is stunning. One of my favorite things is that, despite being the first book of a trilogy, it is a standalone novel. The end is satisfying while leaving open the chance for more.

And I want more!



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