3.5 stars. Rounded up.

An overall enjoyable SFF with interesting characters and a seemly plot. I enjoy the writing style very much and look forward to the works this author will put out.

This is a wonderful book for fans of the assassins-fantasy sub-genre and anybody looking to dip their toes into high fantasy. It isn't intimidating at all and a great segway into the high fantasy genre.

The premise of this novel really excited me, and I jumped at a chance to read it, as a dystopian setting and magic make for one of my favourite combinations. The wold building lived up to my expectations, however, for me the character development fell flat and made it difficult to really get invested in the story.

Usually, my ratings are at least three stars, but this time, I really couldn't give more to this book.
Obsidian starts out surprising me, for its setting reminds me of a mafia romance, as if the name of the place itself, Malavita, wasn't a dead giveaway. There are a few Italian words, very few to be considered of Italian inspiration, but enough to make me roll my eyes: unless I'm reading a mafia romance, even if they're rightfully portrayed as the bad guys, I don't need mafia in my reads. Then again, this is only the beginning.
Alas, the way it develops doesn't fare much better, mostly because it falls short. It feels like a meal without condiments, bland, extremely so, especially if we take the characters into account: they all lack something, at one point or another, like backstory, an explanation behind some of their "secrets", and just more depth. They feel very one-dimensional, some maybe more developed than others, but not much.
For example, Shade Nox, the main character, is way too arrogant and obnoxious in most of her interactions with others as well inside her mind. Really, I would have gladly punched her in the face.
Then there was Raiden, and him, along with Dante, were my favourite characters, but I really would have wanted more of Raiden: he was the true enigmatic one, the one I wanted answers from. But alas, it was Shade's book, but not even she was very well developed.
Mind you, there are parts I liked, especially the closure she gets with a certain character, as for the rest, she irritated the hell out of me.
Yes, I'm talking about the romantic relationships throughout the book: if I'd had a physical copy, I would have thrown it against the wall. Multiple times. I had a ship, it was a very obvious one at that, but good god, was I disappointed. Extremely so. If you decide to read it, you'll get my feelings.
The only thing I'd save, although my mind's still trying to wrap around the hows of it, is the world building, especially the magic and the gemstone blades. There is not much explanation of what each gem means, which, given the title and the importance of said stone, would have been much appreciated. I still don't really grasp how the whole magic system worked, but it was cool, perhaps just a bit underdeveloped.
The whole book felt as if there was too much information about some things and next to none about some others. Had it been developed better, perhaps I would have found it enjoyable. And with less love drama. Really, I love romance, but this was just not it.

A book promising a strong female character fighting for her people with magic and standing up against a church holding all the power? I certainly couldn’t say no to Obsidian when I read the synopsis, and as I read the book I was drawn into a world of gemstone blades and magic that grew more enticing with every word.

Obsidian promised a daring female heroine, a revolutionary who was fighting for her people; “the only witch in a land of wizards”. It certainly delivers in all those areas. Shade Nox is a fun and interesting character, and it’s easy to see why she inspires people to follow her. She’s not just extremely powerful in blood magic, the type of magic prominent on the Island of Malavita, she stands by people, keeps her word and follows through with her promises. In short, she’s nothing like the Brotherhood, the religious church who holds the monopoly on magical veils that protect most of the land from the blight or the Capomaji, powerful bloodwizard warlords who terrorize and extort the local people.

Of course, opposing both of these powerful forces means that Shade is vulnerable without allies and the blight is growing worse in the Wastes, the area beyond the veils; the place her family calls home. With allies of her choice and allies she has no choice but to accept even though her instincts scream at her, Shade attempts to do something that has not been done in centuries; raise a new veil. Prepared to deal with outrage from the Brotherhood and the lust for power of the City-princes and Capomaji, Shade and her allies are willing to do whatever they need to save lives and topple the powerful hold the brotherhood has on the island. What they find are ancient secrets and treacheries that make it difficult to know who friend from foe.

I found Obsidian to be a fast-paced adventure with interesting characters that drew me in and kept my attention from start to finish. However, it was the magic system and world-building that shined brightest for me. As a pagan who collects crystals and gemstones I was fascinated by the crystal blades that Daley equipped the blood wizards and witch with. To use their blood magic they, obviously, need to shed blood and unlike other fantasy novels their power seems to only come from shedding their own blood. Their skin is adorned with intricate magical tattoos which imbues them with faster healing, so they can open various wounds without worrying about blood loss. To open their wounds and to channel their magic they use gemstone blades.

It is mentioned that the Brotherhood Blademasters do not “yield any stone below emerald”, and that most wizards use rare and precious gems for their blades. Throughout the novel combatants are analysed based on their blades, suggesting that the choice of gemstone is connected to the power of the wizard. Shade wields two obsidian blades, and while they are a common gemstone they are much more powerful. She remarks that this is because it is a newer gemstone, suggesting that Daley has also taken into consideration the way gemstones are formed as well. I found the whole system fascinating, especially as Daley made sure it was a staple of Malavita society. Gemstones and their properties are ingrained in their society and their magic.

I’m not quite sure what stops me from giving Obsidian a higher rating. As I’ve mentioned, it has a brilliant magic system, solid world-building and I enjoyed the plot. I think at the end of the day it just did not have that “wow” factor for me. While I liked Shade, I just liked her. I felt the same about the rest of the characters. I didn’t fall in love with anyone in this book, and if I’m honest, I was a little irritated that it started to turn into a bit of a reverse-harem book. I think if this wasn’t a young adult book, it most certainly would be a reverse-harem book. Other than a few secondary characters Shade is the only female main character throughout the book. She is completely surrounded by men, most of which end up adoring her (I’ll get to this is a moment) and the lack of another female character in the group makes the novel feel very unbalanced.

By the end of the novel three of the male characters are in love with her, and while two of those relationships make sense, one of them came out of absolutely no where. Shade is an openly bisexual woman, and Daley has written her as someone who is independent and open about her relationships. It made sense for her to sleep with one of the men in a moment of emotion, but the sudden attraction to him when she had never even given him the slightest look before? It felt like a bad bit of editing. Suddenly she only has eyes for him, the tension that had been building since the start of the novel is completing forgotten as is the relationship with another character. It felt very wishy-washy.

I’m not sure whether Obsidian is designed to be a stand-alone or the first book of a series. It’s not currently listed as a part of a series and the ending could go either way, which is a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it. It could have been left open on purpose, or it’s supposed to be wrapped up… and it doesn’t feel that way at all. Overall, Obsidian is a fun read and fantasy fans that love interesting magic systems will get a kick out of this one, but personally I think it lost its way a bit towards the end.

Sarah J. Daley’s Obsidian is the authors debut novel. The story introduces us to the island nation of Malavita, protected by the magically-erected “Veils”, separating its population from the demonic blight of the barren wastes. Malavita is ruled from afar by an Empire keen to exploit its rich natural resources, and by the corrupt Brotherhood of blood magicians, the Capomagi, and others. The story is set in the aftermath of a magical war where humans are now trying to survive under the rule of an Imperial overlord.

The story opens by introducing readers to Captain Raiden Mad, an Imperial Emissary with diplomatic protection, who has been sent to the City of Sicaria to negotiate terms with Prince Dante Safire, the last scion of an ancient line. Raiden is the former Commander of the Imperial Guard, the seventh son of Emperor Suijn, sent to explore the possibility of erecting a new Veil with the help of a local prince and an outlaw witch. Enter the notorious Shade Nox who has an Imperial warrant for murder, and treason.

Shade Nox, the infamous Black Witch, is a blood magic user who wields obsidian blades. Obsidian is born from the fires of the earth, suddenly, violently compared to the stronger gemstones. The blade grants the wielder great power. She's able to touch all hidden elements of magic which scares people. She's the orphaned daughter of a former Brotherhood bishop who was abandoned in the wastes and found by Dante. Shade is an anomaly in that she has tattoos covering her body that makes her damn near indestructible.

Shade lives in the Wastes protected by Veils. She is trying to save her people from a darkness that is spreading across the land and will do anything it takes to save them. Shade believes she can raise a powerful Veil, but the Brotherhood, Capomaji, and Corsoro want her dead. Especially one Bishop Raphael who has sent his Ruby Pontifex after her time and time again. Raiden, interestingly enough, may have more depth that first thought. He's able to stand his ground against deadly assassins, and stand up when magic is used against him. He becomes a valuable ally alongside of Dante, Matteo, Angelo, Cyril, Manoli, and Petra.

There are some sex scenes, but nothing graphic. Shade has multiple lovers in the book and none of it seems to be on the serious side. The plot takes some twists and turns, which kept me engaged, and the pace felt steady without being too rushed. Even though this is sold as a standalone, there is plenty of room for additional stories within this world. Especially with the antics of Raphael and his brotherhood and how they will deal with Shade.

Three and a half
In a world still living with the aftermath of a magical war those who have survived the Wastes live protected beneath Veils that have been raised by the corrupt Church of Blood Wizaeds. The Empire has triumphed and yet still there are pockets of unrest and defiance and this sees the Emperors seventh son setting out to gain compliance but his blind ignorance and indeed arrogance has not prepared him for Shade ! Shade is known as the Black Witch, an abomination of sorts as men wield blood magic not women and yet here she stands strong, fierce and more powerful than anyone around her but her powers have a terrible cost !
I find this hard to rate because Shade whilst honest and upfront isn't particularly likeable. Yes her motivation is explained but I struggled to warm to her. The magic is quick to reveal itself and almost shocking with just how violent things can get . As for the romance that just seemed to get thrown in I was completely nonplussed by it and sadly not convinced at all which is a shame because other possibilities had crossed my mind. I feel no romance would have been preferable but think perhaps the author wishes to give her heroine some joy as well as pain. Unfortunately this never quite reached its full potential for this reader but perhaps the author will revisit this world that she has created.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair.

“Are you a savior, Obsidian wielder, or are you a destroyer?

I received a free e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3/5

The book follows Shade Nox, a powerful wielder of blood magic with a goal of creating a veil for her people to protect them from evil beasts and demons. In Malavita, there are areas under domes of protection, which provide protection from the wastes which are plagued by Blackstorms and hideous evil creatures. Shade pursues her dream of creating a new Veil free of the manipulative Brotherhood.

obsidian is a standalone fantasy novel with a phenomenal world building. The story is told in 3rd person with multi-POV. The magic system was flawless! I loved how everything worked and I finally for once never found anything confusing. I especially enjoyed the mix of elemental and blood magic and different gemstones determining the level of power to each wielder.The plot was well developed and well paced.

As much as I enjoyed the book it wasn’t perfect. Unfortunately all of the characters including shade the protagonist seemed flat for me. Although we got to know her past and description to how she feels during some situations, still I couldn’t get attached to her or the side characters. They all seemed one-dimensional and I was left wanting to know more about them. Another thing I didn’t like was the romance, it felt unnecessary and the love interests are not developed enough. including the sex scenes,they came out of nowhere.

Overall I did enjoy the book I just wish that there were more character development.

This was definitely one of the more solid fantasy books I’ve read in the past year! I went into Obsidian blind and was absolutely delighted by not only the story, but especially the characters. Plot wise, this reminded me a lot of The lord of the Rings, Shadow and Bone, and a less wordy FBAA. The storyline is wonderfully done in my opinion and I just adored the main characters from the get go. Shade, the female mc, was very Celaena-esque which I LOVED. There was a little bit of a romance subplot (YA, fade to black) and, while I loved it, it was not a main focus.
Actual rating: 4.5/5

~This is a honest no spoiler review in exchange of an ARC.~

I loved it!

Just an epic story. I liked the pace of the book and the characters.
Loved the main character and her journey.

I would recommend this book!

Shade Nox is a badass witch who wields Obsidian blades and uses blood-magic. Unlike most bloodwizards, Nox is special, she has learned to access wild magic and tap into The Wild Power. We follow her on a journey through a Dune-like wasteland with dangers around every corner.

The apocalyptic world building and new take on magic should have made this an unforgettable story for me - but the lack of character development and connection unfortunately knocked it down. The writing also felt a bit rigid. It led to confusion where I thought I was missing information or chunks of story but really they just weren't there.

If you can jump in and just enjoy the dystopian world with some incredible magic then this one might be worth a try for you! Unfortunately, it just didn't deliver for me.

*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Obsidian you'll follow Shade Nox as she wields her Obsidian blades,learns to tame wild magic, and attempts to create a safe haven in the midst of a cruel and unforgiving wasteland.
There are many reasons why this should have worked for me. The magic system is a unique mix of blood and elemental and it plays out on the page in an exciting and intense way! The setting is reminiscent of a Dune/Mad Max wasteland with dangers around every corner and there's an unapologetic and powerful heroine. I just couldn't seem to find any purchase when it came to connecting with these characters. Without the connection the story became a handful of cool moments strung together by lengthy exposition, politics, and romance that frankly bored me.
If you aren't a character driven reader and enjoy a cool atmosphere and magic system this might be worth a try. Sadly for me this one was brimming with potential but didn't deliver on the execution.

Love fantasy? Love a strong, flawed heroine? Then this is the book for you! The author does a wonderful job of building the world for this book that will keep you engaged. The plot comes with twists and turns that will keep you intrigued and turning the page. The cover is what drew me to this book, and it did not disappoint!

This book was such an interesting read. From the magic system to the political institutions to the main characters, everything in this novel felt eerily intriguing, as if it all wasn't quite what it seemed to be. I loved all the intricacy of the conspiracies and backstory of the world and main characters. Along with the wonderful prose and descriptions, it made the setting of the story feel vivid and alive. The plot took some twists and turns, which kept me engaged, and the pace felt steady without being too rushed. The magic system was a fascinating combination of blood and stone/ore magic, which I enjoyed learning about as the story progressed. I loved Shade Nox. She was the absolute definition of a badass woman: strong and persistent while also caring and vulnerable when necessary. The only thing I didn't like as much about the book was some of the secondary characters. They seemed a bit interchangeable and one-dimensional. This also made some of the romance/sex seem like it came out of nowhere. Overall, though, I really enjoyed reading this one and recommend it for fans of fantasy with strong female leads. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Just what I needed!

Shade Nox is fierce and flawed and I just LOVED her. The characters were all so distinct with backstories that were realistic and interesting at the same time. I enjoyed the plot a lot- it was a unique twist to fantasy and I enjoyed every bit of it. The writing was really good- it was simple and descriptive without being overbearing. Really enjoyed this one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc.

Obsidian is a standalone fantasy novel that immediately drew me in with its gorgeous and intriguing cover. The story is set in the aftermath of a magical war where humans are now trying to survive under the rule of an Imperial overlord, the Brotherhood of bloodwizards, and the Capomagi in the island kingdom of Malavita. Shade Nox is a magic user, however, as women typically cannot access magic, especially her type of magic, she sometimes hides herself as a man. Shade lives in an area called the Wastes, which is growing more unstable and dangerous. In order to protect those around her, she wants to find a magic solution, but it is easier said than done.

As a main character, Shade was very interesting as she experienced many moments of strength and many of vulnerability. She was both a likable and an unlikable character, so I am not set in my feelings for her. Unfortunately, she leaned more towards unlikable as there were many instances of her coming across as arrogant instead of strong-willed, which could come down to context, wording choices, or just my perception. I think more growth from her character would have helped this as it did not seem to be explored as in depth as I would have liked.

The Brotherhood was an interesting group as they were widespread across the world. To use the magic they would access it by blood magic using gem knives with some using rubies and others, like our main character, use obsidian. Each gem represents the strength of the user’s magic. As magic users, these wounds would heal by themselves using special tattoos in order to be cut again. The entire concept was very interesting as the gem element added a new angle to the idea of blood magic use. As for the Brotherhood, I wanted a little more exploration into their history and how it relates from their creation to their current place in the story. The gem blades were also a cool concept that I wished was explored more as I want to learn everything, such as, their origins and how they are made.

Along Shade’s journey, the readers meet Captain Raiden Mad, an Imperial Emissary, and Dante Safire, the high prince, who all have their own perspectives in the novel. Additional characters that are introduced are Matteo, Angelo, Cyril, Manoli, and Petra. While these characters together were enjoyable, I wanted a little more from them as many of their motivations and backstories were told rather than shown. I am a complete fan of romances of stories, but, unfortunately, it fell flat for me this time. It came across as almost coming out of nowhere, so I needed more development to connect more to this storyline. The story itself is fairly faced paced and very interesting. I think it was expanded into a duology, it might have given more time to develop some parts further, but it still was a quick read. As this is set-up as a standalone, there is no cliffhanger ending, but I think there is a foundation for this to be expanded into a series within the same universe and I would gladly give it a try!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Angry Robot, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Sometimes you come across a book where you never quite manage to get your bearings. For me, Obsidian was that sort of book.

First of all, I do want to say that the worldbuilding was terrific. The setting of this book was vibrant and complex, with diverse cultures and gorgeously-described landscapes. I could really picture the city streets and the Wastes as if I was walking right alongside the characters. Plus, the world's system of bloodmagic was both vicious and beautiful - I never once found myself confused about how or why it worked.

For me, it was the characters that were the issue. I never quite connected to any of them and often found myself confused by their actions. Splitting the narration between Shade, Raiden, and Dante never quite gave me the chance to know - and by extension, care about - any of them. Shade, of course, stood out the most as she carries most of the plot, but even her personality occasionally seemed thin. As for Raiden and Dante - I would have preferred more depth from one of them rather than little from either. As it was, both of them seemed mostly defined by the fact that they were pining after Shade.

The romantic element of this story felt like an afterthought, and Shade's actions in that arena never quite made sense. Attraction seemed to bloom out of nowhere, leaving me confused rather than satisfied when characters got together. The gender imbalance of the story didn't help on this front; with Shade being the only female character, every man was lusting after her, which at times didn't seem quite believable. There seemed to be a lack of nuance in this quarter; I wish the author had chosen one love interest and let the passion simmer under the surface rather than have Shade bounce from paramour to paramour seemingly at random.

I do think all in all that the world of this story saved this book for me. Wanting to know what would happen kept me reading, even as I was often scratching my head about the characters' choices, wondering if I had missed something along the way.

3/5

Thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for an e-arc of Obsidian!

3.5

I know we’ve all seen the meme about ratings being based on vibes, but seriously that’s me. Did I feel something? Did it make me cry in a good way? Did I fall in love with a character? Basically, did I enjoy the story?

I did enjoy Obsidian, but boy did it pack a lot into it. I still haven’t decided if I liked that it was all packed into one or if this is a book that could have been a duology to flush the story out a bit more for me.

This story follows Shade Nox, the infamous Black Witch, who is really just a woman who has been taught blood magic by har father. You see only men use blood magic and women who do so are blasphemous. (Definitely some heavy historical influences here) She is trying to save her people from a darkness that is spreading across the land and will do anything it takes to save them.


This book packed a lot in, but if you’re looking for an adult fantasy with blood magic and a “I’ll do anything and you can’t stop me” female MC then I recommend this. Overall an enjoyable read, but it just didn't grab me.


******Minor spoilers ahead******
While I enjoyed some of the characters, I honestly never fell in love with any of them. I felt like I only got surface level info on so many of them. At a certain point Shade takes on a brand new love interest and honestly I couldn’t remember much about him up until a few chapters before.

There are some sex scenes, but nothing graphic. Honestly, I did appreciate how Shade had multiple lovers in the book and how it was handled. It wasn’t a huge problem for those involved (albeit a little jealousy for some) and instead it was “this is how I feel’ with things resolving.

This book had great world-building but very ok characters. I didn't find myself as engrossed in the plot as much as in the setting and magic

Obsidian by Sarah Daley

9780857669407

380 Pages
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release Date: January 25, 2022

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Magic, Dystopian World

Shade Nox, also known as the Black Witch carries obsidian blades. She is the only one that can wield them. Malavita is covered by Veils that were created by the Brotherhood to provide safe lands that contain water and can grow food. There is a cost to their veils though and the price is getting higher with each passing year. Shade wants to create a veil for all the people that is not under the control of the Brotherhood. She must travel to find the four quarter stones and find the ideal location to create the veil but traveling outside of the existing veils is treacherous. She is aided by Lord Dante Saffire and Raiden, a representative from the Bhaskar Empire. Together they must work together or fail.

The story is fast paced, the characters are developed, and it is written in third person point of view. I loved Shade with her tattooed body and her black blades. She is one of the only female blood wizards and is very powerful. The author does a great job describing Malavita and it’s different clans/cultures. It is an underdog story where good must prevail over evil in order for people of Malavita to survive. If you like dystopian stories with lots of magic, you will enjoy reading this one.

https://onereadingnurse.com/2022/01/18/obsidian-arc-review-by-sarah-j-daley/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CY43ZSBLdOh/

Thank you so much to Angry Robot for the free early digital copy of Obsidian by Sarah J Daley! All opinions are my own!

This is an adult (18+) fantasy novel set on a vaguely Italian feeling island; it is rich in world building and magic.  I read it fairly quickly and even though it can read as a standalone I definitely hope a second book is on the way

There is definitely a lot to unpack with this book and for my current purposes I am assuming it's a standalone

Let's talk about the world building first:  if this is a standalone I think it had a perfect amount of world building.  Daley went pretty deep into the history of  Malavita.  She told us what we need to know about the war between the native peoples, the history of magic use, and how certain rituals were learned and eventually corrupted.  I really appreciated this storyline.

On a micro level she also did a great job describing the mood of various areas, the culture in different small groups, food and drink, weather and architecture.   

I liked that small things were included like a character's ambivalence toward cats, because they were susceptible to the blighted magic. 

What I wanted more of: the Brotherhood's history and how the religion developed widely enough that the four faces, the hidden, and the wild are consistent across the island.

As part of the setting and atmosphere, I did feel like the tone for each area was set with lush descriptions, temperature, sights and smells, and these things were consistent.  My favorite area was the glass fields.

For all of that, the book maintains a fast pace with plenty of action too. 

Character wise: The main character is Shade Nox, a blood magic user who wields obsidian blades. She reminded me a lot of Mia Corvere because she takes crap from no one and is terrified of horses.  She is able to touch a hidden element of magic.  Apparently it is not normal in this world for women to be magic users or have the tattoos so Shade was an anomaly, ostracized, and wanted for various crimes.  She was bad ass and super powerful but also vulnerable, and had a tendency to fall in love with and/or seduce like ... everyone she is in intimate proximity with.

This created a weird dynamic at the end of the book and all felt very unnecessary, but it's adult fantasy and properly advertised as such, so characters can do what they want.   

The other main character is Raiden, who was stuck somewhere between duty and having a good heart and I liked him a lot.  He definitely had some innate unnatural ability but it was never explored, just hinted at, so I definitely needed more of that and docked a star for it.  That said, that's where I wonder if there will be a sequel.

The other characters are numerous but each contributes something meaningful.  Many have interesting stories, abilities, and snark for days.

Maybe I should have talked about the magic system earlier: the book does provide a rich and interesting back story for the magic.  Veils are used to protect cities from the wild and corrupted magic of the wastes, and obviously there are corrupt people too, almost like a magical mafia of priests and mages that tax and tithe the people into poverty

The blood wizards (and witch) use blades of different gemstones and materials to designate how powerful they are. Shade has crafted a unique set of Obsidian blades.  Tattoo magic is also incorporated as they serve as healing wards after the mage has performed blood magic. I definitely think the magic was the book's strongest element - it does tend to be large and over the top at times but who doesn't love a grandiose display of elemental magic?

I feel like I did a lot of summary so here are my thoughts: The magic, characters, history, and world building all tie together and make this an enjoyable read. These story elements combine for a consistent feel where I can understand the character's motivations and root for them within the world. It moved along quickly.  I like the theme of women defying social boundaries (tattoos, clothing choices, etc), and love that ink is making it's way into fantasy more now.  

One totally random stylistic thing that I absolutely loved was that Daley used a pretty wide range of vocab words like 'hummocky' and 'cerestory', so I was able to learn something while reading!

Overall I definitely recommend this one for fans of adult fantasy with big magic and big personality!