Cover Image: To Blackfyre Keep

To Blackfyre Keep

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Plot: Very interesting, tense, and keeps you reading
Characters: I wish we had more of a few of our established characters, but our newest addition to the 'party' has me very intrigued.
Setting: Super creepy, very different from the other books
Magic: The newest sword has a predictable magic (just based on that cover) but I love it all the same.

Pilgrim and Seeker are continuing their journey chasing down the Seven Swords in To Blackfyre Keep. This book takes place a short time after the ending of City of Songs, and our party has grown to a group of fourth (plus a fuzzy kitty) and opens with a bang. I can't give too big a summary of this book or the previous ones if you haven't read it but I recommend them greatly. It's a series of short novellas in the classic quest format of a man and his compatriots seeking seven demon possessed swords.
To Blackfyre Keep is an excellent addition to the series. In fact it may be one of my favorite so far, which I do chalk up to the fact that's very action and tense where the past two have seemed a bit more city set and had a hair more politics. Pilgrim and the crew get themselves hired on as 'mercenaries' to help a young lord take back a Keep that they also need to investigate. Quickly it becomes obvious there is dark magic at work here, at the Blackfyre Keep of the title. I'll give you a hint - the cover is pretty literal.
One of the highlights of this book for me was there were far more displays of power by the one sword in particular we hadn't seen much of (the most recent addition to the group from the last book). The abilities the demon within it has are fascinating and the snips of it's personality we hear about are also fun (and the flexibility of the gender of this demon immediately made it a favorite of mine). Additionally we find out about another sword, that is borne by the character the group is chasing - and it sounds horrifying. The tension is raised with this knowledge drop and we see the toll this takes on one particular person in particular.
Finally the conclusion of this story introduces us to a new party member - one who may have far more secrets than they started out with. This was the strongest book for me since the first one, which is hard to say since I have genuinely loved all these short books. Keep in mind all of these are roughly under 200 pages so everything is a fast drop or punch of information by Mr. Ryan handles it beautifully and the end story feels vivid and real.

5 Demon Cursed Blades out of 5

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The fourth installment in the 'Seven Swords' novella series finds our increasing group of characters (with the addition of Ultria, the living statue from City of Souls) still on the trail of Seeker's daughter Ekiri - and getting closer as evidence of her passing is becoming more and more clear.

In the story our group travels to Blackfyre Keep, a supposedly cursed castle that a young knight has promised to hold for a year in order to win his lady love. Our characters join his group as evidence of the location of Ekiri and the next blade points to the same location.

Of the four stories so far, this one is perhaps the most traditional and in-style of Anthony Ryan. There's no mystery to speak of and the action based more on army combat and siege rather than individual battles. The one trope of Ryan that I do not enjoy - armies of zombie-like (brainless, evil, unthinking) fodder makes an appearance, which I hope will stay in a small role. That type of action I've read about all too much already.

As before, we learn a bit more of Guyime and his history. While a bit of his charm is the mysterious grim character we met in book one, so far this exposition has not made him boring or unlikable.

At its core, the series is still a travel story of a group moving through a diverse world with new places, cultures and people around every corner. I love that the world feels large and diverse and that action always takes place in a new setting. It is still my favorite series by Anthony Ryan, even if this installment is perhaps a bit weaker than the earlier three. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

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Stars: 4.5 out of 5

I like this book a lot more than the previous 3, maybe because the storyline was pretty straightforward, but also because our (un)merry band of curse sword bearers got a lot more character development here. I admit that I hadn't been particularly impressed when I had picked up the first book in the series, but this is getting better and better with each installment.

The world is what fascinates me the most here. It's complex and layered, with countries and regions that have a very distinct feeling. I enjoyed exploring them in each consecutive book. And the purpose of the seven cursed swords is more and more intriguing.

I also liked how Guiome is evolving from book to book. He starts to care about people who journey with him and not just his quest anymore. He also got a dose of humility in this book when he discovered just how much he actually came to rely on the power of his cursed sword over the years. Curse as he may their arrangement, without the magic of the sword to keep him alive, he is just a man. Still strong and formidable, but ultimately killable.

I am also very sad for Seeker if what is hinted about her daughter is true. It would destroy her if she finally catches up to her child only to discover that she is just a shell inhabited by a demon. Having to kill that demon would probably shred her soul as well.

I'm also happy we learned a bit about why the druid decided to join our band of adventurers. And he was a lot less annoying (and a lot more helpful) in this story.

And of course the addition of a new traveling companion, the Cursed Knight. I can't wait to see how that plays out in the next book.

Yes, I am loving this series better and better with each book and I can't wait to pick up the next one once it comes out.

PS: I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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9 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/to-blackfyre-keep-by-anthony-ryan-review/

Guyime, once named “The Ravager”, once famed king of the Northern Realms, carries on his search for the Seven Swords—for by uniting them as one he hopes to free himself from their curse, and save Seeker’s daughter while doing so.

Advised to aid the cause of a lovesick knight, the party ventures to Blackfyre Keep, a cursed ruin amidst the Northlands, where war and famine rage, and something even more dangerous lurks. This knight has been tasked with taking and holding the cursed keep for a year to win the hand of his lady love—a task that is thoroughly unfeasible even with the involvement of three of the demon blades.

But Guyime doesn’t plan on sticking around.

Only in finding and mastering the fourth sword can his quest continue, and he has a very strong suspicion that the blade he seeks is somewhere in the depths of Blackfyre Keep. They’ll just have to live long enough to claim it.



<i>Cursed I am, but it was always a useful curse.</i>



So, by Book #4 we pretty much know what we’re going to get from this series. There’ll be a demon-cursed sword, some amazing locale to house it—like a hidden tomb, a cursed keep, a stratified city, a god’s chamber—someone to wield it, and a competition to claim it. If you were expecting something different—well, you’re out of luck.

What you see is what you get. Though not everyone might survive to see it.

There’s something quite nice about that, if I’m honest. I don’t have to worry overly about my favorite characters dying, I don’t have to worry about catching every aspect of the plot, I can just sit back and take it all in. Because I absolutely adore the world of the Seven Swords, and would read pretty much any story set in it. With such a simple and straightforward plot that’s basically episodic by now, it frees up Anthony Ryan to dream up new and more fantastical elements of his world than ever before. If you’ve accompanied me to Book #4 then you’ll know what I mean.

So, we have an episodic book and the expectation of another sword by the end of it. What’s next?

I’d argue the adventure itself takes priority. And the adventure here is a good one. It’s not perfect, by any means (one can only bottle lightning so many times, after all), but it’s another entertaining episode, where our heroes journey to a cursed keep and confront an ancient evil. Again, there’s some travel time in the beginning, so we get yet another glimpse at the incredible world the author has dreamt up. There is mystery, there is tension, there are military and horror and supernatural elements threading through a wonderful fantasy tale.

As with the other Seven Swords installments, Blackfyre Keep is light on details (the review copy I received was only 147 pages), which—while you’d expect that from a novella—I found just a bit more shallow than the others in sequence. The title “To Blackfyre Keep” is telling, as that’s the destination. In the other installments our party spent time searching upon the way, but here (apart for a single brief exception) we head straight to the keep before the story really begins.

TL;DR

If you’ve arrived at this point in the Seven Swords, you should know how this works. A place, an enemy, a sword to claim. A challenge in claiming it. It’s pretty much that simple. While episodic, it’s another investing adventure with an entertaining story and interesting characters. Though the world doesn’t feel as interactive as in past installments, the world around remains as detailed and immersive as before, with wondrous locations and terrifying scenes. Not much more I can say about this. If you’ve reached this point of the series, you’re sure to enjoy this one. If you haven’t—I guess you won’t be reading it anyway. If you’re wondering whether it’s time to pick up the series—I’d say yes, but I guess you could always just wait it out and binge them all at once. Got another 2-4 years wait, in that case. Easier to just start now, eh?

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I've enjoyed this book more than the previous three. I'm not sure if it's because of the simple storyline, but the world and the plot is always captivating. I wished I've paid more attention to the characters in the previous 2 books since they became more prominent in this. I always imagined this book as a video game filled with quests and adventures, where every landscape offers a different kind of trouble. Having watched the Witches series on Netflix, Guyime also reminded me so much of Geralt.

The writing was also exceptionally well-done, and I've enjoyed most of the action sequences. The words just flowed smoothly with the story and the pacing. I've yet to experience reading other Anthony Ryan's books.

I'm already looking forward for the 5th book. I think we have 3 more swords to find. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an eARC copy of this book.

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To BlackFyre Keep by Anthony Ryan(Seven Swords #4)- In this fourth novella in the Seven Swords Saga, Guyime and his followers have joined up with a young knight and his men-at-arms, who are traveling to an ancient castle know as Blackfyre Keep. Since they were directed to go this way by their magical map, the adventurers fall in with the soldiers. Upon reaching their destination, nothing but ruins can be found and the area is empty of any signs of life. This all changes when the former inhabitants come streaming out of the nearby lake with green fire in their eyes and death on their breath. A perilous siege occurs and the adventurers and soldiers are forced to fight for their lives. A little darker, no more violent than the first three entries, but pulse-pounding and filled with dread. I enjoy these short but vibrant books of Anthony Ryan as well as his longer works, and am looking forward to the next three installments of this series. Thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for this exciting ARC!

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