Although the story was intriguing, the writing style felt a bit heavy for me—I would’ve preferred a faster pace. Still, it’s a book I’d recommend, and I hope other readers enjoy it.

Thanks for the ARC!

3.5 stars – A gritty, atmospheric debut with heart and history

Seventhblade is a dark, magic-laced fantasy that stands out for its depth, grit, and the cultural weight it carries. I was especially drawn to this book knowing that Tonia Laird is a Canadian and Indigenous author—it’s always exciting to see underrepresented voices adding something fresh and powerful to the fantasy genre.

The story follows T’Rayles, a fierce warrior from the Ibinnas, returning to a colonized city to avenge her son’s murder. There’s a lot of rich, layered world-building here, and I really appreciated how the narrative doesn’t shy away from exploring themes like settler colonialism and cultural erasure. The way Laird weaves that into the magic system and lore is honestly one of the strongest parts of the book.

That said, there were moments where the pacing threw me off—some scenes dragged while others felt a bit rushed. And while the prose is often vivid, it occasionally veers into being a little too descriptive, slowing down the momentum.

Still, it’s a promising debut. If you like your fantasy intense, morally complicated, and grounded in meaningful themes, Seventhblade is worth picking up. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for what Tonia Laird writes next.

Thank you ECW Press and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this story! T’Rayle’s son was murdered. Now she returns to the colonized city of Seventhblade to find justice and vengeance on his killer. To do so she’ll have to align herself with questionable allies, who can she trust? She’ll also have to face a new enemy in a city that is on the edge. Can she find her son’s killer? And just how much is she willing to risk to do so? Fast paced, intriguing, and beautifully told! Tonia Laird’s world building was wonderfully depicted and really brought me into the story! A story of a mother’s grief that’s full of emotion and will have you in the feels!

I really want to read this book, but am unable to do so because the PDF format on my phone makes it basically unreadable.

I will purchase or borrow this book when available in other formats because I really liked what I did read and want to support the author.

If possible, please consider using the epub format in the future.

Thank you for giving me access to the ARC and all the best.

I unfortunately cannot review this book because I learned too late that NetGalley changed their file type/DRM, and as a reader who uses a Kobo e-reader and NOT a Kindle, I cannot load the file onto my Kobo. I can't utilize any of the other NetGalley provided options, as all the other options would mean reading on blue-light backed devices and reading for long periods that way gives me headaches. I also will not use the "I will not be giving feed back for this book" option for this explanation, as I refuse to let a decision that NetGalley made (without any warning whatsoever to us reviewers) impact my overall feedback ratio that I work hard to maintain. I hope this is met with understanding from the publisher, as I had every intention on reading and reviewing this title.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Im going to break my review into two parts: the revenge story plot and the world building. I think the story is interesting and keeps you entertained as you go through the sequence of events with the main character and I think the world building is interesting and unique. I think where the book could improve is blending those two together more. It felt like the main plot didn't require much of the fantastical elements to be told so much of the world building felt a little out of place for me. This book is at its best though when it's leaning into a mother's grief and her relationship/sons memories. Lots of emotion and works really well. Ultimately enjoyed this book but had this minor critique.

Review: A fairly fast paced novel with a grim beginning coupled with the rage of angst.

This is the authors first solo flight, and once seasoned, will be a force in the Fantasy Genre.