Lukan Gardova arrives in the frozen city of Korslakov with two intentions: to find out what awaits him at a vault in the Blackfire Bank, and promptly return to a warmer climate before he gets frostbite. With the bank’s infamously strict policies, it is crucial that he doesn’t misplace the vault key left for him by his late father. this shouldn’t be a problem, until Lukan does what he does best - which is to say, finds a tavern, drinks a little too much, and is robbed by a notorious masked thief known as the Rook.

Lukan, Flea and Ashra bargain with Lady Marni Volkova to help them identify the Rook and retrieve the key. But everything in Korslakov comes at a price, and soon enough, the gang find themselves woven into the complex web of city politics, alchemical formulas, and Phaeron relics.

Let me begin by saying I am a Flea apologist. she’s never done anything wrong in my eyes, and no amount of grumbling from Lukan can convince me otherwise.

This was, unsurprisingly, such an easy 5 star read. The Silverblood Promise was one of my favourite reads of 2024, so I was positively foaming at the mouth when i got my hands on this ARC. This sequel delivers everything i could have hoped for - high stake heists, hilarious dialogue, and a deeply unserious and lovable protagonist (Lukan Gardova, you will always be famous). We explore a new part of the Old Empire, with hints of its lore sprinkled throughout the novel, and get to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the ancient civilisation of the Phaeron.

James Logan absolutely nails the chemistry of the core three characters; Lukan, Ashra and Flea are such a fun trio, and I loved watching their relationship progress in this book. Lukan in particular makes leaps and bounds in the novel, and I am very curious to see what emotional rollercoaster he will go on next.

Also, i loved having a recap at the start of the book! It feels like such a no brainer, especially for big fantasy series that are packed with so much information it’s hard to keep track of everything between releases!! more recaps please!!

The ending of The Blackfire Blade absolutely sticks its landing - we get some immensely satisfying answers, and just a perfect glimpse into the possibilities of where the following book will take us. If you’ve been looking for a fun heist-y fantasy series, now is the perfect time to get into The Last Legacy!

Thank you forever to James Logan, I am beyond excited to see what kind of trouble the gang will get into in book 3!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Blackfire Blade continues in the same vein as The Silverblood Promise, with one main goal (getting into the Blackfire Bank vault) and a lot of obstacles and side quests to get there. I like how adventurous these books feel. And I loved seeing Flea and Ashra again. I really like their dynamic with Lukan. It was not a 5-star read for me, because it was a bit longwinded in some places, but I would definitely recommend this one. I enjoyed it a lot. If you liked the first book, you'll like this one too!

P.S.: If you don't remember what happened in The Silverblood Promise, don't worry! There is an "Our story so far" section at the beginning of the book that recaps the most important events. I really appreciated this and I encourage all fantasy series authors to do this!

* Thanks to Netgalley and Arcadia for an eARC. This review shows my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

One thing James Logan consistently nails is the ending. Just like with The Silverblood Promise, I closed the book with that need for the next installment. He knows how to leave you wanting more!

This story gave me strong Tales of the Ketty Jay vibes — not just in its adventurous tone, but in how it played with my emotions. I was frustrated with Lukan early on (in the best way), laughed out loud at the sharp, witty dialogue, felt genuine sadness for Razin, and found Ashra incredibly relatable. All of this is wrapped up in a fast-paced, treasure-hunt plot that’s just plain fun.

The world-building is a standout, especially the lore surrounding the magical and hidden artefacts. It’s rich, mysterious, and layered in a way that makes you want to dig deeper.

I highly recommend this to fans of character-driven fantasy with humour, heart, chaos, all rolled up into a proper adventure . If you enjoyed The Silverblood Promise, this is a must-read and dare I say even better.

Can I give this one 10 stars! The blackfire blade is my top read of the year, I love the way James Logan writes and I’ve fallen in love with the characters in this series. Lukan, flea and Ashra compliment each other so well and make a formidable group of misfits.

I re-read the audiobook of the silverblood promise just before starting this but if you don’t have time for that then there is a handy story so far recap of the main events in the first book at the start of this one.

What I loved in particular:
- Lukan continues to simultaneously have the best and worst luck of any main character. I think he might have miraculously managed to avoid a hideous death/execution more times in this book than he did in the first.
- there are so many schemes and plots. I love that I can never spot the villain in this series.
- this book was improved by the inclusion of a dog and a dragon.

We only take baby steps in solving the mystery of Conrad Gardova’s murder in this book but I didn’t mind, I’m enjoying the unrelated adventures. I can’t wait for the next book in this series, it is the best fantasy series being written at the moment.

Starting at the beginning; I really appreciated the recap of what went on in the first book. I always find these helpful to summarize the overarching plot.
I love the trio of adventurers. Each have their own flaws, but together they prove a formidable team (when they decide to work together). I must say I loved the character development of the youngest member, Flea. Her dialogue and actions played a nice counterpoint to the serious of the situations they faced.
I thought the adventures would be over with book 2; but it appears from the ending of this one that there might be a lot more going on than I anticipated. I am extremely glad and I await any subsequent books like Lukan might anticipate a good Parvan red.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Really enjoyed the first book in this series and was very excited to get an arc for this one. Has all the heart and humor of the first one just not a stand out installment.

The recap at the beginning of the book was so in-depth and much appreciated! *chef’s kiss*

This was pretty good, unfortunately I think it suffers a little bit from middle book syndrome. As the first book was much more character driven, I was hoping for a little more advancement of the plot in this one, but it seems more like they were on a detour. The character’s personalities are still at the forefront but would be nice if it was a little more than the quest for the thing they lost. Still had a great time and really looking forward to the last (?) book. This kind of story may have befitted from being a duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for the advance reader copy

I was astounded at how good Book 1 was. The writing, the well woven plot, and the superb character development. A lot of series/trilogies suffer from the dreaded Book 2 curse, however this is not the case with The Last Legacy. The Blackfire Blade proved to be even better than book 1

I must say that I have read a fair amount of Fantasy novels and have watched a fair amount of Movies/Tv series so most plot twists aren't that shocking to me anymore. In this case though, the plot twists for TBB are very well thought of. The suspense of what's going to happen next keeps on increasing. The plot keeps getting interesting as the chapters go by, even after the very last chapter. James Logan surely knows how to keep the readers entertained and yearning for more

What's great about succeeding books of a series/trilogy is that you already know and either love or hate the characters. The character development of Lukan Gardova is truly remarkable. The way that his personality and traits keep developing and evolving as the multiple rollercoaster ride of an adventure he's been going through. Flea and Ashra are the perfect companion; I really couldn't ask for a better crew. They compliment each other so well that they blend perfectly as a trio

I have nothing bad to say about this novel. It's fun, mysterious, and action packed. I'm unsure whether this is a planned trilogy or series but what I'm sure of is that I can't wait to read book 3. James Logan is becoming one of my highly recommended Fantasy authors and truly becoming one of my favorites

No sophomore slump here! This is so great. We are once again right back into the action. Lukan, Flea, and Ashra all have real chemistry and growth. My only complaint: a cliffhanger ending!

Another great book from James Logan. This series proves to be outstanding and I can’t wait to reread and reread these!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercas Books for an ARC of this sequel. Book one was a debut from James Logan, and is genuinely a great book, so if you haven't picked it up yet - go start with The Silverblood Promise. I do think we have seen growth in not only the characters, the storylines, but the author too, this book, in my opinion, just builds and gets better. We find ourselves moved from the European-esque city of Saphrona, and now in Korslakov, a much more Russian feeling era for our trio. I love the found family element, and we do see more of that become evident here in book two, which balances nicely with more plot twists and adventures.

Enjoyable sequel, the last two chapters offer a ton what to expect from Book 3 and beyond.

This book continues on Lukan's quest "his Silverblood Promise" to obtain the contents of his father's vault in the city of Korslakov. Lukan loses the key (that he got in the previous book) in a theft early on in the story, sending him on a series of quests to bring it back. Even if this is a case of plot related stupidity, I did not mind it much, and I found myself quickly enjoying plenty from this book.

The character development is pretty good, just as it was before. Flea and Ashra continue as his trusted companions, and there's some deep conversations that take place between them all, especially those between Lukan and Ashra. Their loyalty continues to remain rock-solid though, and some of what we've seen from Ashra is inspiring. If I would say that Flea was my MVP of book 1, then the MVP in this book is Ashra. Similar to the predecessor, the side characters were well designed. Recall from the first book about Delastro and Obassi (the blind begger), along with plenty of other intriguing characters and their storylines. This trend continues in this book. I would run through a brick wall for General Leopold Razin, and I think Lukan would too. The storyline involving Baranov is incredibly bittersweet.

The ending (the last 5% of the book) sets up the premise for the third book, and possibly the remainder of the series too. I could read ten of these books honestly, but the rumor is that the author was planning for four books, so we'll see how this goes. Overall, I had a blast reading this- I'll give it a 4/5 stars!

A brilliant sequel to the first book.

Firstly - the summary of the story so far at the beginning of the book is much appreciated!

This was an improvement on book one in terms of writing and character development. For example, we once again have Lukan and Flea's dynamic throughout the book but that grows and changes.

The plot itself isn't super complex and James Logan creates a deep tale that is easy to read. Having listened to the first book I was worried it might lose something due to a lack of narrator for me, but it didn't! And I will be listening to this once it's out as well!

It felt like a lot more happened in this book than the first, perhaps because we already know a lot of the characters. The links to the first book were well incorporated and you can tell this story has been planned to a good level.

The ending wraps everything together and now we really need the next book already!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a fantastic sequel. I had so much fun with this book. I loved exploring new parts of the world and being back with the characters, felt like reuniting with old friends. Highly recommend this whole series.

The Blackfire Blade was a solid and enjoyable read! It’s not the type of book I usually reach for, but I’m glad I gave it a try. The story had some great action, intriguing world-building, and a fast pace that kept things moving.

While it didn’t completely blow me away, I still found myself invested in the characters and curious to see how things would unfold. Fans of classic fantasy adventures will probably enjoy this one even more than I did.

Overall, a good read — just not quite in my usual wheelhouse.

James Logan burst onto the fantasy scene with The Silverblood Promise, and with The Blackfire Blade he proves he’s not just a debut success: he’s an author to watch. Returning to the adventures of Lukan Gardova and his mismatched companions, the sequel takes us from the sun-drenched streets of Saphrona to the frost-bitten, industrial sprawl of Korslakov, a city alive with alchemy, shadowed by secrets, and steeped in menace.

At the heart of the story is Lukan’s quest to uncover his father’s legacy, locked away in the Blackfire Bank. But what begins as a simple goal spirals into a labyrinth of theft, betrayal, and ancient discoveries that could reshape the city itself. Logan excels at layering intrigue with action, side quests that feel just as vital as the main arc, clever twists that reward close attention, and a finale that pulls every thread together in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable.

What truly elevates this sequel is the character work. Lukan is still the reluctant hero with flaws and doubts, but here we see him wrestle more deeply with his father’s shadow, his mistakes, and his loyalty to the friends who have become his found family. Ashra is given even greater depth, her sharp wit and quiet resilience making her as compelling as any thief-hero in modern fantasy, while Flea continues to shine as the heart of the trio: irreverent, brave, and impossible not to root for. Their dynamic, sometimes strained but always anchored by loyalty, makes the stakes feel all the sharper.

The worldbuilding also reaches new heights. Where Saphrona evoked a bustling, Mediterranean port, Korslakov is stark, cold, and industrial, a city of spires and secrets, as atmospheric as it is dangerous. Logan’s eye for detail ensures every alleyway, laboratory, and shadowed hall feels alive, while his sharp pacing ensures no chapter overstays its welcome.

The Blackfire Blade is a rare sequel that surpasses the first book in every respect: richer, darker, more complex, yet just as compulsively readable. With razor-sharp dialogue, inventive set-pieces, and a world that begs to be explored further, this is modern fantasy at its best. Fans of Scott Lynch or Robert Jackson Bennett will feel right at home here, but Logan’s voice is distinctly his own.

An absolute triumph, and one of the standout fantasy reads of the year.

Review: I am thrilled to be back in this awesome universe. My thanks to the author for expediting my copy in the face of publisher denial (x2)

Well, Lukan is back. Self-centered and unaware as usual along with Flea and Ashra. See, this is what I love most about really good novels of any fictional kind. Characters that develop with the story line where they are impacted by the movement and shift into something better or worse. Lukan is finally growing up and beginning to understand that people care about him, and that he in turn, may care deeply for them as well. Oftimes it takes treacherous circumstances for awareness to blossom.

The quests are ever present within a cold city of retribution and never fail to entertain. I really love this series and you will too.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

4.9/5

So so good. I haven’t read the first in the series and this second volume was outstanding. Wonderful world building, great characters, strong female leads. Truly very impressive fantasy novel. Will be reading back catalogue and can’t wait for a sequel. Thank you so much to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

What a fantastic sequel. I had so much fun with this book. I loved exploring new parts of the world and being back with the characters, felt like reuniting with old friends. Highly recommend this whole series.

James Logan debuted strong with The Silverblood Promise, and with this sequel, he absolutely raised the bar. Everything that worked in the first book is back. Only bolder, stronger and more compelling

The characters of Ashra, Flea and Lukan once again shine. Not only together, but also as individuals. Lukan and Ashra have their quarrels, but also a deep loyalty for each other. They may have their differences, but they genuinely try to understand each other. And Flea? She's just as lovable, witty and stubborn as we know her.

The worldbuilding is again amazing. The warm glow and atmosphere of Saphrona is gone. The story unfolds in the cold, grim city of Korslakov, which makes for a completley different atmosphere and undertone.

Also, the pacing is again spot on. It never drags or rushes. As plans unravel for our trio, they find themselves swept into unexpected adventures before they can pursue their original goal: opening Lukans father's vault in the Blackfire Bank. These detours were thrilling, exciting, action packed and breathlessly suspenseful!