Blood & Steel: An epic romantic fantasy (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 1)

Blood & Steel delivers a blade-wielding heroine, ambition, magical creatures, and enough romantic interruption to make me wonder whether Thea and Wilder would ever finish what they started. Helen Scheuerer builds an expansive fantasy world around a woman with three years left to live and no interest in spending them following rules. The journey is lengthy and occasionally repetitive, but Thea’s determination kept me cheering for her. Women are forbidden from carrying weapons after an ancient prophecy links a mysterious daughter of darkness to the destruction of the kingdoms. Althea Zoltaire has ignored that decree for years. She trains alone in the dangerous Bloodwoods and dreams of joining the elite Warswords who defend the Midrealms. Her fate stone predicts that she will die at twenty-seven, so caution feels like a luxury she cannot afford. Wilder Hawthorne discovers Thea’s illegal training and becomes her reluctant escort, mentor, and greatest temptation. He is a feared Warsword known as the Hand of Death. She is a stubborn apprentice alchemist who refuses to accept the future chosen for her. Their banter is intelligent, snarky, and respectful. Wilder pushes Thea beyond her limits without diminishing her strength. Watching him help mold her into a formidable warrior was a unique twist on the typical fantasy romance. Thea is exactly the type of fantasy heroine I love. She knows what she wants and trains like her life depends on it. Her decision to throw caution aside after learning that her death is approaching gives her recklessness a meaningful foundation. She is bold, capable, and prepared to fight anyone who believes a woman should remain safely away from a sword. The romance requires tremendous patience. Thea and Wilder spend more than enough hours circling their attraction through yearning, interrupted kisses, and repeated near misses. Their chemistry is strong, but the eventual intimacy offers far less detail than the buildup promises. I waited through an entire twelve hours of sexual tension and wanted considerably more time inside that bedroom. The pacing also tested me. Long training sequences begin to feel repetitive. The court politics slowed my interest considerably. I was far more curious about Thea’s hidden magic, uncertain origins, and mysterious future than the political maneuvering surrounding her. The magical creatures and growing danger beyond the Veil gave the world more interest as well. Several late discoveries create exciting possibilities for the rest of the series. Wilder’s history explains how he became the Warwielder and his concealed abilities add another layer to his guarded personality. Thea’s emerging power raises fascinating questions about her family, identity, and connection to the prophecy. The cliffhanger opens the door for more battles, uncovering magic, and a partnership between two warriors ready to face the coming darkness together. Sebastian Grove and Mollie Stark made the lengthy audiobook worth hearing. Their performances gave the banter warmth, carried the slower sections, and helped distinguish the large cast. I would continue with the second book after finding it during a bookstore visit, though I am not racing to have it delivered. Pick this up if you enjoy sprawling fantasy worlds, warrior training, protective mentors, found family, and very patient slow burns. You'll have a wonderful time in Thezmarr.

An incredible read! I wasn't sure at first what kind of romantasy this would be but I fell in love! I love a strong MMC and a strong, doesn't take her lot in life FMC.
Can't wait to dive into the next one.

This had all the elements to make it an amazing book, but it just didn't hit. I'm hoping this is a case where the first book is the worst and the rest of the series picks up and gets better. It felt like a cross between several romantasy series, which isn't terrible, but felt like I was reading a tamer version of Cassian and Nesta

Althea knows the exact age at which she'll die thanks to the fate stone she was given at birth. Her main goal/want in life is to become a Warsword, the only problem is... women are forbidden to wield or touch blades in Thezmarr. However, that's not going to stop Thea from trying.

Super easy 5 star rating. I absolutely loved everything about this book! I adore a good broody MMC, and Wilder is just that! The world building in this title is amazing. I can't wait to read the rest of this series!

Read if you like:

- Slow burn
- Found Family
- Enemies to Lovers
- Romantasy
- "Who did this to you?"

The audio version of this was amazing too! The narrators did a fantastic job.

Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Scheuerer and Dreamscape Media for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Good book! Reminded me of Fourth Wing.