The Sharpest Blade by Sandy Williams

THE SHARPEST BLADE is the final book in Sandy Williams' Shadow Reader trilogy. You can find my review of Book 1 here and Book 2 over on I Read Good.

McKenzie Lewis has had quite the ride since the opening chapter of THE SHADOW READER and Williams doesn't give the girl a single break in THE SHARPEST BLADE. Readers who have been following this series will definitely be satisfying by THE SHARPEST BLADE because it is such a strong end to the series. There is danger, heartbreak, and intrigue a-plenty in the final chapter, making it a fitting sendoff for McKenzie, Aren, Kyol, and all the rest.

THE SHARPEST BLADE opens with McKenzie trying to live a regular human life in Las Vegas. She has a job at a library, she hasn't seen Aren or any other fey for weeks, and she is bored. Regular life just doesn't suit her, something anyone else could have told her partway through Book 1! As much as she resents some of the fey intrusions on her life, she wouldn't be the same person if she wasn't a shadow reader, if she wasn't so intimately involved in the politics of the realm, if she wasn't in love with Aren but bonded to Kyol. The hard events of the previous two novels have shaped McKenzie into the woman she is and I'm glad to see her accepting her life over the course of THE SHARPEST BLADE. It's not an easy path -- when does McKenzie ever do anything the easy way? -- but McKenzie fights for her beliefs and her desires and learns a lot about herself in the process.

There are resolutions for both the political and romantic storylines in THE SHARPEST BLADE, which I appreciate. McKenzie does end up with someone and the battle for the throne is settled. It takes the whole book, though, so trust me when I say that these resolutions are hard won and emotionally taxing. We see just how Kyol and McKenzie are affected by their life bond, we see acts of selfishness and selflessness in the name of love, we see sacrifice, and we see the bonds between all of the characters we've been following. Subtle moments from previous books are explored more fully and you really see the physical and psychological costs of the rebellion and its aftermath. Williams kills it with this novel: her writing has never been better and I've never been more invested in McKenzie and the rebels' success.

To sum up, THE SHARPEST BLADE is a fittingly grand conclusion to the Shadow Reader trilogy. Williams has crafted a captivating world inhabited by characters that will put you through an emotional wringer. You'll be on the edge of your seat until the final page of THE SHARPEST BLADE, waiting to see how Williams will wrap up the amazing adventure she put us on in THE SHADOW READER.

Read an excerpt

Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Ace, Adult, Fey/Faeries, Penguin, Publisher, Review, Sandy Williams, Shadow Reader, Urban Fantasy  5 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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