Blade of Souls by D.K. Savage
Looking for a medieval fantasy adventure with endearing characters and expansive worldbuilding? Then look no further than D.K. Savage’s debut novel, Blade of Souls.
After a mysterious and powerful Man in Crimson begins decimating cities and armies across the continent with his soul-stealing magical blade, a group of unlikely allies set forth to stop him.
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Elyssa, a student at the Mage Guild, finds herself outpaced by her child peers and bullied by everyone else. Her days are spent hiding in books and reveling in far-off tales of adventure — until adventure comes knocking at her door.
When a hardened Captain of the Guard comes asking for her help, Elyssa can’t help but question his sanity. Yoseph speaks of a rogue battlemage wielding unimaginable power, crushing armies under his crimson armor.
The two set off in search of answers and find themselves soon joined by Ali’ana, a High Priestess with a sordid past. She thinks she knows the identity of the powerful mage, and her suspicions are confirmed when an old friend returns from the grave — barely. He’s been cut by Maldreth, the Man in Crimson’s magical blade which has the power to steal the siari — the source of life and magic — of others, giving the wielder unimaginable power.
The group of unlikely allies set forth on a quest to destroy Maldreth and bring an end to the destruction wrought by the Man in Crimson. Along the way, their resolve will be tested by beasts and vandals — and each other.
STEEPED IN RICH LORE
Two things make for a great fantasy adventure — detailed worldbuilding and endearing characters. Blade of Souls excels in both these aspects.
The relationships between characters are rich and intriguing, ranging from old friendships to budding romances to sibling-like bonds. On top of the developing plot, each character has hidden depths that are slowly revealed throughout the length of their journey, making them so much more loveable and entertaining.
Ali’ana has a surprising past for a priestess, with conflicting desires and motivations. Yoseph may seem gruff, but he’s also caring and his steadiness helps hold the group together. Elyssa’s spirit and bravery make her my personal favorite, and I can’t wait to see how her powers continue to grow throughout the series.
As for the worldbuilding, author D.K. Savage has just grazed the surface of the world of Alteer, and I’m already hooked. The systems of magic, government and religion are well-defined and the landscape is steeped in rich lore. Yet there’s plenty of room for the author to expand on and reveal more of these systems in future books.
Blade of Souls is a uniquely engaging fantasy adventure with enormous potential as a series. The ending will leave readers satisfied yet hungry for more. This debut author is certainly not one to miss, and I for one am looking forward to whatever he comes out with next.
About the author:
After getting tossed out of UMBC, he spent a decade swinging a hammer before landing in the IT world, where he eventually began a consulting firm.
In retrospect, he always wanted to be an author—he just didn’t know it. One day, in a fit of boredom induced by the Covid lockdowns, he sat behind a keyboard and began giving life to the characters and worlds rattling around in his head—stories created during other fits of boredom, when he really should have been paying attention in class.
He grew up on Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Neal Stephenson, C.S. Forester, Timothy Zahn, Tom Clancy, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and countless others. Later, he discovered Lee Child, Clive Cussler, Brandon Sanderson, and James S.E. Correy.
When he isn’t doing home improvements, cruising the Magothy River, climbing mountains, pushing pedals, kicking foam pads, or avoiding his day job, he’s writing. For the love of the Gods, buy his books so he can keep justifying the latter.
(He’ll keep doing it, regardless. Might as well humor him.)
He lives in Maryland with his wife and German shepherd.
dksavage.com
