James Logan’s Final Legacy sequence continues with The Blackfire Blade, which picks up the story of Lukan Gardova and his companions: the grasp thief Ashra and avenue urchin Flea nearly the place we final noticed them in The Silverblood Promise. Our heroes are nonetheless making an attempt to entry Lukan’s father’s protected deposit field within the Blackfire Financial institution, within the distant metropolis of Korslakov. Fairly easy and simple, however Lukan’s vices, significantly his tendency to overdrink, quickly trigger him to have the important thing to dad’s field stolen.
Some doorways shouldn’t be opened . . .
Winter has come early to Korslakov, Metropolis of Spires, and Lukan Gardova has arrived with it. Most guests to this well-known metropolis of artifice search technological marvels, or alchemical ingenuity. Lukan solely wishes the unknown legacy his father has left for him, within the vaults of the Blackfire Financial institution.
However when Lukan’s key to the vault is stolen by a mysterious thief often known as the Rook, he and his buddies discover themselves trapped in a lethal internet of homicide and deceit. In desperation, Lukan seeks assist from Woman Marni Volkova, scion of Korslakov’s strongest household.
But Woman Marni has secrets and techniques of her personal. Worse, she has plans for Lukan and his buddies. Plans that contain a journey into Korslakov’s darkish previous, seeking a long-lost alchemical method that would result in the town’s best discovery . . . or its destruction.
Issues go from dangerous to worse when, in the middle of making an attempt to retrieve this key, Lukan and Ashra are accused of homicide and put to the gallows. Solely a last-minute intervention from a former gaming adversary, permits Lukan and Ashra to keep away from a ultimate destiny. This all occurs within the early phases of the novel, so Lengthy is enjoying fairly, nicely, a long-game with this novel. Nothing could be straightforward for our hero as he and his buddies preserve discovering themselves concerned in facet quest after facet quest on this sword-and-sorcery caper.
It has been slightly over a yr since The Silverblood Promise printed, which is about when I learn it (and about one other 80 or so books throughout that point). As such, I’ve to provide credit score to Logan for making that return to his characters and world a seamless factor for me. I used to be very a lot eased into the scenario and that’s partly due to the nice character work within the first e-book, however the seemingly easy manner the story gives little reminders of that first e-book.
Lukan is a self-destructive character, his personal worst enemy at instances and alienates the individuals round him who help him. That may be a wearying character to observe for 400-plus pages. So it’s a good factor that Logan provides sufficient depth to Lukan and a self-realization that grows because the side-quests and plots get twisty. Flea continues to tow the road between annoying youth and nice character, wavering extra typically into fulfilling character territory. Ashra goes on her personal at instances, giving Logan the chance to give attention to who she is just a bit bit extra and it’s a welcome depth to a personality that already had substance. These characters really feel actual, their interactions with one another really feel real and whereas there’s stubbornness and battle, this triptych of characters values one another and takes to coronary heart the recommendation they provide one another. In different phrases, they develop and mature in good methods. Their belief and relationship with one another deepens. Earlier than they met one another in The Silverblood Promise they have been loners with little familial attachments they usually grew to become allies. By the tip of The Blackfire Blade they honestly really feel like they’re a discovered household.
The plotting is a lot enjoyable, too. After I was a extra frequent videogame participant, I didn’t at all times go on side-quests, I simply wished to complete the sport. I discovered them distracting and annoying. Level being, a number of side-quests in a novel may very well be seen as simply an annoying diversion, however Logan does such a nice job of creating the storylines that pull Lukan from his final purpose as vital to the story and characters, I cherished the trip and welcomed the time with these characters and their adversaries.
But once more, James Logan has been given an unbelievable cowl by Jeff Brown. The picture and color-work are simply arresting.
The Blackfire Blade is a superb second novel, it reveals the expansion and maturity of James Logan as a author and storyteller. I discover that spectacular as a result of his first novel was so damned assured. I need to join with these characters once more, study extra concerning the dep fantastical roots of the world. In different phrases, Logan did all the pieces a author ought to do with a second sequence novel, and he achieved it very, very nicely. This sequence is giving me all the pieces I hope to get after I open the duvet of a sword and sorcery/caper/journey story and extra.
Advisable
© 2025 Rob H. Bedford
Tor Books | Commerce Paperback
November 2025 | 496 Pages
https://jamesloganauthor.com/ | Bluesky: @jamesloganauthor.bsky.social
Overview copy courtesy of the writer
Minor disclaimer: I’ve recognized (as a lot as individuals on-line can actually know one another particularly when one lives within the US and the opposite within the UK) with James for fairly a couple of years know. We’ve each been concerned within the on-line Fantasy and Science Fiction group for nicely over a decade (or two, in my case). In his position as editor for Orbit he’s despatched me a e-book or two for overview. Moreover, James was member of the SFFWorld boards prior to now and we’ve each written style opinions on-line for a number of the similar shops. Our “friendship” doesn’t coloration my opinion of his work. Whereas I wish to see him succeed, particularly as one in all our personal right here from SFFWorld, his writing continues to exceed my pretty excessive expectations.
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