Which is a strange combination, isn’t it? But Lost Blades is an epic fantasy adventure that accomplishes something rare. It merges different worlds that shouldn’t fit together.

I think the reason it’s able to do that is because Liz Sauco has built a bigger, or at least deeper, world than most other fantasy epics. When you finish the book, your mind is whirling with all the implications. It’s a world with magic and advanced technology. The two domains are at odds with each other, often with volatile and explosive results!

And the characters themselves are great. I think it’s because they’re really not sure of themselves. These aren’t your fantasy heroes who just plow through hordes of evil with no struggle and no doubt. They get by. But their footing isn’t that sure. A big theme of the book is trust and betrayal. How do you survive in a foreign world when you don’t know who to trust? And more importantly, when you don’t know HOW to trust?

The book starts with Jamirh. He’s a thief capable of planning a heist of epic proportions, but also frequently steals shrimp off of passing plates, haha! It all starts when a seemingly disproportionate amount of effort is put towards capturing a simple thief and he finds himself trapped in a high security prison. His fellow inmate is either his salvation or damnation (or both as it turns out).

“Your choices right now are either to wait to become a Human's plaything, or trust the crazy lady and maybe have a chance of getting out of this in one piece.” - Hel, talking to Jamirh.

The other main character is Takeshi. Takeshi is, quite simply, awesome. The reality is, he’s cooler than you, often while drinking a cup of tea while weathering intense storms. His magic of choice is lightning, he can basically walk through shadows, and he just needs a big hug.

“The pattern he [Takeshi] needed was effortless to envision, one of his favorites, and energy crackled as he wove it to the proper shape. The small ball of lightning flashed blue-white with his own power and blasted the shield apart. He darted forward, snatching the dagger off Benjen's belt as he passed him, and slammed the other mage against the wall, knife to throat. Takeshi allowed his own power to saturate the air around them, wordlessly letting the other know that he had no chance against the shinobi.”

There’s a lot of humor in the book as well as cozy camaraderie. The last quarter of the book escalates intensely with everything coming to a head. Some people might feel that parts of the book slow down and I’d definitely agree. These moments tend to be where the world-building and relationships between the characters deepen. So when no one is fighting to the death, you’re learning about the world through playful banter. There’s even a chapter or two where they celebrate a major holiday of their society. Nothing of world-ending importance is happening, but honestly, it’s great. It’s essentially like going on a mini-vacation and feels, I don’t know, comforting.

Overall recommendation: this one will keep you busy for a while. It’s a fully realized world with lots to dig into–both in sequels, but also in lore. Liz makes character art as well! It primarily reads as epic fantasy, but has an urban setting with technology factoring in as a major part of the story. So if you’re not a fan of mixing fantasy and sci-fi, I wouldn’t recommend it. I would recommend it if you read epic fantasy books to immerse yourself and if your favorite characters often feel like friends, then give Lost Blades a read!