Friday, June 10, 2011

Review: Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts

Black Blade Blues
Author:J.A. Pitts
Release Date: April 27, 2010
Publisher: Tor
Black Blade Book #1
ISBN:  0765327937
ISBN13: 9780765327932
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher



Sarah Beauhall has more on her plate than most twenty-somethings: day job as a blacksmith, night job as a props manager for low-budget movies, and her free time is spent fighting in a medieval re-enactment group.
The lead actor breaks Sarah’s favorite one-of-a-kind sword, and to avoid reshooting scenes, Sarah agrees to repair the blade. One of the extras, who claims to be a dwarf, offers to help. And that’s when things start to get weird. Could the sword really be magic, as the "dwarf" claims? Are dragons really living among us as shapeshifters?
And as if things weren’t surreal enough, Sarah’s girlfriend Katie breaks out the dreaded phrase… “I love you.” As her life begins to fall apart, first her relationship with Katie, then her job at the movie studio, and finally her blacksmithing career, Sarah hits rock bottom. It is at this moment, when she has lost everything she has prized, that one of the dragons makes their move.
And suddenly what was unthinkable becomes all too real…and Sarah will have to decide if she can reject what is safe and become the heroine who is needed to save her world.


Ive been surprised by many books that I have read so far this year and BLACK BLADE BLUES was no exception. I wasn't really excited to read it, it was sitting on my TBR table for months, I just couldn't think of any reason why I would like the book from the description. Although I thought the pacing was a bit slow at times I enjoyed following along in Sarah's story. Sarah was raised by very strict religious parents and has doubts and issues with her self and her sexuality. She didn't believe in anything supernatural or part of the fantasy world until things started happening to her after she reforged her favorite blade. The characters were all interesting. I think character development was strong and in place through out the book. There is some great action scenes as well as Sarah helps beat down the bad guys. If your looking for something a little different in the Urban Fantasy Genre with a fresh new heroine this is a fun read with some neat Norse Mythology thrown in to it.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars