The Song of the First Blade: The Bladeborn Saga, Book One by T.C. Edge

5/5 Stars – A brilliantly crafted fantasy and a new favourite

I absolutely loved this epic fantasy from T.C. Edge. I read a lot of books from this genre and think, for me, this first volume was every bit as good and grand in scope and storytelling as Brent Weeks’ Night Angel, Miles Cameron’s Red Knight or Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series and I can’t wait to tuck into book two.

Now initially, reading the prologue I was not that smitten. It was okay but it just didn’t grip me. It was a scene between two of the most powerful demi-gods, Varin and Ilith and was set 3500 years before our tale unfolds but it did set the scene and let you know early on that gods and demi-gods were a thing rather than the invention of man and it is a central foundation block in which this world is set.

The story is a third-person narrative told from the point of view of three main protagonists. Elyon is a gifted Bladeborn and the second son of the First Blade Amron Daecar the most famed warrior and Overlord of the day. Saska is a mysterious servant girl with a past she is running from and a history untold because somehow she can hold godsteel. Finally, Jonik, a Shadow Knight from the Shadowfort wielding the infamous Shadowblade (A lot of shadows going on there I know) sent on a clandestine mission. However, as the story grows we get to meet many more characters along the way and without fail they are all richly imagined and unique in their own right. I really must applaud the degree of character building, it propels what would be a good tale into a truly great story.

The world-building too is well-imagined and vivid. The history and the detail were simply told yet vast. I never felt like I was getting a history lesson or reading through pages of exposition that detracted from the flow of the story. , the various lands and the people who inhabit them were a joy to read about.  

I don’t like giving any spoilers in my reviews so I won’t here but suffice it to say there is plenty of action but also intrigue and hidden agendas that start to layer up taking a simple premise of a warmonger king and giving machiavellian glimpses of a larger story at play. Really, it is quite magnificently done.

T.C. Edge is now firmly cemented in my favourite authors’ list. As you can tell from my review, I wholeheartedly recommend this book especially if you love reading fantasy.    

What? You’re still here? Why? There is nothing else to say…except go! Download this book, treat yourself.