Obsidian

by Sarah J. Daley, Tegan Ashton Cohan (Narrator)

Shade Nox is the only witch in a land of wizards--a fiend, a rogue, a wanted criminal. Defying those who think her an abomination, Shade wears her tattoos openly and carries obsidian blades at her hips. For years, she has protected the outcast clans who wander the blighted Wastes, but the land is growing more unstable and her blades are no longer enough. To save her people, Shade vows to raise a Veil of protection--a feat not accomplished in over a hundred years. But the magical Veils are said to belong to the Brotherhood church; if she succeeds in raising one, it will expose their lies. They swear to see her obliterated first. Treading a dangerous path where allies can be as deceitful as enemies, and where demons lurk in the shadows, Shade chases a vision which could lead to her people's salvation . . . or her own destruction.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Adult, Witches, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Adventure

Audio CD

First published January 25, 2022

About the author

Sarah J. Daley is a former chef who lives and writes in the Chicago Metropolitan area with her husband and teenaged son. She earned a degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Though she still enjoys the heat and chaos of a professional kitchen, she is now writing full-time. She enjoys traveling, creating costumes for comic con, riding the occasional horse, and streaming old sitcoms for background noise.

Reviews

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Angry Robot for the free early digital copy of Obsidian by Sarah J Daley! All opinions are my own!

This is an adult (18+) fantasy novel set on a vaguely Italian feeling island; it is rich in world building and magic.  I read it fairly quickly and even though it can read as a standalone I definitely hope a second book is on the way

There is definitely a lot to unpack with this book and for my current purposes I am assuming it's a standalone

Let's talk about the world building first:  if this is a standalone I think it had a perfect amount of world building.  Daley went pretty deep into the history of  Malavita.  She told us what we need to know about the war between the native peoples, the history of magic use, and how certain rituals were learned and eventually corrupted.  I really appreciated this storyline.

On a micro level she also did a great job describing the mood of various areas, the culture in different small groups, food and drink, weather and architecture.   

I liked that small things were included like a character's ambivalence toward cats, because they were susceptible to the blighted magic. 

What I wanted more of: the Brotherhood's history and how the religion developed widely enough that the four faces, the hidden, and the wild are consistent across the island.

As part of the setting and atmosphere, I did feel like the tone for each area was set with lush descriptions, temperature, sights and smells, and these things were consistent.  My favorite area was the glass fields.

For all of that, the book maintains a fast pace with plenty of action too. 

Character wise: The main character is Shade Nox, a blood magic user who wields obsidian blades. She reminded me a lot of Mia Corvere because she takes crap from no one and is terrified of horses.  She is able to touch a hidden element of magic.  Apparently it is not normal in this world for women to be magic users or have the tattoos so Shade was an anomaly, ostracized, and wanted for various crimes.  She was bad ass and super powerful but also vulnerable, and had a tendency to fall in love with and/or seduce like ... everyone she is in intimate proximity with.

This created a weird dynamic at the end of the book and all felt very unnecessary, but it's adult fantasy and properly advertised as such, so characters can do what they want.   

The other main character is Raiden, who was stuck somewhere between duty and having a good heart and I liked him a lot.  He definitely had some innate unnatural ability but it was never explored, just hinted at, so I definitely needed more of that and docked a star for it.  That said, that's where I wonder if there will be a sequel.

The other characters are numerous but each contributes something meaningful.  Many have interesting stories, abilities, and snark for days.

Maybe I should have talked about the magic system earlier: the book does provide a rich and interesting back story for the magic.  Veils are used to protect cities from the wild and corrupted magic of the wastes, and obviously there are corrupt people too, almost like a magical mafia of priests and mages that tax and tithe the people into poverty

The blood wizards (and witch) use blades of different gemstones and materials to designate how powerful they are. Shade has crafted a unique set of Obsidian blades.  Tattoo magic is also incorporated as they serve as healing wards after the mage has performed blood magic. I definitely think the magic was the book's strongest element - it does tend to be large and over the top at times but who doesn't love a grandiose display of elemental magic?

I feel like I did a lot of summary so here are my thoughts: The magic, characters, history, and world building all tie together and make this an enjoyable read. These story elements combine for a consistent feel where I can understand the character's motivations and root for them within the world. It moved along quickly.  I like the theme of women defying social boundaries (tattoos, clothing choices, etc), and love that ink is making it's way into fantasy more now.  

One totally random stylistic thing that I absolutely loved was that Daley used a pretty wide range of vocab words like 'hummocky' and 'cerestory', so I was able to learn something while reading!

Overall I definitely recommend this one for fans of adult fantasy with big magic and big personality!

[Kristjan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of this story was the world building concept; however, even with a somewhat novel take on an apocalyptic world and magic system, it still falls short.

The basic premise is a dystopian aftermath from a war that destroyed the world in a magic conflict, and where people now live in protected conclaves under magic shields known as veils. The original combatants have presumably disappeared, leaving only the humans struggling to survive, ruled by a corrupt brotherhood of ‘bloodwizards’ (aka the Church) and capomagj (aka the mafia). There are noble families that have some power, but it is not clear how they have it (other than being first) and most importantly, how they keep it. Finally, there is an Imperial overlord who basically just serves as background for one of the main characters (a quasi-disowned imperial son).

Magic is based upon blood from slashing wounds with gem (ruby, safire, et. al.) based knives that apparently determine the strength of the wizard … thus the title obsidian being significant because of the type of knife used by the main character, Shade Nox (Night Night). Also apparently, magic tattoos heal the wounds so they can cut themselves again and again (sort of like a magic perpetual motion machine) … yeah … so maybe the magic system is not quite so well developed as some.

All of that still makes for a mildly entertaining story and would have scored better if I had actually liked any of the characters … who tended to always be dialed up to 11 for everything, which was super annoying. Frankly the interactions between the characters was so full of bravado, arrogance and generally all around I'm offended that it is amazing that every encounter didn’t end up in a deadly brawl ( I think I am offended that it didn't ) … it was so exhausting dealing with so much adolescent angst from what should have been more matured adults.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#Obsidian #NetGalley.

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just look at this cover. So intense. I love it! The story is intense, too. Shade Nox likes to dress like a man and she won’t allow anyone to mess with her. With her obsidian blades at her hips and the immense power coiled inside, she is even more special than one might suspect. Unlike most bloodwizards she can access The Wild Power. The one that makes the earth tremble and skies crackle with thunders.

Whew.

Daley has a knack for world-building and creating characters filled with inner angst. And longings they can not fulfill. The magic system is dope. Bloodwizards gain access to elemental powers by cutting themselves with blades made of various minerals (obsidian, quartz, tanzanite, garnet, etc.). They all wear magic tattoos that heal self-inflicted wounds. I like the idea, but the image I have of these guys feverishly cutting themselves to go berserk before entering the fight walks the line between serious and ridiculous.

I liked the world: Shade lives in the Wastes protected by Veil from the abominations hiding “outside”. Shade believes she can raise a powerful Veil, but the Brotherhood (folks convinced only wizards should do magic and that blood witches are an abomination) won’t have any of it. I liked the dangerous and cinematic magic and the imagery of the Wastes.

Shade’s motives and determination are clear and understandable. I admired her determination and willingness to delve into dangerous magic. Unfortunately, she comes across as arrogant rather than complex. It seems that the men in her world can not resist her. I did not enjoy the romance part of the story; I just could not understand why the characters were into each other. Passion is all well and good, but I can’t say I bought it all.

Obsidian is a solid book with lots of action and mayhem. It may take itself too seriously (and feel goofy to some readers), but if you’ve been missing spectacular displays of magic, this is it.

ARC through NetGalley

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 1 out of 5]

One word: BLAND.

Just a mish-mash of various fantasy tropes anyone with a passing knowledge of the genre will recognise, which in turn makes everything massively predictable. Couple that with a Mary Sue character whose only "flaw" is being sassy and arrogant in the most irritating way possible, and you don't get a particularly good book.

The protagonist's name is Shade Nox, which should be a red flag in itself. It's almost as bad a name as Umbra Noir, or Lilith Night, or Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way. It's a signpost for the unoriginality and shallow world-building we get throughout the novel. Shade is also the only witch in a world of wizards, but since gender politics isn't explored in the slightest, this fact just comes off as a gimmick to make Shade seem even more like The Most Special Chosen One To Ever Be Special.

Oh yeah, and everyone's in love with her, because of course they are. Girl has more love interests than your cliche YA heroine. I mean, one of them is a woman, which is cool I guess, but you can't distract me that easily! And the trope of "oh, we're grieving, we need comfort, let's have sex" is the worst trope of all time! If I'm grieving and you try to touch me like that (especially for the first time), I'll cut your damn hand off, and I have a high libido! Sex isn't the only form of comfort! Stop making everything about how hot and perfect and fuckable Shade is!

I always try and give obscure books a chance, since I have found some hidden gems in the past (which is the subject of my GR featured shelf), but a lot of the time, obscure books are obscure because they should be. Sigh.

[L'ours inculte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obsidian est une sortie récente en VO de chez Angry Robot, j’avais pas spécialement noté sa sortie mais le livre a attiré mon attention quand je l’ai croisé sur NetGalley et j’ai pu recevoir un exemplaire numérique via cette plateforme. La quatrième de couv’ nous laisse entrevoir une fantasy dark badaboum et la couverture est très chouette, il n’en fallait pas plus.

L’île de Malavita est vaguement sous la coupe de l’empire, de loin, mais elle est a aussi été dévastée par une guerre contre des forces surnaturelles. Aujourd’hui la terre est souillée, et les humains doivent vivre sous la protection de voiles magiques. Mais la Confrérie seule détient le secret de la création de ces voiles, et elle n’hésite pas à user de ce monopole pour jouer des coudes en politique et garder la population sous son contrôle. Shade est une mage de sang, comme ses petits camarades elle peut contrôler certains éléments en se tailladant elle-même à l’aide de lames magiques et en puisant dans son sang. C’est une femme, aussi, et ça ça passe pas très bien, mais surtout, Shade a appris le secret de la fabrication des voiles, et compte bien en élever un sans le contrôle de la Confrérie.

Obsidian a des petits airs de fantasy post-apocalyptique qui rappelleront Blackwing avec ses terres désolées où rôdent des trucs pas frais. On a une atmosphère particulière, très chouette, dans cet univers dévasté dont on va découvrir les secrets au fur et à mesure. On a des tempêtes de ténèbres qu’il faut à tout prix éviter, des chemins magiques qui permettent à certaines tribus de survivre et de se guider dans cette bouillasse, des cités corrompues sous le contrôle de la Confrérie, et tout ça qui menace de s’effondrer car les voiles faiblissent. Tout ça est solide et bien ficelé, j’ai beaucoup aimé le monde proposé par Sarah J. Daley.


On suivra principalement deux points de vue dans le bouquin. Shade, évidemment, qui commence l’histoire en s’alliant à un noble et en prenant contact avec l’Empire pour avoir du soutien dans sa quête. Mais nous avons aussi la perspective du jeune Raiden, émissaire de l’empire qui doit donc rencontrer Shade et évaluer sa proposition. Shade est une mage de sang dans un univers où (bien sûr) les femmes ne le sont habituellement pas, elle est méprisée par tous et n’a de soutien que par sa famille adoptive de nomades qui l’accompagnent. Elle est assez bourrine dans son genre, et parfois un peu caricaturale, mais j’ai fini par m’y attacher grâce à sa détermination et son background. Raiden est le septième fils de l’empereur, pas du tout voué à lui succéder, il a été élevé comme un garde du corps d’élite mais il est envoyé sur cette mission plus ou moins en exil après être tombé en disgrâce. Il y a une dualité assez marrante entre son apparente naïveté et sa férocité au combat, ça en fait un personnage extrêmement classe. J’ai aimé le duo classe formé par ces deux lascars, et avec quelques autres personnages secondaires, on a un casting tout à fait satisfaisant.

Ils vont donc se lancer dans l’érection d’un nouveau voile magique, en essayant d’échapper au contrôle des différentes factions qui voudraient en tirer partie. Ce mélange entre la magie et la politique est bien intégré à l’histoire, on arrive à saisir les implications de la quête de Shade, et les conséquences que ça aurait si elle faisait ça sans avoir préparé le terrain politiquement. Mais à côté de ça on doit quand même se bastonner de temps en temps, et l’autrice nous livre quelques grandes scènes bien épiques où Shade déchaine ses pouvoirs tandis que Raiden saute partout pour découper du méchant autour d’elle. Sortant de la saison 1 de La roue du temps, ce duo en combat fait beaucoup penser à Moiraine et Lan dans l’aspect chorégraphique.

Le bouquin arrive à tenir le lecteur dans son rythme soutenu et par une succession de révélations et retournement de situations, cachant des secrets sous les secrets, ce qui fait d’Obsidian une lecture rapide et très agréable, ça défile tout seul. On n’atteint pas non plus le statut d’incontournable, à cause de quelques petits défauts minimes dont une fin un peu « badaboum magique » qui manque finalement d’enjeu. Mais j’ai trouvé que les personnages perdaient un peu à cause de l’aspect romance, léger mais qui plombe les relations jusque-là très chouette. Shade est à peu près la seule femme du bouquin, et elle se la joue beaucoup, mais avant la fin de l’histoire on se rend compte que quasiment tout le monde l’aime. On a trois personnages importants apparemment amoureux d’elle, et un triangle amoureux dont on se serait bien passé. J’ai trouvé ça dommage, ça a plombé la dynamique des relations entre tous les personnages pour moi, en remplaçant amitié, loyauté, soutien, par des histoires d’amour (ou de cul) pas super bien amenées. C’est anecdotique, ça prend pas beaucoup de place et arrive très tard, mais ça « tord » un équilibre dans les relations qui était assez chouette jusque là.

Finalement, Obsidian reste une bonne lecture, une belle aventure de fantasy sombre avec pas mal d’action, un univers solide et des personnages chouettes. Pas parfait, pas incontournable mais très plaisant, je recommande sa lecture si vous souhaitez un petit tour de manège côté fantasy bourrino-apocalyptique.

Roman reçu en service presse via Netgalley, merci à l’éditeur Angry Robot

https://ours-inculte.fr/obsidian/

[Marta Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half
In a world still living with the aftermath of a magical war those who have survived the Wastes live protected beneath Veils that have been raised by the corrupt Church of Blood Wizaeds. The Empire has triumphed and yet still there are pockets of unrest and defiance and this sees the Emperors seventh son setting out to gain compliance but his blind ignorance and indeed arrogance has not prepared him for Shade ! Shade is known as the Black Witch, an abomination of sorts as men wield blood magic not women and yet here she stands strong, fierce and more powerful than anyone around her but her powers have a terrible cost !
I find this hard to rate because Shade whilst honest and upfront isn't particularly likeable. Yes her motivation is explained but I struggled to warm to her. The magic is quick to reveal itself and almost shocking with just how violent things can get . As for the romance that just seemed to get thrown in I was completely nonplussed by it and sadly not convinced at all which is a shame because other possibilities had crossed my mind. I feel no romance would have been preferable but think perhaps the author wishes to give her heroine some joy as well as pain. Unfortunately this never quite reached its full potential for this reader but perhaps the author will revisit this world that she has created.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

[Eve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shade Nox is an extremely powerful Bloodwizard, dubbed the Black Witch by most. The Wastes, where her family reside, is slowly becoming overrun with The Unseen. Her solution for this is to raise her own Veil to protect them all. But will she manage it with all the obstacles blocking her path?

First of all, can we just all appreciate how cool this book cover is? It's what drew me towards this read in the first place. The description also managed to draw me in. Unfortunately, outside of that, this book left me feeling disappointed. I was really, really hoping for god things, and I really tried to like this, but I just couldn't. Perhaps I was expecting too much and that was on me.

None of the characters felt likable to me. Shade, on paper, should have been everything I love in a protagonist, but instead she just came off as arrogant and obnoxious (which is okay in some cases but there wasn't really much evidence to back up her claims). Most of the side characters weren't developed very well either, they just felt rather bland. I had some hope for Raiden but unfortunately he let me down too in the second half.

There were also a few romances in this book that just felt so unnecessary to me. Don't get me wrong, I love me some love amidst adventure, but not like this. None of the love interests were developed enough, I didn't understand why they liked one another. It just felt like it was taking up space in the book.

BUT, I did like some aspects of this book. I found the world really interesting, and the whole 'Bloodwizard' thing was incredibly cool. Shade and Raiden's backgrounds were also intriguing, I quite liked learning about their lives before meeting one another.

I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me a lot of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse, but where that had the shadows this has the waste lands. Hardly a unique idea to either series so hopefully it appeals to the same fanbase whilst avoiding critiques of copying.
Did a lot things that I disliked such as flaunting with the enemies to lovers trope and dealing with the death of a loved one by immediately having sex with the nearest warm body, but again that isn't uncommon in the subgenre.

If you like the blurb you'll like the story. It doesn't lie to you.

[lulureadss · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Are you a savior, Obsidian wielder, or are you a destroyer?

I received a free e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book follows Shade Nox, a powerful wielder of blood magic with a goal of creating a veil for her people to protect them from evil beasts and demons. In Malavita, there are areas under domes of protection, which provide protection from the wastes which are plagued by Blackstorms and hideous evil creatures. Shade pursues her dream of creating a new Veil free of the manipulative Brotherhood.

obsidian is a standalone fantasy novel with a phenomenal world building. The story is told in 3rd person with multi-POV.The magic system was flawless! I loved how everything worked and I finally for once never found anything confusing. I especially enjoyed the mix of elemental and blood magic and different gemstones determining the level of power to each wielder.The plot was well developed and well paced.

As much as I enjoyed the book it wasn’t perfect. Unfortunately all of the characters including shade the protagonist seemed flat for me. Although we got to know her past and description to how she feels during some situations, still I couldn’t get attached to her or the side characters. They all seemed one-dimensional and I was left wanting to know more about them. Another thing I didn’t like was the romance, it felt unnecessary and the love interests are not developed enough. including the sex scenes,they came out of nowhere.

Overall I did enjoy the book I just wish that there were more character development.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

CHARACTERS
🔲 mary-sue party
✅ mostly 2D
🔲 great main cast, forgottable side characters
🔲 well-written
🔲 complex and fascinating
🔲 hard to believe they are ficitonal

PLOT
🔲 you've already heard this exact story a thousand time
🔲 nothing memorable
✅ gripping
🔲 exceptional
🔲 mind=blown

WORLDBUILDING
🔲 takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
✅ OK
🔲 nicely detailed
🔲 meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story

ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
🔲 fine
✅ immersive
🔲 you forget you are reading a book

PACING
🔲 dragging
🔲 inconsistent
✅ picks up with time
🔲 page-turner
🔲 impossible to put down

I really liked the idea of this book but sadly the execution felt weak to me.

[Gabriela Houston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah J Daley’s deftly-crafted debut, Obsidian, introduces us to the island nation of Malavita, protected by the magically-erected “Veils”, separating its population from the demonic blight of the barren wastes.
Malavita is ruled from afar by an Empire keen to exploit its rich natural resources, and by the corrupt Brotherhood of blood magicians.

Into this complex political landscape the Empire sends Captain Raiden Mad, to explore the possibility of erecting a new Veil with the help of a local prince and an outlaw witch.

In Obsidian, Daley weaves a powerful tale of friendship, power and sacrifice, with a rich cast of characters led by loyalty and ambition. A sure crowd-pleaser.

[Ruddell Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique magic system that was interesting to read about and I loved the gemstone swords!

[Manja · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sad to say that I don't think that this book really did it for me. Obsidian is a fun, fast-paced young adult fantasy standalone that sadly missed some marks.
Let's talk about some of them.

The Characters
The characters were clear from the beginning, and felt like they all had their own voice. But I couldn't get attached to them at all, and they all felt very one-sided or like a character trope. Our main character, for example, didn't feel like a fleshed out human with clear motivations. Shade felt like a typical "I'm not like other girls, 'cause I'm a badass strong female" type; because all we got was some remarks from other characters telling us this. We knew why she did what she did, because we were told so. Which goes for a lot of other characters as well; And that brings me to--

The Pacing
Okay. So. The main reason I didn't vibe with the characters or plot, was because the parts I thought were most interesting or impactful, were being skipped. We knew that they happened and how they happened, because after the timeskip we got told what and how it happened. The cool stuff was all "off-page", so to speak. That really threw me off, personally. Especially when it came to Shade Nox's past, I feel like we could've gotten way more attached to her as a character if we actually experienced her road to where she was at the beginning of the book. The same goes for Raiden; for him to get together with Shade a lot had happened to him, which has clearly impacted him a lot.
All in all; it was all tell but not show, in a way that I felt was kind of weird. For this, I wish the novel would've been longer, so that these moments could've actually been written out in the present, so that we as a reader may experience them along with the characters.

The Plot
Let's just say that the plot was pretty standard, and dare I say, predictable. I really didn't feel like the stakes were high at all, and the ending was way too easy in my opinion. From the beginning, I already didn't really feel on board with the motivations behind our main character's actions.
One more critique I have for this one, is the romance. For me I just really didn't understand why those characters got together; I had no base to go off on that explained why they actually liked each other? And it felt a little weird how it happened as well.

The magic system was a really cool concept though, I have to give it that. The concepts could've been explored more; what was up with the Brotherhood? And how did the discovery of this type of blood magic with magical gemstones happen? And what is actually behind the Veils people live behind?

Conclusion
If the book solved some of the problems it had (like I stated above), it could've been a really great and unique one with a really cool magic system including magical tattoos and elemental bloodmagic. The characters felt like first drafts of what could actually have been very likeable, humanlike ones. I wish the author just would've taken some more time and space to work stuff out a bit more.

A big, big thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Madhu MaBookYard - · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A lie is more powerful than the truth, Imperial. And a war built on a lie just as deadly."
.
Okay, A Black Witch set on helping her people, a Knight honour bound to help the Kong, and a Prince desperate enough to help the Witch. The story revolves around these three main characters and the adventure they have while they try to escape forces beyond their control!
.
Thank you Angry Robot Books and the author for the gifted physical review copy!
.
My Rating : 3.75 🌟🌟🌟✨
.
Shade : a Black Witch who can wield the hidden power
Raiden : an Imperial on a mission to raise the said veil
Dante : a Prince helping Shade to obtain the stones needed to raise the said veil.
.
I absolutely loved the different characters and the way they each had their own decisions to make and demons to fight. The Power system and the Brotherhood magic is quite different and a bit confusing at first. But towards the end, I fell in love with the romance and the character development each of them goes through!! Omg I DID NOT EXPECT THE couple pairing, but I totally get why the author did what they did !
.
Coming to the story development and the character description, it was pretty simple and I got what was happening to the characters and the country as a whole, but towards the middle of the book, the magic system and the power everyone yields gets a bit confusing. But if you power through, the ending is quite satisfying!! Omg all the sacrifices and crying and the raw magic just made me sad ! Matteo was a sweetheart and I'm so glad he got the arc he deserved!!!
.
Overall, A really great book if you are into the adventure to complete a mission kind of magical fantasy books !! I'm really looking forward to the next book by the author!!
.
Favorite Lines :
.
“Why, my dear, sweet prince,” she said, her lips pressed to his skin. “I never knew how much you cared.”
He squeezed her until she could barely breathe. “Neither did I, my dear, sweet witch. Neither did I.”
.
“I said the price was too high. I never said I wouldn’t pay it.”
.
"Now she knew the true way, and it frightened her more than she cared to admit. Not the pain, not the plunging of her blade into her own flesh – she’d already done that – it was the idea of giving so much of herself to the creation which worried her. It demanded pieces of her soul. And then she would be tethered like a dog tied to a fence."
.
“You may think Shade is your tool, and your sacrifice, but she’s bent the world around her to suit her goals more times than I can count. If anyone can upend a century’s worth of planning, it is Shade Nox.”
.
“Wouldn’t it be worth it? If that’s what it took to be with her?”
“No,” he admitted grudgingly. “Not to me.”
.
“If only a broken heart was the worst thing that could happen to her.”
.
“I will protect you until my last breath. If you fall, it is only because I have fallen.”
“Don’t fall then,” she said, her throat suddenly thick.
A smile flashed on his face. Sun from behind a dark cloud. He stepped back, giving her hand a final squeeze before releasing it. “I don’t plan on it.”
.
.
Book 01 : January 2023 / Arc / Physical
Tags : Adult Fantasy Romance, Adventure and a mission, Stone magic system

[Nichole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this started off really good. I enjoyed the magic and the world. The characters were great.

Sadly, it just kept going downhill from there. The lust everyone felt for Shade, and her wishy-washy feelings just ruined the story for me. If all of that garbage had been left out, it would've gotten a high rating. Honestly, had this not been a review copy, I would have added it to the dnf pile. I'm really disappointed, because it started off so good!

I received a copy from Net Galley.

[Morgan Pickwick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super slow start. I was confused for basically the first half of the book. There is no character development and the plot jumps around so much it was hard to follow. Not to mention the start of a love triangle and then BAM side character is suddenly the love interest in the span of half a chapter. I feel like I have whiplash.

[Kailin Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, entertaining and easy read! Would have enjoyed more strong women in the plot - it was very male character heavy - and, altho there were LGBTQAI+ elements, the plot would benefit from more. Perhaps a few nonbinary characters if there is a book 2? Overall, enjoyable book.

[Lata · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not connect with any of the characters (adults but behaving like adolescents), and I found the writing kept taking me out of the narrative.

[Amy Walker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Finishing this was so painful but my god was I gonna do it.

---

Oh God, I'm so glad this is over and so frustrated that this ended up being my last read of 2023 because it put me into such a slump.

Summary:
In Shade Nox's world, only Veils can protect the land and its people from the blight left over from a long ago war. Control over the Veils is kept by a corrupt, bigoted Brotherhood who would rather see the world collapse than allow a witch to raise a new Veil. But Shade's land in the Wastes is becoming more volatile and she may be the only person with great enough power to raise the Veil that will save her people.

Writing: ⭐
The writing was one of the many areas that frustrated me so heavily about this book, because it was so poor. Often there were so many clichés scattered about the prose that I physically rolled my eyes and everything was so overly dramatic and over-the-top. The characters talked to each other like caricatures of actual people which meant that almost every interaction was cringe-inducing so I completely lost the meaning of what was happening because I just couldn't get into the dialogue.

Plot: ⭐⭐
Very little of the plot was noteworthy. Often I felt like scenes were being added for padding or to allow Daley to tell the reader about a different aspect of her world-building she'd created but if it hadn't been in the book it would have made no difference to the overall storyline. The characters were constantly moving around. Because of the way it was written, a lot of the plot points lacked tension so much so that I felt there were 0 stakes. Daley also went for the shock factor by dropping "plot twists" so many times throughout the book that I couldn't take it very seriously. I also got very frustrated with how often the most action packed scenes occurred off page and then would be relayed back to us after the fact - show us the scene! A lot of characters repeating conversations to other characters happened as well, which was tedious. I think the greatest disservice to the plot is also starting the action where it did - Shade and Raidan actually had interesting backstories but we could have just started the book there so we could live those moments with them rather than hear about them later on.

Pacing: ⭐⭐
The events of this book could have been achieved in about 200 pages. Nothing was notable enough that it needed to be drawn out this much and I found myself trawling through it at a snail's pace for the simple reason that I didn't want to DNF it but I also didn't want to read it.

World-building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was definitely the best aspect of this book. So much of the world-building had some very cool aspects that initially drew me in to reading this story. I liked the way the magic system worked - having characters draw power from their blood that they channel through gemstones (and those gemstones being related to the strength of their power) was really interesting. I liked that the land had a history which we learned about and was relevant to the plot, I liked that there were different factions of military/government like in a real nation, and I even got behind the system of the Veils. But I think some things that were added were not too well explained (why do the first families have political power? what can they even do with that power?). Also, because the characters kept moving around I never got a very strong sense of place because we didn't stay anywhere for long enough.

Main character(s): ⭐⭐⭐
I'm giving 3 stars because I like a FMC who's sassy and strong. But Shade ended up becoming such a stereotype that I cringed. She's insanely beautiful and everyone wants to be with her and is constantly remarking on how sexy she is - really? everyone??? She was also very arrogant and stubborn to the point of being dense and whiny - so many of her actions and reactions made me feel like she should be a teenager? Raidan as a MMC was fine, if a little forgettable. He had the most interesting backstory explaining why he's so stuck-up and rigid and has some development over the story but do we get to linger on any of that backstory for any length of time? Nope.

Secondary character(s): ⭐
Every single secondary character except for Dante was devoid of distinct personality so entirely unforgettable (including the actual villain like??). There were a ridiculous number of strong, warrior-type men in this book which were boring to read about. Even Shades "family" were bland and disappeared in the second half of the book.

Romance: ⭐
I'm so angry about the romance because Daley bait and switched us so many times that I didn't even want romance in the end. There are no less than 4 (four!) distinct love interests for Shade in this book (not counting the fact that everyone with a pulse wants to be with her). One of them is a woman for representation, I guess. The person that Shade ends up with makes no sense, is barely part of the book for the first 3/4, has the personality of a wet blanket, and there is no build-up, tension, nothing. She'a just into him one night.

Overall impression:
I got this in a book box and I'm annoyed because the cover is beautiful and the concept is so interesting and well thought-out but everything else let me down so much.

[Meigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah J. Daley’s debut, OBSIDIAN, delivers a fast-paced and mysterious fantasy filled with magic, politics, and an overwhelming feeling of doom and danger. Our main character, Shade Nox, is a Black Witch among wizards, and she’s feared and hated by many but loved and respected by a devoted group who know of her unwavering loyalty to those she cares for. One of her magical talents is her ability to craft a veil, the only thing that protects the people from the demons and dark forces that live outside the veils. That particular speciality becomes a point of conflict, however, as there are are quite a few corrupt people who would rather seize that power than offer protection.

Set against a backdrop that takes inspiration from Italy, I really enjoyed the world that Daley created with this book. Each facet to this land was unique and richly drawn, and I liked how vastly different each region was to the others. The magic system was so interesting and complex, and I loved the mix of blood and elemental magics coupled with the gemstone blades. I also liked the Veils and how important a role they played throughout the course of the story.

The characters were also a highlight for me, and I loved how dynamic each of them were. Shade was fun, sassy, and such a delight. She’s also so very confident, but there was an underlying vulnerability to her and I loved that side. Raiden was as fun as a box of rocks in the beginning, but I loved watching him slowly loosen up and learn to unwind a bit. He and Shade worked so well together and I loved how they’re so different, yet so alike in terms of loyalty, devotion, and doing the right thing. There’s also a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, as Shade has a few entanglements throughout the story, and I always appreciate a little love alongside my blood magic and danger.

Bottom line — a solid debut that gives readers a dark and interesting world filled with politics and power grabs that will keep you turning the pages. 4 stars, and I’ll certainly be keeping my eye out for whatever Daley brings us next.


**Many thanks to Angry Robot Books for sending an arc my way.

[Jenny (ofproseandspells) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obsidian is a fast-paced standalone fantasy novel with remarkable world-building and magic system concepts. The bright intriguing cover caught my attention, and upon reading the synopsis, a book promising a strong female character I knew I had to read it. As there were some parts that I did like, some fell short.

The story followed Shade Nox, a powerful Bloodwizard who was also known as the Black Witch. Her goal was to raise her own magical veil to protect her people from the blight caused by the Unseen, an ancient enemy of the land, without the help of the corrupted Brotherhood church. However, raising the veil was never an easy feat for not only she also had to deal with demons lurking in the shadows but also with powermongers and their scheming.

Plotwise, it was pretty standard and sometimes predictable. It made me question the motivations of the characters, whether they were really doing it for the benefit of the others or just for themselves. However, the world-building concepts were fascinating. It had a dystopian feel to it, and I wanted to know more about the history and background of Malavita. The magic required blood to wield different elementals as well as gemstone blades. Wizards also had intricate magical tattoos that helped them heal faster.

Here are the things that didn't work for me. The characters weren't fleshed out. I just didn't connect to any of them. I also didn't like the romance. It felt unnecessary to me. All three love interests were not developed at all and just felt a reverse-harem. There were no emotional connections.

Overall, Obsidian was a quick plot-driven novel with fun magic concepts. If you like a gutsy, bisexual woman saving the world, this one is for you.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for an e-arc of Obsidian.

3.5

I know we’ve all seen the meme about ratings being based on vibes, but seriously that’s me. Did I feel something? Did it make me cry in a good way? Did I fall in love with a character? Basically, did I enjoy the story?

I did enjoy Obsidian, but boy did it pack a lot into it. I still haven’t decided if I liked that it was all packed into one or if this is a book that could have been a duology to flush the story out a bit more for me.

This story follows Shade Nox, the infamous Black Witch, who is really just a woman who has been taught blood magic by har father. Only men use blood magic and women who do so are blasphemous. (Definitely some heavy historical influences here) She is trying to save her people from a darkness that is spreading across the land and will do anything it takes to save them.


This book packed a lot in, but if you’re looking for an adult fantasy with blood magic and a “I’ll do anything and you can’t stop me” female MC then I recommend this. Overall an enjoyable read, just didn’t grab me.


Minor spoilers ahead:
While I enjoyed some of the characters, I honestly never fell in love with any of them. I felt like I only got surface level info on so many of them. At a certain point Shade takes on a brand new love interest and honestly I couldn’t remember much about him up until a few chapters before.

There are some sex scenes, but nothing graphic. Honestly, I did appreciate how Shade had multiple lovers in the book and how it was handled. It wasn’t a huge problem for those involved (albeit a little jealousy for some) and instead it was “this is how I feel’ with things resolving.

[Chris Monceaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

See more of my reviews and other bookish content here!

***Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing a copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

This book was such an interesting read. From the magic system to the political institutions to the main characters, everything in this novel felt eerily intriguing, as if it all wasn't quite what it seemed to be. I loved all the intricacy of the conspiracies and backstory of the world and main characters. Along with the wonderful prose and descriptions, it made the setting of the story feel vivid and alive. The plot took some twists and turns, which kept me engaged, and the pace felt steady without being too rushed. The magic system was a fascinating combination of blood and stone/ore magic, which I enjoyed learning about as the story progressed. I loved Shade Nox. She was the absolute definition of a badass woman: strong and persistent while also caring and vulnerable when necessary. The only thing I didn't like as much about the book was some of the secondary characters. They seemed a bit interchangeable and one-dimensional. This also made some of the romance/sex seem like it came out of nowhere. Overall, though, I really enjoyed reading this one and recommend it for fans of fantasy with strong female leads. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

[Heather - Just Geeking By · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
There is a lot of blood and blood-letting due to the nature of the magical system in this book. There are some scenes that have similarities with self-harm and therefore may make some readers feel uncomfortable. This book also includes themes of emotional abuse, and misogyny, and there is a brief mention of suicide ideation.

A book promising a strong female character fighting for her people with magic and standing up against a church holding all the power? I certainly couldn’t say no to Obsidian when I read the synopsis, and as I read the book I was drawn into a world of gemstone blades and magic that grew more enticing with every word.

Obsidian promised a daring female heroine, a revolutionary who was fighting for her people; “the only witch in a land of wizards”. It certainly delivers in all those areas. Shade Nox is a fun and interesting character, and it’s easy to see why she inspires people to follow her. She’s not just extremely powerful in blood magic, the type of magic prominent on the Island of Malavita, she stands by people, keeps her word and follows through with her promises. In short, she’s nothing like the Brotherhood, the religious church who holds the monopoly on magical veils that protect most of the land from the blight or the Capomaji, powerful bloodwizard warlords who terrorize and extort the local people.

Of course, opposing both of these powerful forces means that Shade is vulnerable without allies and the blight is growing worse in the Wastes, the area beyond the veils; the place her family calls home. With allies of her choice and allies she has no choice but to accept even though her instincts scream at her, Shade attempts to do something that has not been done in centuries; raise a new veil. Prepared to deal with outrage from the Brotherhood and the lust for power of the City-princes and Capomaji, Shade and her allies are willing to do whatever they need to save lives and topple the powerful hold the brotherhood has on the island. What they find are ancient secrets and treacheries that make it difficult to know who friend from foe.

I found Obsidian to be a fast-paced adventure with interesting characters that drew me in and kept my attention from start to finish. However, it was the magic system and world-building that shined brightest for me. As a pagan who collects crystals and gemstones I was fascinated by the crystal blades that Daley equipped the blood wizards and witch with. To use their blood magic they, obviously, need to shed blood and unlike other fantasy novels their power seems to only come from shedding their own blood. Their skin is adorned with intricate magical tattoos which imbues them with faster healing, so they can open various wounds without worrying about blood loss. To open their wounds and to channel their magic they use gemstone blades.

It is mentioned that the Brotherhood Blademasters do not “yield any stone below emerald”, and that most wizards use rare and precious gems for their blades. Throughout the novel combatants are analysed based on their blades, suggesting that the choice of gemstone is connected to the power of the wizard. Shade wields two obsidian blades, and while they are a common gemstone they are much more powerful. She remarks that this is because it is a newer gemstone, suggesting that Daley has also taken into consideration the way gemstones are formed as well. I found the whole system fascinating, especially as Daley made sure it was a staple of Malavita society. Gemstones and their properties are ingrained in their society and their magic.

I’m not quite sure what stops me from giving Obsidian a higher rating. As I’ve mentioned, it has a brilliant magic system, solid world-building and I enjoyed the plot. I think at the end of the day it just did not have that “wow” factor for me. While I liked Shade, I just liked her. I felt the same about the rest of the characters. I didn’t fall in love with anyone in this book, and if I’m honest, I was a little irritated that it started to turn into a bit of a reverse-harem book. I think if this wasn’t a young adult book, it most certainly would be a reverse-harem book. Other than a few secondary characters Shade is the only female main character throughout the book. She is completely surrounded by men, most of which end up adoring her (I’ll get to this is a moment) and the lack of another female character in the group makes the novel feel very unbalanced.

By the end of the novel three of the male characters are in love with her, and while two of those relationships make sense, one of them came out of absolutely no where. Shade is an openly bisexual woman, and Daley has written her as someone who is independent and open about her relationships. It made sense for her to sleep with one of the men in a moment of emotion, but the sudden attraction to him when she had never even given him the slightest look before? It felt like a bad bit of editing. Suddenly she only has eyes for him, the tension that had been building since the start of the novel is completing forgotten as is the relationship with another character. It felt very wishy-washy.

I’m not sure whether Obsidian is designed to be a stand-alone or the first book of a series. It’s not currently listed as a part of a series and the ending could go either way, which is a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it. It could have been left open on purpose, or it’s supposed to be wrapped up… and it doesn’t feel that way at all. Overall, Obsidian is a fun read and fantasy fans that love interesting magic systems will get a kick out of this one, but personally I think it lost its way a bit towards the end.

For more of my reviews please visit my blog!

[Denise Crittendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsidian feels like a riveting trip into the unknown. The author takes readers on a surreal journey and does such a good job of packing in surprises it's not an understatement to say you never know what's going to happen next. The adventures are carefully plotted, and each scene is awash in imagery that sucks the reader into a world like no other. At times, I felt as if I was the one who was "waste walking" and traveling with trepidation amid demon-filled shadows and across hazardous "glass fields." The kingdom is fascinating, and the wizardry and witchcraft are unique. I was blown away by the concept of blood magic and tattoos that yield power. I don't think I'll ever look at tattoos in the same way again. However, the true draw in this amazing novel is the protagonist, the stunning witch, Shade Nox. It was hard not to get swept in by her passion, charm and remarkable courage. Bravo to Sara J. Daley for creating such an original and captivating fantasy! I can't wait for the sequel.

[anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is lead by the very intriguing Mulan-esque concept of a woman protagonist dressing as a man to accomplish what she must. But my god! This is an intense read, intense enough I'm not quite sure if I loved it or hated it. For fans of (niche) fantasy and more angsty storytelling, give this one a try!

[Juno · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning to middle was good, then it went a bit bad since it was pretty confusing. But the ending was good and fulfilling. Fun, dramatic and enticing!

[Tayelor Stuut · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one sucked me in with a pretty cover, but it almost became a DNF.

I immediately became skeptical when the main character was described as having “...perfect pink lips, eyes the color of green agate, the proud tilt of a dimpled chin.” She’s also blonde, and her name is Shade Nox, and they made her a white girl.

This actually becomes a repetitive thing where the author chooses to refer to characters by the color of their hair or, in Shade’s case, the color of her lips, which are always perfect, rose pink. It’s very fanfic/online roleplay-esque.

The story quickly introduces the stereotypes, which are rather uncreative, IMO: the desert traveling people who live outside the magic protection zones, who are clearly this universes stand-in for the Romani (down to the “brightly colored wagons” and the raising of goats); the Catholics, also, are very obvious. The main character gets accused of “sartorial misconduct” which means dressing in non-women’s clothes, I guess, which is honestly a law that all universes should move beyond, by now.

There’s a line on the back cover that reads “File under: Tattoos at Dawn | Underestimated Women | Old Jealousies | The End of Whose World?” and IDK if this is an Angry Robot (publishing) thing or the author's thing but in order to have an underestimated woman she has to go beyond people’s estimations, which Shade really... doesn’t. There’s a couple big fight scene where she talks mad talk and then... has to get saved by Raiden or Dante or Matteo. The characters spend so much time standing around talking about how great and amazing Shade is, she spends very little time actually being, you know, great and amazing. Like, the amount of praise they heap on her kind of cheapens it-- it becomes almost comically theatrical.

From early on it sort of becomes obvious in the narrative is just going to be her being saved by men throughout the entire book. It happens again not too long after the beginning where, again, she bites off more than she can chew, and is saved by Raiden. And then again, and again. Over and over they talk about how amazing she is with her special obsidian blades and her magic-wielding despite being female, and she really doesn’t do anything to back it up.

The Publishers Weekly review raves Obsidian has “Electric character relationships with masterful worldbuilding…” which seems like high praise for a storyline that has too many Cishet passing characters that are physically into each other from literally page 4 and a retelling of the Jewish diaspora. Every male character wants to fuck Shade, which isn’t really ‘electric’, in my opinion, but that’s just me. The love triangle (quadrangle? Everyone in the book falls in love with her!)-- ugh-- is so poorly done and there, just, isn’t ANY chemistry between any of the characters. There’s really not, they’re all so flat and one-note. The villains, especially, seem very cartoony-- like the trope of the villain going off on their diatribe, and then afterward it’s just crickets? That, but the whole book.

Parts of the dialogue during events that are supposed to move the story on or add important notes are really awkwardly placed, as well; there’s a scene where Dante’s healer saves someone important to Shade and she drops that she’s thankful but it won’t change her opinion of the healer or his Super Secret Cult that he’s apart of, which… girl, this is neither the time, nor the place; the author then uses this as a way to bridge into explaining said Super Secret Cult and it’s just done really awkwardly. It doesn’t fit. Like they namedrop Dante’s sister and her kid to try and wedge it in but it just doesn’t fit!

The pacing and sentence structure are frequently odd and jagged, with lots. Of stops. That really, makes no sense.

The drama in this book reads like a bad soap opera. There’s this very predictable cycle of ‘This is the terrible cost’ → actually it isn’t that terrible → ACTUALLY IT IS! MUAHAHA! That after three or four times just… gets old. There’s ZERO depth to the story or any of the characters; the ‘twists’ are a bunch of cheap a-ha moments that fall flat, the sacrifices are unemotional and meaningless, and the only character with any nuance is Raiden whose purpose quickly disappears to become another stand in to protect/lust after Shade.

About ¾ of the way in things REALLY fly off the rails, and not in a good way. We have yet another one-dimensional suitor with no personality added to the mix, which… why? Just why?

After about 270 pages I was going as fast as I could just to be done because I hate leaving a book unfinished. But this one… whew, this one sure tempted me.

[Britney]

Shade Nox is a badass witch who wields Obsidian blades and uses blood-magic. Unlike most bloodwizards, Nox is special, she has learned to access wild magic and tap into The Wild Power. We follow her on a journey through a Dune-like wasteland with dangers around every corner.

The apocalyptic world building and new take on magic should have made this an unforgettable story for me - but the lack of character development and connection unfortunately knocked it down. The writing also felt a bit rigid. It led to confusion where I thought I was missing information or chunks of story but really they just weren't there.

If you can jump in and just enjoy the dystopian world with some incredible magic then this one might be worth a try for you! Unfortunately, it just didn't deliver for me.

*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Patricia A Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute gem! Flawlessly delivered! Enchanted tattoos, greedy wizard factions, corrupt religious zealots, hidden demons, and blood magic, Daley’s debut fantasy makes you an offer you can’t refuse!