Lord of Blade and Bone

Waking Hearts #2

by Erica Ivy Rodgers

A harrowing companion to the romantic fantasy adventure, Lady of Steel and Straw

The kingdom of Niveaux’s most vulnerable are being hanged—their bones mercilessly collected for an arsenal of wraiths. With young Prince Artus locked away and the Order of the Guardians driven from the capital, Cardinal Lorraine the Pure fixes her gaze on conquering bordering nations. To succeed, she’ll have to convince Captain Luc de Montaigne to embrace the power he’s been running from his entire life.

But even in chains, Luc yearns for the light of Lady Charlotte Sand. Proclaimed an outlaw, Charlotte and her lavender scarecrow Guardian, Worth, are staging rebellion with the underground network, the Broken Bird. Three new Guardians have also woken to aid their cause, but someone in their ranks is not who they seem. And with corruption spreading, the Guardians' hearts are weakening. Can Charlotte trust Luc to abandon his former master and secure peace for the kingdom? Or will the darkness haunting Charlotte’s Guardian destroy any chance for reconciliation?

An exhilarating second installment in the Waking Hearts duology, this YA fantasy was inspired by The Three Musketeers and offers a beguiling dose of dark magic.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Audiobook

Hardcover

Published November 11, 2025

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is GORGEOUS! So lovely and smart and unique. Highly recommend!

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waking Heart Series by Erica Ivy Rodgers have everything I crave: immortal scarecrow guardians, forbidden love, political intrigue, and enough ghostly chaos to raise the dead literally!

In Lady of Steel and Straw, we meet Charlotte Sand, a fierce, stubborn heroine who refuses to bow to corrupt powerband Luc de Montaigne, the loyal captain torn between faith, duty, and the girl he can’t stop loving. Their chemistry? Pure, tortured perfection. One minute they’re enemies, the next they’re saving each other’s lives while the world burns around them. Rodgers writes tension so thick you could slice it with a saber.

Then Lord of Blade and Bone ups the stakes tenfold. The rebellion is in full swing, the kingdom is bleeding, and Charlotte’s fight for justice collides with Luc’s struggle for redemption. What I loved most was how Rodgers deepens their emotional scars without losing the epic sweep of her worldbuilding bone collectors, haunted Guardians, underground resistance networks; it's all so vividly cinematic and heart-wrenching.

The series is beautifully macabre and romantic in equal measure, with prose that feels both lush and lethal. By the end of Lord of Blade and Bone, I was emotionally wrecked, half in love with every morally gray character, and fully obsessed with the idea that love and sacrifice might just be two sides of the same blade.

⚡️Thank you Peachtree Teen and Erica Ivy Rodgers for sharing these books with me!

[Quilted.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the amazing opportunity to read an ARC of Lord of Blade and Bone and wow Book 2 completely blew me away! I loved the first book but this one took everything to the next level. The stakes, the emotion, the magic it was absolutely incredible.this story picks up in the kingdom of Niveaux where things have taken a dark turn. The vulnerable are being hunted, the Guardians have been driven from the capital, and darkness is spreading faster than ever. Charlotte Sand now an outlaw with her lavender scarecrow Guardian Worth, leads a rebellion through the underground network known as the Broken Bird. Meanwhile, Captain Luc de Montaigne still haunted by his past and his connection to Charlotte is forced to decide whether he’ll finally embrace the power he’s been running from.What I loved most is how this sequel deepened the world and the characters I already adored. It’s full of rebellion, romance, and beautifully written tension that had me holding my breath. The bond between Charlotte and Luc is so raw and emotional and the twists kept me hooked until the final page.Inspired by The Three Musketeers but infused with dark magic. Lord of Blade and Bone is a powerful, romantic, and thrilling follow up that proves this duology is something truly special

[Sandra Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definite 5-star review, this YA fantasy is a sequel to Lady of Steel and Straw and is incredibly memorable. It is intense, action-packed, flawlessly constructed, and features a very special magic system that is unlike any other. The scarecrow warriors are FANTASTIC! I love multiple points of view, and this one did not let me down. I will always hold a special place in my heart for the main characters, Luc and Charlotte. Wow, the conclusion!

[Liz Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying closure to the duology, with epic scope and bittersweet stakes.

[Amanda Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story and I truly hope more readers get to experience it. A truly refreshing read about choices and the beauty that can be found even in brokenness. I highly recommend reading both of the books in this series.

[Hannah Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord of Blade and Bone was a fantastic earthy fantasy rooted in the elements, full of love and terror, and an epic battle for good over evil.

Goodness. It was perfect in every way. There are so many characters to be invested in, an evil who is so easy to hate, betray, swashbuckling romance, magic. Everything you could ever want from a fantasy.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent sequel that gave me everything I wanted and more, Lord of Blade and Bone delivers on the promises of the first book. Some things to get hyped for: more Guardians, more romance, more world-building (We get a better glimpse at those neighboring countries!), at least one more soul crushing death, a deeper exploration of bone magic and wraiths (and how different are they, really, from the scarecrows?), an Artus with autonomy, and some sweet, sweet justice. A satisfying ending to the duology, though I'd love it if there were more books in this world! ARC provided by Edelweiss.

[Lauren Thoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An action-packed, emotional, and extremely satisfying conclusion to a series which easily could have been longer, but wrapped up wonderfully well in just two books. Loved the introduction of all the different POV characters, and definitely got a little misty on multiple occasions at the deep love between the Guardians and their companions. Best lines in the book are a tie between "Guard the cheese," and "Welcome to my coup!" the latter of which actually gave me full-body chills.

[Sarah Kessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second installment of the Waking Hearts duology is darker, richer, and impossible to put down. I loved how the story digs deeper into the past, especially how the war with Brouillard shaped the coup against the royal family, adding layers of context and emotional weight to everything happening in the present. Watching characters break free from the Cardinal’s unyielding grip and confront who they truly are—and the legacy they want to leave behind—was incredibly powerful. It was a joy to finally see all the Guardians in action, especially those we didn’t fully meet in book one, and the contrast between how Charlotte’s and Luc’s powers evolve was fascinating. Even though they stand on opposite sides of settling wraiths versus wielding them, I loved how both learn to treat the dead with dignity and respect. Prince Artus’s growth was especially rewarding, and seeing the kingdom through his eyes made me fall in love with Niveaux all over again. With shocking betrayals and threats coming from every direction, this book delivers nonstop tension and emotional payoff, making it a thrilling and deeply satisfying conclusion to the duology.

[Johnsnowwasright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to DNF this book which makes me really sad because I really liked the first one. I just feel this book had a case of 2nd book syndrome where a lot of set up was being done for the final book in the series. The plot meandered all over the place without any proper set up as to what events were supposed to be taking place (i.e. this supposed rebellion?). We sped ran the reconcilliation between Charlotte and Luc. And there were just way too many POV chapters. It should have stuck to Luc and Charlotte. I still adore the Parson and his relationship with Charlotte but it wasn't enough to save this book from an DNF....

[Janna Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord of Blade and Bone is a gripping, dark fantasy tale that hooks the reader with its fierce world-building and relentless tension. The protagonist’s gritty journey through a realm ruled by blood and power is both harrowing and compelling, and the action sequences are particularly well-crafted. Though a few character motivations could be clearer, the story’s atmosphere and momentum more than make up for it. A strong, visceral adventure that will satisfy fans of high-stakes fantasy.

[Jessica Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t get into it. I tried. I finished it but I just never felt engaged. Every aspect of the book (except for the unique universe) needed more. More character development, more sexiness, more romance…

[Annalise Kraines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This definitely suffered from sophomore novel syndrome, but I love the worldbuilding very, very much. This is a very sensory novel, mostly driven by smell because of every herb known to man being made into warrior scarecrows. There were 400 characters in this book and most of them were also in the first book and I didn't remember any of them lol. The way characters reacted to war, love, and change felt very realistic and thought through, as opposed to a stereotypical YA novel where the reactions make no sense. Luc and Charlotte's relationship really felt underdeveloped and made very little sense. There wasn't a lot of chemistry, just a lot of yearning. The politics were often too involved, but the ending was solid and felt pretty cinematic.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A more condensed version of this review originally appeared in the article "19 YA Series That Are Bursting with Emotion" for School Library Journal:

Caught on opposite sides in the kingdom of Niveaux’s power struggle, Lady Charlotte Sand and Captain Luc de Montaigne yearn to be reunited. Cardinal Lorraine the Pure hopes to use Luc to maintain her power while Charlotte joins the rebellion led by the Order of the Guardians--"immortal scarecrow warriors" the Cardinal outlawed when they refused to serve her--who are intent on Prince Artus claiming the throne.

Torn between what is right and what is safe, Luc must choose a side while Charlotte and the rebellion face threats both within and without in Lord of Blade and Bone (2025) by Erica Ivy Rodgers.

Find it on Bookshop.

Lord of Blade and Bone is the dense conclusion to Rodgers' debut Waking Hearts duology which begins with Lady of Steel and Straw. Chapters alternate between Charlotte and Luc for maximum pining as the startcrossed protagonists struggle with how to find a future together. Romantic pairings for secondary characters fall across the LGBTQ+ spectrum adding some diversity to the cast in addition to their varied skin tones.

Readers familiar with The Three Musketeers will appreciate the nods to the source material in this epic battle for peace and justice. Romance and cinematic action come together to create a swashbuckling adventure in Lord of Blade and Bone.

Possible Pairings: Where Shadows Meet by Patrice Caldwell, Bitten by Jordan Gray, Nightweaver by R M Gray, Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina, Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis, Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye, Darker by Four by June CL Tan, Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth