Blood and Steel

The Legends of Thezmarr #1

by Helen Scheuerer, Marion Herbert (Translator), Jasmine Hofmann (Translator)

Was opferst du für deinen größten Traum – wenn du weißt, dass du bald sterben wirst?

Mit der spicy Romantasy »Blood and Steel« beginnt eine epische Fantasy-Reihe um eine Welt voller Magie und Eine kämpferische Heldin, die nichts zu verlieren hat, trifft auf einen legendären Krieger, der von seinen eigenen Dämonen heimgesucht wird.

Nachdem ihr Tod geweissagt wurde, bleiben Althea Zoltaire nur noch drei Jahre, um zu werden, wovon sie immer geträumt eine legendäre Kriegerin. Mit allen Mitteln kämpft Althea um ihren Platz in der Elitegilde, die die fünf Königreiche beschützt.

Das brutale Training und die Schikanen der anderen Rekruten enden für Althea beinahe tödlich – aber noch gefährlicher sind ihre widerstreitenden Gefühle für den ruhmreichen Schwertmeister Wilder Hawthorne, der zähneknirschend ihren Aufpasser spielen muss. Während Althea sich auf die lebensgefährliche Aufnahmeprüfung vorbereitet, werden überall um sie herum Intrigen gesponnen. Gleichzeitig zieht über den Königreichen eine dunkle Bedrohung auf, die ihren Traum zerstören könnte, bevor er überhaupt beginnt …

Endlich auf die TikTok-Sensation voller beliebter Tropes – von Enemies to Lovers bis Who did this to you?

Lass dich von Helen Scheuerers vierbändiger Romantasy-Reihe »Die Legenden von Thezmarr« in eine epische Fantasy-Welt entfü Actionreiche Kämpfe und die knisternde Spannung zwischen Althea und Wilder machen »Blood and Steel« zum Pageturner. Perfekt für alle, die »Blood and Ash«, »Throne of Glass« oder »The Witcher« geliebt haben!

Diese Tropes erwarten

Enemies to LoversSlowburn SpiceFound FamilyWho did this to you?Forbidden Love


Die vierbändige Fantasy Romance »Die Legenden von Thezmarr« erscheint auf Deutsch in folgender

Blood and SteelVows and Ruins

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook, Magic

561 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2023

About the author

Helen Scheuerer is the fantasy author of the bestselling series, The Oremere Chronicles, the Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet and The Legends of Thezmarr. Her work has been highly praised for its strong, flawed female characters and its action-packed plots.

Helen’s love of writing and books led her to pursue a creative writing degree and a Masters of Publishing. She has been a full-time author since 2018 and now lives amidst the mountains in New Zealand where she is constantly dreaming up new stories.

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a huge rant on here. Deleted it. Now I’m reviewing again. Listen. I wanted to love this book. It has everything I love in a romantasy. But the writing felt too YA. Even the actions and dialogue felt like the MCs were in their teens. Not 20s and 30s. Also, Wilder is way too broody. He had zero personality. Besides being “hot”. Ugh I hate being disappointed when all my mutuals love a book: I always feel bad for not liking it 😕

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ 500+ pages but feels like 300? Flies by, bingeable, a good fantasy romance. Listened to part in audio and the audiobook was really great too!

[ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh hell yeah

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eugh I don’t know why I’m having such bad luck with books lately.

This was a massive cliche of a book, i felt like i knew what was going to happen before it even happened.

I disliked both of the main characters, they both came across as childish and predictable.. grumpy hero cares about her secretly but doesn’t know how to show it because of damaged past VS special heroine who’s not like other girls.

I get it. I know exactly where this is going.

Don’t really understand all the rave reviews on this book, but you do you💫

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

if i have to read about the main character's celadon eyes one more time i'm going to take a dirt nap

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓯𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓮𝔁𝓲𝓼𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮, 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱"

⚔️⚒

"𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓴 𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓮𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓵𝓮𝓭𝓰𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓫𝓲𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝔀𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝓲𝓽"

So I really enjoyed this book. We follow Althea who has had her death foretold, she is to die at the age of 27 and has 3 years left to live. She wants nothing more than to become a warrior legend. Women are not allowed to wield weapons due to the prophecy that was passed down long ago and so she has trained in secret her entire life:

🕊⚔️

"𝓘𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓭𝓸𝔀 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷 𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓭𝓸𝓶, 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝔂𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓶, 𝓐 𝓭𝓪𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝔀𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭 𝓪 𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓻𝓾𝓵𝓮 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻. 𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓭, 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓭𝓪𝔂𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓥𝓮𝓲𝓵 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵, 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓷 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓭𝓻𝓪𝔀𝓷, 𝓐 𝓭𝓪𝔀𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭"

The first 40% of this book went by so fast for me, I mean I could not flip the pages fast enough.. the pacing slowed for me a bit in the middle but not to the point where I was ever bored. This is definitely a horseback traveling type of fantasy from one kingdom to another.

Scheuerer's writing is so smooth and the story so easy to digest without taking away from any world building aspects that I felt were weaved into the story flawlessly. Short chapters, quick pace, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next on this adventure.

I will say that, FOR ME it read more like a YA novel than a NA novel which I'm totally fine with. I had a little trouble gaging the age of our main characters, we know that Thea is 24 but she really read more like a 16 year old and I had a hard time figuring out what the age of Wilder our MMC is- because of this I didn't really like their relationship. Didn't feel the chemistry there. I loved them individually, I think I just couldn't get them to gel together in my mind in book 1 but I have high hopes moving fwd. Other than that, really good start to the series and I can't wait for book 2!

⚔ 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐞
⚔ 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮
⚔ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬
⚔ 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
⚔ 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬
⚔ 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
⚔ 𝐆𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫

"𝓐 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓹 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓹𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓼𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭, 𝓰𝓾𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓯𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮, 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓼." ˖⁺‧₊˚✦

[Jaimee Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally my fav book of 2024 so far! It’s giving fourth wing but I enjoyed this better. No miscommunication and our MMC is giving Xaden mixed with Kaan Vaegor. Found family, forbidden love, military training, it’s got EVERYTHING! If you haven’t read this yet… what are you doing?

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

✩ 3 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Race Against Fate
➼ Mentor x Mentee
➼ Found Family
➼ Warrior Training Camp
➼ Who Did This to You?
➼ Forbidden Love
➼ Third Person Multi POV

Have you ever finished a book and felt like you must have missed something?

This book has been recommended to me by SO many people, both friends and strangers, but I honestly struggled to even finish this. The whole format of the story felt super predictable, and most of the time I just felt like I was going through the motions. The slow burn was there, and in theory I should have been into it, but the intimate scenes would come and go and I could barely drudge up even a spark of interest. Based on the ending, the author clearly plans to drag out the slow burn and their denial of their mutual feelings. At this point, I’m pretty worried the next books will just feel like more of the same. There’s only one way to find out and I do still plan to read them, but I’m pretty bummed that I don’t feel more excited about starting book two. Still optimistic that the rest of the series will be better!

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: I’m excited to read Iron & Embers since the character art I’ve seen of the MMC so closely resembles Thor 😍, but I decided I should probably read this series first!

I’ve heard great things about this one. Hopeful that I will love it just as much as others seem to.

Fingers crossed! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

i'm super disappointed with how this turned out.

the premise is super interesting, but the execution wasn't the best. i love the idea of thea knowing her death-date and seeking to become a legend in the time she has left. unfortunately i found that to be overshadowed by the other shortcomings of this novel.

first off, i couldn't get on board with theas character. i wanted so badly to like her but i just couldn't. she was constantly saying or doing the most ridiculous shit and i couldn't get past it. a good example being the scene when she saved the king from a poison that she miraculously knew the smell of, from her seat across the table. overlooking the fact that she was able to identify the poison despite never paying attention in her alchemy classes, she then points out the culprit in five seconds flat and is deemed a massive hero to the nation. that whole situation was outrageously unbelievable and gave me whiplash from how quickly everything happened. this type of super unbelievable and rushed action sequence was repeated many times over throughout the rest of the novel.

sadly i wasn't super into the romance either. wilder (the love interest) was literally just a hunk of meat. the entirety of his thoughts consist of; having sex with thea, protecting thea, or needing to stay away from thea. i found him to be a major alpha-douche and super moody 24/7. the chemistry was not doing it for me.

all of the reviews so far have been raving about this but sadly it just wasn't for me.

[Iqra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun time.

I loved how Thea felt so realistic and her reactions to uncomfortable situations weren’t exaggerated or ott as we normally see stubborn fmc’s dying on stupid hills that only hurt themselves bc of their excessive pride. Thea knew when to pick her battles. Was strong and assertive yet soft and emotional. Her personality was SO refreshing I loved it.

Wilder had me giggling and kicking my feet, blushing over the smallest things he’d do or say. I loved how he has a fully fleshed out backstory and isn’t only a side piece for Thea. I love seeing my fmcs thrive but i want their partners to also have character growth. It’s more impactful to me when they grow and evolve together.

I loveeee Wren despite whatever happened towards the end. She’s my fav character in this book.

I felt slightly off about the pacing towards the end but it’s also one of the things that made this book rlly bingeable. It had me hooked from page one and the writing was effortless.

Overall I enjoyeddd it and I genuinely am grateful for this book bc it saved me from what would’ve been an excruciating reading slump.

I cannot wait to read the prequel 🤭🤭🤭

[Surajat Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up! ‘ You’re beautiful, you know.’
‘You mean if I wore dresses and acted more like a girl?’
‘No. You’re beautiful as you are. And I’d wager even more so with steel in your hand and the blood of your enemies splattered across your face.’

Wheeeew 🥹🥵Don’t you just love it when a random read takes your breath away?

And don’t you just love it when the side characters grab your heart as much as the MCs??? Kipp and Cal must be protected at all costs in this series or I’ll RIOT xo

Too emotionally invested to write a proper review so all I can say is this:

➡️ Thea and Wilder 4eva

➡️ Malik, Kipp and Cal, I’d die for you guys, no exaggeration

➡️give that fine bear slayer Torj a love story of his own PLEASE

➡️Sebatos Barlowe, I hope your dick falls off xo

➡️ the problem is men. Literally, men are always the problem.

‘No woman is responsible for the weak acts of a man who’s had his masculinity so easily threatened,’ Wren girl, you are wise beyond your years with these words.

Be right back, going to go binge read this series and make it my whole personality for the next week xoxox

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

”A true man won’t cut you down as you fight your battles, nor will he fight them for you. A true man will help sharpen your sword, guard your back and fight at your side, in the face of whatever darkness comes.”

i flew through this book, i was immediately sucked into Althea’s mission to become a warrior in a world where women aren’t allowed to do so— especially as she’s set to die when she turns 27 in 3 years. im sure we’re all used to the “broody, doesn’t let anyone close” type of mmc and that’s the case with Wilder who’s a bit of a legend on the battlefield but i was eating up the tension he had with Thea and the way he pushed her to be better. i actually really loved Thea’s friends Malik, Cal and Kipp.. they must be protected cause im obsessed with them. as someone who’s a sucker for training sequences, this has tons of that so i didn’t have room to complain about anything really. i don’t think this is the best book in the world or the most original by any means but i had a lot of fun reading it and can’t wait to continue on in the series as soon as possible!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOW THIS 💳💥 IS WHAT💳💥 I’M TALKING 💳💥 ABOUTTTTTTT💳💥💳💥💳💥 WHAT THE FFFFFFFF
i haven’t given a romantasy 5 stars this fkn easily in a hot minute. i feel exhilarated. on top of the world. untouchable! really!!!

my spidey senses are tingling with what I suspect will be a god-tier series <3 this checked so many boxes that other books like ToG and FW have done for me - Ms. Helen wove such an intriguing fantasy world with stunning character arcs while making me crave SO MUCH MORE from the next books. no fantasy I’ve read recently hasn’t left me *wanting* & *questioning* like this one has. consider me f**king H O O K E D. flawless. ugh.

wilder hawthorne… u r hiding some shit but i still want u to run me over!! pls! and ALTHEA? she undoubtedly has the makings of an FMC that I’ll ride at dawn for. I’m obsessed. all around UTTERLY obsessed idk. idk idk idk.

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"No woman is responsible for the weak acts of a man who's had his masculinity so easily threatened."

I'd say this was a pretty solid romantasy. It didn't blow me away but it kept me invested and very entertained.

Thea was a pretty good FMC, though I wasn't a huge fan of the instalust, especially since Wilder was a huge dick at the beginning. I think it was starting to take away from her character a bit because she was always thinking about him instead of doing what she dreamt of her whole life.

But as the story progresses, Wilder got better and you start to learn a bit about why he is the way he is. I think he also has some groveling to do after what he said to her, so sign me up for that!

The storyline is pretty interesting, though it is endlessly frustrating how these people treat women. Would they have unarmed all men if there was a similar prophecy? I don't fucking think so. Pricks.

But pretty excited for where this series is gonna go so I'm more than ready to start the next one ❤️‍🔥

[Sam | Haus of Fables · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
You can tell this is the 10th book the author has written, it’s so easy to read - but that doesn’t mean it’s simple in its writing.
The world building is seamless, the plot constantly keeps you engaged & invested in the story, the hidden Easter eggs give you just enough foreshadowing without slapping you over the head, the FMC is interesting & strong & the love dynamic & tension between Thea & Wilder Hawthorne is PERFECTION !
I absolutely devoured this book, I didn’t want to put it down & I’m not only invested in the world & characters - I am itching to see what happens next!
For an adult Romantasy debut (previously the author has written epic YA fantasy series) I think this was extremely well done. It hits all the notes you want in an epic fantasy adventure but with a FMC that thinks like an adult & more adult themes.
I can’t wait for B2!

The author provided me with an arc for an honest review

[Linz_loves_books (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75✨

“It doesn’t matter who stands against you… What matters most is who stands with you.”

Okay this wasn't necessarily a bad book; it was just a lot of telling and not enough doing. I do take into consideration that it is the first book, and it is setting the tone for the rest of the series. However, there just was not enough fantasy or romance in this one for me. With that being said, I absolutely loved Althea. She is not the usual damsel in distress or whiny FMC which made me fall in love with her character so much more. She is stubborn and determined to be the best. She is a complete badass. To be honest I really loved all the characters, so I will continue to the next book in the series. The last 20% of this book though had me on the end of my seat and I can't wait for more of that in the next one.

What to Expect
⚔️Slow burn
⚔️Strong FMC
⚔️Training/Mentor trope
⚔️Found Family
⚔️Forced Proximity
⚔️Who did this to you?

Pre-Read Review: I have heard amazing things about this series so here we go! Hoping it delivers!

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Despite the harsh words he has spoken and the vows he had taken, Wilder Hawthorn, the Hand of Death, a Warsword of Thezmarr, was irrevocably in love with her.”

I AM SCREAMING!!!! THIS BOOK!!! Helen Scheuerer where have you been all my life?!! New auto-buy author!

IMMACULATE!

Everything I love for in a fantasy romance to have me utterly enthralled and OBSESSED
✔️Badass FMC
✔️enemies to lovers
✔️morally grey MMC who would CRAWL for her
✔️intricate world building
✔️well developed and absolutely captivating plot
✔️unique magic system
✔️found family
✔️side characters that melt your heart
✔️TENSIONNNNN
✔️all the emotions

I’m in love. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite series! I cannot wait to see where this world takes me, although I’m so scared for these characters I know the next book is going to RUIN ME.

And Wilder. Hawthorne. THIS MAN. I have no words. I need him biblically. Although…. You’re hiding something sir and I have a feeling it’s going to really cause some shit between him and Thea and leave me REELING. I cannot WAIT.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review in coming 🙂‍↕️
Wow. This was so good! Got a hard time formulating my thoughts on this one

Review to come!
Need to sleep on this one so that I can even begin comprehending what I read and what I'll write.

[tania ✧₊⁺ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗


Wow!!! Where do I even begin?

This book was GORGEOUS. The characters, the plot, the pacing, THE SLOW BURN, the pining, just everything was soooooooo good. Even when not much was happening, I still found myself not wanting to put this book down. It was so entertaining and intriguing from beginning to end.

It was a little predictable, but I didn’t mind as it made up for it in other aspects. The writing was easy to read, but was not simple by any means. Helen Scheuerer truly paints a beautiful picture with her words.


₊‧.°.⋆✮⋆.°.‧₊Characters₊‧.°.⋆✮⋆.°.‧₊


Thea: What a lovely fmc. She was fierce, funny, and very entertaining to read about. Thea is strong and determined to get even stronger. She literally spends her free time training and genuinely ENJOYS it. She’s very caring and soft, but knows how to stand up for herself and the people she cares for. And best of all, she isn’t annoying like a lot of fmcs in fantasy books end up being.

Wilder: This man… Just wow. He falls into your typical broody mmc stereotype, but he truly is great. He’s strong and protective, but knows that Thea isn’t useless and doesn’t coddle her like she’s a child. He makes it clear that he understands she wants to train and get stronger, and he actually makes an effort to guide her. He was so sweet and is definitely a new favorite of mine.

Kipp: I would take a bullet for this man. He is an ANGEL. Kipp added a sense of humor and lightheartedness to all the scenes he was in. I found myself smiling, and even laughing out loud, every time he made an appearance. He’s a very loyal and caring friend to Thea, and doesn’t deserve half the shit he got from the other shieldbearers :<

Cal: I really did love Cal. Similarly to Kipp, he was always a joy to read about. He’s funny, while also being realistic with some of his… reactions. He’s able to realize his mistakes and ask for forgiveness when need be.

Seb: WHEN I CATCH YOU…🤬🤬

I won’t go into more detail about Seb or the other characters but there were so many side characters I grew to love as well.

Now let me talk about the dynamics in this book because I’m obsessed. Thea and Wilder actually have conversations about themselves, and they get to know each other for a while. This is something that seems to always be replaced by insta-lust dynamics in a lot of books. He cares so deeply about her and the development and pacing of their relationship was delicious. It was very slowburn with the right amount of tension and longing in between to keep you at bay. The only thing I kinda disliked was the smidge of miscommunication that happened a couple times. It gets corrected later on, but nothing irks me more than miscommunication.

The friendship between Thea, Cal, and Kipp was so heartwarming. It’s so clear how much they all care about each other. They just work so well together?? The friendly banter, the jokes, the loyalty, and just all their interactions made it such a joy to read. I knew from their first interaction that I was going to LOVE reading about the 3 of them together. I really have fallen in love with this world and all the characters.

NOW SOME QUOTES BECAUSE THEYRE DELICIOUS

“You’re beautiful, you know.”

NO I DIDNT KNOW. SAY THAT AGAIN PLEASE I FORGOT TO BREATHE😊😊

“Did you think after last night I would come begging for a place as your apprentice?”
“Begging? Not for that, no…” His dimple showed.

I HAD TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN.

“Wars have been started over looks less heated than that, sister. Is something going on —”

How do you have to be looking at her for other people to say something like this… I’m a goner.

“In the dark recess of that broom cupboard, his body had come alive in her presence, and he’d wanted nothing more than to care for her, to protect her.”

“I think that I have never known someone to be so infuriating… Someone who makes my blood boil in such a way that I want to kill you and kiss you all at once.”

I’m going to just leave it at that because I actually want people to read this book and if I keep going, you’ll just know everything that happens😭

[Salma [Comment restriction]]

I reallllly wanna read this series. However, this series has single quotation marks instead of double. Yes, I am aware that is a ridiculously stupid pet peeve. I may or may not read this series this year😂 DON’T JUDGE ME!

[1000_books_1000_lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing!!! Enemies to lovers, slow burn, who did this to you!! With a kick ass female lead! I absolutely loved every part of it! Cannot wait for the next book. It’s a bit like The Red Queen series meets From Blood and Ash (the latter books) such a great adventure fantasy. 1000% recommend!!

[Nerdread · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This was such a disappointment! I was hoping for fun and adventurous fantasy with a little bit of romance but what I got was a character who is childish but fits the “not like other girls” trope and a love interest that is grumpy for no reason but falls in love with the main character in 0.2 second??? Where is the chemistry? Where is the banter? Where is the fantasy romance I was promised???

It’s not giving what it promised to give 😭

[Rochelle ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“if you seek power in a world of men and monsters, there is nothing more powerful than knowledge and the ability to wield it.”

despite reading the ashes of thezmarr series first, it did not make the legends of thezmarr less entertaining or overall enjoyable. you can see how much helen scheuerer’s writing has improved between the two series, but blood & steel was still an incredible and captivating narrative of epic adventures. reading this series and finally delving into the world where everything started was wonderful, with an opportunity to fill in the gaps of my knowledge and understanding of the characters and the environments they find themselves navigating. regardless having met most of these characters already in the ashes of thezmarr, i knew them in vague detail. having better insight into some of the characters' personalities and further context for the lead up to the events in the following series was fantastic, as they were seen from different experiences and perspectives. it made me love these characters more than before and feeling appreciative of the amazing, detailed world-building—it makes me want more of helen scheuerer’s brilliant writing!

blood & steel is the introduction to althea zoltaire’s intense and incredible endeavours in becoming a warsword. in a world where women are not allowed to become shieldbearers, guardians or revered warswords of the midrealms, thea finds herself training in secret and navigating a society that fears women wielding weapons following the prophecy of the midrealms. despite the barriers between her and her dreams, thea isn’t deterred—not when her life is on borrowed time. her adventures across the midrealms as she trains to become a warrior is an engaging and immersive one. blood & steel is more than an epic fantasy romance, of battling external forces that threaten the midrealms; it’s also a tale of thea overcoming her internal fears and doubts.

“you’re beautiful as you are. and i’d wager even more so with steel in your hand and the blood of your enemies splattered across your face.”

♡ althea zoltaire
althea is such an admirable and awe-inspiring female character, the way she refused to bend to the whims of men and was steadfast as she remained determined to become a warsword of thezmarr. i admire her strengths and tenacity, her overall attitude and refusal to allow her dreams to be nothing more than just that. she studied, trained and worked hard—harder than most, if not all of the fellow warriors in training. however, despite her careful, secret training sessions, thea doesn’t have all of the skills and understanding, and her resolve to succeed was astounding. she showed everyone and proved to all the men around her that she's just as, if not more capable than a vast majority of them, at becoming a guardian for the midrealms. i love that thea is dominant and assertive, but she was also smart enough to realise when logic should override emotions and that’s a refreshing characteristic to have. she was the ideal balance of dangerous and formidable, intelligent and understanding.

‘show me’ she’d said. and that had been the beginning and the end of him.

♡ wilder hawthorne
i love when male main characters have hardened exteriors with clear boundaries, but there’s this softer and sweeter side underneath waiting to be unlocked for the right woman. that is wilder hawthorne. no nonsense, hard facts and truths and results, but would die for thea within a heartbeat if it means she lives and thrives. he had a hot and cold attitude towards thea, torn between his feelings for her and his duties as her mentor, but every time he allowed himself to feel a sliver of emotion towards thea, my heart melted! there’s nothing better than a love interest who demonstrates his feelings through thoughtful actions and that is, without doubt, wilder—a man of words and actions. despite wanting to protect thea wherever danger presented itself, wilder understood her capabilities and strengths, so rather than coddle and hinder her, wilder ensured she was trained and practised. the level of support and encouragement he offered was heartfelt! however, even though wilder’s character is complex, i believe that we’ve just touched the surface and there’s secrets waiting to be uncovered and learned in greater detail!

“a true man won’t cut you down as you fight your battles, nor will he fight them for you. a true man will help sharpen your sword, guard your back and fight at your side, in the face of whatever darkness comes.”

♡ thea zoltaire + wilder hawthorne
the constant back and forth, the way thea and wilder bantered and bickered left me wanting more, because even though this isn’t true enemies to lovers’ romance in a sense, the mutual disdain and the collective frustration was felt across the entire book. i love slow burn romance that does indeed burn slow, intertwined with visible sexual tension across the interactions—it allows the readers time to appreciate the ever-changing and growing feelings between the characters. it also means that when thea and wilder are finally together, the moment is delicious and the emotions are heightened. besides the sexual components of thea and wilder’s relationship, there’s heartfelt and emotive moments too, as wilder ensures thea is armed with experience and information. the level of commitment to encourage and support each other is perhaps my favourite aspect of thea and wilder’s relationship.

“it doesn’t matter who stands against you… what matters most is who stands with you.”

♡ the side characters
the legends of thezmarr contains my favourite clusters of found families—cal, kipp and thea who experience almost every aspect of becoming guardians together; torj and wilder as fellow warswords of thezmarr; and wren with sam and ida, her alchemist friends who she shares a close bond with. i adored the features into callahan and kristopher as shieldbearers; it was no different than watching your babies transform into amazing and incredible men. knowing what they become in iron & embers, it was wholesome and emotionally encapsulating seeing them at the beginning of their journeys. cal and kipp bantered and the exchanges were filled with genuine humour, offering a reprieve from some of the darker forces threatening the midrealms. it was also nice meeting ida and sam, however, knowing how everything ends for them makes this all the more heartbreaking, as they gave another form of humour, but also supported wren that it offered another element to her personality.

i very much loved my time reading blood & steel, i couldn’t wait and without hesitation started reading vows & ruins. i needed more of thea and wilder, but more importantly, i wanted to be transported further into this captivating world. between the threatening dark forces and the enemies enclosing on the midrealms; the lurking secrets and the compelling foreshadowing that ensnared my undivided attention; and all of the enthralling moments of this book, i was enamoured! the elements of this book provided a seamless blend of action, adventure and romance—a trifecta combination that i love more than all else in my fantasies—where combat scenes and training sessions, combined with adventurous moments are detailed and riveting, where romance burns and the tension between thea and wilder is able to be felt in their exchanges. for lovers of epic fantasies and romances, the legends of thezmarr is a must read!!!

the legends of thezmarr
blood & steel — 4 stars
vows & ruins — 5 stars

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˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
in iron & embers wren and torj RUINED me so i’m aiming for total annihilation with thea and wilder.

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[évieane]

ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ᯓ ✿ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ‍‍‍‍‍‍pre-reading ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⪼ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ started ┆16-January-2026┆
ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ㅤ ‍‍‍‍‍‍ ⤿ apparently I am finally in the mood for reading, so I'm not gonna waste any moment; also this has been sitting on my TBR for far too long.

[Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 🌟 This? This is how you do a found family, fantasy romance of epic proportions!

Althea my girl, the woman that you are. Shes the kind of woman who knows what she wants, in aaaall areas of her life and she will settle at nothing. She’s confident, she’s bold and boy is she a fierce, force and I can’t wait to see where her journey goes.

I LOVED the found family in this, Althea’s friendship with Kipp and Cal did something to my soul. It is so pure and so genuine and I was rooting for their band of warriors for the entirety.

This is the kind of book that has a plot which would standalone just fine if you took away the romance. The romance i ate up and I loved Wilder - his ‘who did this to you’ might be my fave one I’ve read yet. I did think they fell a little quickly but still couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I loved the whole concept. Loved the plot, loved the characters and loved the romance too. Can’t wait to carry this on.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

If a man has ever told you ‘no’, or ‘girls can’t do that’, this is for you.

I read the sequel series first: Iron and Embers. So yes, I knew the trajectory and the end result. However, when my mum said she was reading Blood and Steel and was having a fun time, I thought why not? My library had the audiobook.

I think I preferred this to Iron and Embers. First of all, I’m a sucker for an academy setting. Then, we have the only woman allowed to be trained as a warrior despite everyone being against her. Of course, the friendships between misfits that band together - aka my two favourite characters from Iron and Embers, Cal and Kipp.

We also get to see the strong sisterly bond between Wren and Thera and the alchemist’s origins.

This is just fun. I can’t tell you whether it’s predictable or not as I knew everything already. However, this had enough banter and character growth that I thoroughly enjoyed. Just ignore the fact that a self-trained female becomes stronger and more efficient than some of these men who have been trained from birth to be warriors.

The audiobook was great.

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[Noi (in & out) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was solid, but it had no business being 550 pages.

For a first book in a series to build stuff up makes sense but there was not enough fantasy and not enough romance or well, action for that matter, for it to be so long.

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

In the shadow of a fallen kingdom, in the eye of the storm A daughter of darkness will wield a blade in one hand And rule death with the other When the skies are blackened, in the end of days The Veil will fall. The tide will turn when her blade is drawn. A dawn of fire and blood.

Blood & Steel is the first installment in the Legends of Thezmarr series, a NA Fantasy Romance featuring a deadly prophecy and a heroine on the road to become a warrior legend.

Althea (Thea) Zoltaire is a 24-year-old Alchemist with a penchant for rule breaking. 20 years ago, a prophecy foretold Thea's death by the age of 27 and knowing her time is running out she yearns to become a warrior of Thezmarr but how can she when a law was established after the prophecy arose that no woman shall ever carry a weapon lest she risk the peace in the realms.

Certain unique circumstances pull Thea away from the Alchemy Workshop and she must prove herself worthy of becoming a warrior.

You're probably wondering about the romance and I can tell you to not expect an enemies-to-lovers situation, they're not enemies and it's more dislike to reluctant like. There's a trainer/trainee dynamic that spices up the scenes between them. Wilder Hawthorne, the youngest Warsword of Thezmarr and known as the Hand of Death, can be enigmatic but Thea quickly plagues his mind and heart.

This book was enjoyable and I'm excited to move straight to the second book, and as expected of a foundational book, it can slow down a little build and take more time to flesh out the characters.

And if you're worried Thea might be lonely, there's a lovely friendship that blossomed with three characters (excluding the love interest).

Despite enjoying it, I felt like the point where the romance got to at the end was a little rushed and I am still not that attached to Wilder. I think the world-building was established but parts of it weren't easy to digest as the reader.

I would still say this book is a promising beginning to an addictive fantasy romance series!

Looking forward to book 2!

Content warning: violence, shaming, verbal bullying and physical assault, blood.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
I would have devoured this within a day if it wasn't for work!

Althea had always dreamed of becoming a great warrior, but fate had other plans for her. Althea has been devastated by a prophecy that predicts her untimely death at the age of 27. As an orphan, she had to rely on her own wits and strength to survive in a world that didn't favor women with the blade. Despite the odds stacked against her, Althea never gave up on her dreams. She trained tirelessly in the shadows, honing her skills in secret, knowing that if she was ever caught, it would mean the end of her dreams.

Now, at the age of 24, with only three years left to live, Althea must hurry to make her dreams come true. With her heart set on her goal, she dives headfirst into the world of warriors. Will she succeed in her quest to become a great warrior before time runs out? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure – Althea is not one to be underestimated.

Wow! I can't express enough how much I loved the story! It was an absolute page-turner that kept me hooked from the very first chapter. If you're a fan of slow-burn romantic fantasy, then this is an absolute must-read that you won't be able to put down!

***Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Scheuerer, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

female rage. rawr.

Uno de los romantasy más adictivos que he leído. ¿500 páginas? Ni las sientes 🙂‍↔️

La narración es sencilla, rozando lo contemporáneo, aunque sorprende mucho que a la hora de describir escenarios de batalla o de entrenamientos, se tome su tiempo y las convierta en escenas épicas y llenas de tensión. Me ha encantado que el libro tenga tanto enfoque en el campamento al que asiste Thea para convertirse en escudera, es algo realista que también nos ayuda a conocer a otros personajes y a sufrir con ella el peligro constante que la envuelve. ¿Lo mal que lo he pasado cuando tiene que pasar las noches en la misma habitación que los demás soldados que la odian?¿O cómo van a por ella y a por los dos amigos que ha hecho en los entrenamientos porque son "los débiles que no merecen ser soldados"? TREMENDO 🤯

Althea me ha encantado, tiene todas las vibras de Celaena Sardothien principalmente por sus contestaciones y me gusta que los entrenamientos sean todo un reto para ella porque efectivamente, no sabe pelear y las condiciones son muy diferentes a las de sus compañeros. Su relación no amorosa con Wilder empieza muy de golpe, eso sí me desconcertó por cómo nos presentan al personaje, pero es cierto que el romance es muuuy lento y se hace de rogar 🫣 sólo tiene una escena spicy, cosa que me ha sorprendido, pero he adorado porque el libro se centra mucho en la protagonista y su camino como escudera ⚔️

Un punto negativo para mí ha sido el vocabulario que se utiliza, lo he sentido demasiado contemporáneo y casual para la ambientación del libro🫤

Estoy deseando saber cómo continúa porque el final abre una trama inexplorada y muuuy potente que, junto con la decisión que toman los personajes sobre su relación, hará que la intriga acabe conmigo. 4/5⭐