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The Ashen Touch Trilogy #1
The Opal Blade
Can One Sarcastic Demi-Goddess And Her Stoic Demon Halfling Bodyguard Save Haedes' Underworld?
SYNOPSISWhen Sephy Sinclair is forced to take over her father’s business empire, she’s not happy. What she doesn’t know is that she’s about to discover her lineage is steeped far deeper in ancient myth than she ever anticipated, putting her at risk in ways she cannot begin to imagine.
Sephy’s true parentage does not stay secret for long though, as Pandora, a vengeful ex-Titan with all the power of a rare Othrysian portal box, sees an opportunity to take her revenge.
Can Xion, Sephy’s demon halfling bodyguard, keep her safe without getting too close as they flee across Mortaria? And more importantly, can Sephy outrun Pandora and her lineage, or will she have to risk it all and take a final stand with powers she doesn’t fully understand?
Spicy, slow burn, Greek Mythology inspired Fantasy Romance, perfect for lovers of Adult Fantasy Romance with immersive worldbuilding such as The Mercy Thompson Series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and The Dark Hunters series by Sherilynn Kenyon.
SYNOPSISWhen Sephy Sinclair is forced to take over her father’s business empire, she’s not happy. What she doesn’t know is that she’s about to discover her lineage is steeped far deeper in ancient myth than she ever anticipated, putting her at risk in ways she cannot begin to imagine.
Sephy’s true parentage does not stay secret for long though, as Pandora, a vengeful ex-Titan with all the power of a rare Othrysian portal box, sees an opportunity to take her revenge.
Can Xion, Sephy’s demon halfling bodyguard, keep her safe without getting too close as they flee across Mortaria? And more importantly, can Sephy outrun Pandora and her lineage, or will she have to risk it all and take a final stand with powers she doesn’t fully understand?
Spicy, slow burn, Greek Mythology inspired Fantasy Romance, perfect for lovers of Adult Fantasy Romance with immersive worldbuilding such as The Mercy Thompson Series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and The Dark Hunters series by Sherilynn Kenyon.
428 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2017
60 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Kristy Nicolle
25 books215 followersHi, I’m Kristy Nicolle, a 27-year-old British writer achieving freedom from the pain of my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome diagnosis by bringing fantasy worlds to life for my readers. I currently enjoy spending time in my fuzzy PJs with my kitty arch nemesis, Moo, and love all things mermaids, unicorns, and glitter! My books centre around high detail, high action fantasy worlds, full of badass female characters who love to get steamy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
January 1, 2018
Hell. An overwritten subject. Sinners and penance, gods, demons, portals, demi-gods. . .all over done. At least that’s what I thought. Usually the books I get a kick out of reading feel like the same story with the words rearranged, and towards the end I can’t tell them apart anyways.
This year I have branched out and tried to read more indie authors- the underdogs, the not-so-well-known. One thing I’ve learned this year (even though the year isn’t up yet!) is that I was LESS disappointed with indie authors than I was my regular authors. I won’t go into TOO much detail in this review, but look out later for an Op-Ed post indie vs. well read.
This is my first go at a Kristy Nicolle book, and I was NOT disappointed. Upon finishing “The Opal Blade” I quickly learned that Nicolle has an entire other series already published that has a bit of a cross over with “The Opal Blade”. While I have not read the Tidal Kiss trilogy, I can openly say you do not NEED to read it to understand “The Opal Blade”.
Meet Persephone Sinclair- heiress to her father’s legacy in which she feels hesitant to accept. Most people wouldn’t turn down a family fortune, but Sephy feels reluctant to because of her parent’s death and the responsibility that comes with signing on the dotted line. She belongs out on the town, wild and free with no baggage holding her down. With a love ’em and leave ’em kind of attitude, Sephy’s seemingly only friend in the world is Jules, the butler as well as Cerb, her faithful and loyal leonberger. Being wild and free has it’s consequences. In hopes of not tarnishing the Sinclair name, Peter, Sephy’s uncle, decides to hire a body guard to keep her out of trouble. None too pleased, Sephy continues being her absolute self in hopes of embarrassing Xion (bodyguard) enough to leave well enough alone.
What she isn’t prepared for is braving the heartache her parent’s death has left her in and figuring out where her place in the world really is.
Xion takes Sephy through the portal (on her parent’s property I may add!) to hell. I would like to tell you that every detail is morbid, or even romanticized (usually the only two ends of the spectrum that are hit), but Nicolle steps up to the plate and makes hell completely her own. There a quite a few gender swaps, which are deviously amazing and well written. Sephy seems to be able to make friends in hell rather quickly, especially with Lucifer.
Naturally, realizing your father, Lord of the Underworld, wants nothing to do with you, other citizens of Mortaria would like to know how your presence will affect the present and the future. Naturally the Fates are involved, and a few unexpected mythological figures as well.
Join Sephy as she journeys through life in the Underworld, only coming up for air when her business is finished, and the threat on her life has been contained. Losing her former self, and discovering who she truly is, and what connections she has in the afterlife. As she steps through the portal to hell, she leaves her old life, a flickering flame waiting to ignite. As she discovers her true purpose and identity, Sephy becomes a force to be reckoned with.
To be honest- I am too excited writing this review to even feel like I gave this book the justice it deserves. Kristy Nicolle is the REAL force to be reckoned with. From start to finish, the reader is able to tell that everything, no seriously, EVERYTHING has been well thought out. The detail that is put into the descriptions, body language, actions, is overwhelmingly stimulating. I usually struggle trying to match descriptions to quotes and post on my Instagram account. Not the case here. I was overwhelmed, and literally had to space out my IG posts just to keep from spamming my friends with bookish posts.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I HIGHLY suggest reading “The Opal Blade” by Kristy Nicolle. I would say it’s for a “mature” audience, however I will NEVER put an age limit on where mature starts (I’m still bitter from an incident in 4th grade when my teacher told me I was “too young for a book” I was reading- reading well in fact!). I will fully admit I have left A LOT out of this review- on purpose. I don’t enjoy reading spoilers, I don’t enjoy starting to read a review and slowly realizing they are spoiling the book for me. I don’t do that- that’s not classy. I would hope that if you are into mythology of ANY kind, be it, Greek, Egyptian, what have you, and you love a fantastic fictional cross over, you have to give this book a try. And if the story line doesn’t pull you in, then the author’s pure level of snark surely will. I don’t often find myself saying this, but I am now on a mission to have an entire shelf devoted to this author- with signed books. I’ll even be as bold to say this is one author I would absolutely love to meet.
This year I have branched out and tried to read more indie authors- the underdogs, the not-so-well-known. One thing I’ve learned this year (even though the year isn’t up yet!) is that I was LESS disappointed with indie authors than I was my regular authors. I won’t go into TOO much detail in this review, but look out later for an Op-Ed post indie vs. well read.
This is my first go at a Kristy Nicolle book, and I was NOT disappointed. Upon finishing “The Opal Blade” I quickly learned that Nicolle has an entire other series already published that has a bit of a cross over with “The Opal Blade”. While I have not read the Tidal Kiss trilogy, I can openly say you do not NEED to read it to understand “The Opal Blade”.
Meet Persephone Sinclair- heiress to her father’s legacy in which she feels hesitant to accept. Most people wouldn’t turn down a family fortune, but Sephy feels reluctant to because of her parent’s death and the responsibility that comes with signing on the dotted line. She belongs out on the town, wild and free with no baggage holding her down. With a love ’em and leave ’em kind of attitude, Sephy’s seemingly only friend in the world is Jules, the butler as well as Cerb, her faithful and loyal leonberger. Being wild and free has it’s consequences. In hopes of not tarnishing the Sinclair name, Peter, Sephy’s uncle, decides to hire a body guard to keep her out of trouble. None too pleased, Sephy continues being her absolute self in hopes of embarrassing Xion (bodyguard) enough to leave well enough alone.
What she isn’t prepared for is braving the heartache her parent’s death has left her in and figuring out where her place in the world really is.
Xion takes Sephy through the portal (on her parent’s property I may add!) to hell. I would like to tell you that every detail is morbid, or even romanticized (usually the only two ends of the spectrum that are hit), but Nicolle steps up to the plate and makes hell completely her own. There a quite a few gender swaps, which are deviously amazing and well written. Sephy seems to be able to make friends in hell rather quickly, especially with Lucifer.
Naturally, realizing your father, Lord of the Underworld, wants nothing to do with you, other citizens of Mortaria would like to know how your presence will affect the present and the future. Naturally the Fates are involved, and a few unexpected mythological figures as well.
Join Sephy as she journeys through life in the Underworld, only coming up for air when her business is finished, and the threat on her life has been contained. Losing her former self, and discovering who she truly is, and what connections she has in the afterlife. As she steps through the portal to hell, she leaves her old life, a flickering flame waiting to ignite. As she discovers her true purpose and identity, Sephy becomes a force to be reckoned with.
To be honest- I am too excited writing this review to even feel like I gave this book the justice it deserves. Kristy Nicolle is the REAL force to be reckoned with. From start to finish, the reader is able to tell that everything, no seriously, EVERYTHING has been well thought out. The detail that is put into the descriptions, body language, actions, is overwhelmingly stimulating. I usually struggle trying to match descriptions to quotes and post on my Instagram account. Not the case here. I was overwhelmed, and literally had to space out my IG posts just to keep from spamming my friends with bookish posts.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I HIGHLY suggest reading “The Opal Blade” by Kristy Nicolle. I would say it’s for a “mature” audience, however I will NEVER put an age limit on where mature starts (I’m still bitter from an incident in 4th grade when my teacher told me I was “too young for a book” I was reading- reading well in fact!). I will fully admit I have left A LOT out of this review- on purpose. I don’t enjoy reading spoilers, I don’t enjoy starting to read a review and slowly realizing they are spoiling the book for me. I don’t do that- that’s not classy. I would hope that if you are into mythology of ANY kind, be it, Greek, Egyptian, what have you, and you love a fantastic fictional cross over, you have to give this book a try. And if the story line doesn’t pull you in, then the author’s pure level of snark surely will. I don’t often find myself saying this, but I am now on a mission to have an entire shelf devoted to this author- with signed books. I’ll even be as bold to say this is one author I would absolutely love to meet.
October 13, 2017
Best book I've read this year!
I loved everything about this book!!! I adored Sephy as the main character. I literally only put it down when I was at work. The gods, the supernatural creatures, the demons, and the world of Hades were all I love in a story and Kristy Nicole brought it all to life in a fabulous tale that will leave you wanting more! And the ending is completely unexpected! Definitely a 5 star read!!!!
I loved everything about this book!!! I adored Sephy as the main character. I literally only put it down when I was at work. The gods, the supernatural creatures, the demons, and the world of Hades were all I love in a story and Kristy Nicole brought it all to life in a fabulous tale that will leave you wanting more! And the ending is completely unexpected! Definitely a 5 star read!!!!
February 21, 2025
I was asked to read and review this trilogy by Kristy, in preparation for her 10th tie-in novel, but am under no obligation to give it a favorable review if I didn't like it. I'm so happy that I did! Urban Fantasy with a well-done slow burn romance is my favorite genre, and this one did not disappoint.
The Opal Blade is the first novel in the Ashen Touch trilogy, one of her three crossover trilogies that will culminate into a 10th and final novel. It's set between Chicago, and Haedes' Underworld and features a number of Greek, Egyption, and Roman Mythological characters, including Haedes, Cerberus, Anubis, Pandora, Lucifer (who happens to be a woman,) and more.
Persephone (Sephy) Sinclair is a human, or at least she thinks so, turns out, she's actually a demi-goddess, as she's the daughter of Haedes and a human mother. She's unwilling heiress to an enormous fortune and frankly, is a bit of a spoiled brat, and sassy AF, although likeable, which is not possible without great writing. Upon inheriting her billions, she gains a new body guard, Xion.
She's attacked in her home during a business meeting by banshees, unleashed by Pandora, who is intent on killing her, in a bid to get Mortaria (The Underworld) back into possession of the demons who used to rule, before Haedes took over to basically run it in a less torturous, more businesslike model where Sinners can work off their sins in order to ascend out of the Underworld. Zeus and Poseidon are not his biggest fans. The sudden attack unleashes Sephy's (uncontrolled) power over the Eternal Flame, a genetic gift from Haedes, that she was unaware she possessed.
Once it becomes evident to Luficer (Luce) that Sephy is, in fact, the daughter of Haedes, she's summoned to the underworld to meet the Fates (also sassy AF) and find out what debt of her father's (except not her father...) she must settle. She meets Haedes, who is definitely an unwilling parent, who spends all of his time drinking, dancing to Thriller, and... doing other things. The rest of the book is a combination of unwilling bonding between Haedes and Sephy, as he teaches her how to control the Eternal Flame, plotting by Pandora to have Sephy killed (which sees Sephy in a giant coliseum being attacked by a dozen different demons,) after she's kidnapped under Haedes' nose and Sephy's badassery manifesting into serious power. There is so much plotting between various Titans and demi-gods to get Mortaria back that I can see why this requires a trilogy (in such a good way!) The ending, without giving away anything, sees Xion and Haedes flying to Cairo, working together to get Sephy back from her latest misadventure with a mistake from her past that bites her in the butt. As this is the first in a trilogy, there is a massive amount of (well-done) world building, but it doesn't feel like an info dump.
There are some fabulous scenes between more minor characters; Luce, who basically functions as Haedes' sassy parent/BFF- by all means, he needs someone to keep him in line, and her lover, Thanatos in the Underworld, and Jules, Sephy's loveable British earthly butler, her Alfred, if you will, when she's in Chicago.
Overall I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, and can't wait to finish the other two before I move on to the other 2 trilogies. The writing is very well done, mature- more reminiscent of the OG Urban Fantasy writers like Karen Marie Moning, rather than young and immature when it comes to vocabulary and phrasing like SJM and her popular ACOTAR series. (Not a dig at ACOTAR, but Gen X and elder Milennial readers will appreciate the difference.)
Based on my criteria, this is a 5 star read. I'd happily re-read it, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy, mythology and lore, along with sassy, spitfire FMCs who can take care of themselves and aren't in need of a knight in shining armor.
The Opal Blade is the first novel in the Ashen Touch trilogy, one of her three crossover trilogies that will culminate into a 10th and final novel. It's set between Chicago, and Haedes' Underworld and features a number of Greek, Egyption, and Roman Mythological characters, including Haedes, Cerberus, Anubis, Pandora, Lucifer (who happens to be a woman,) and more.
Persephone (Sephy) Sinclair is a human, or at least she thinks so, turns out, she's actually a demi-goddess, as she's the daughter of Haedes and a human mother. She's unwilling heiress to an enormous fortune and frankly, is a bit of a spoiled brat, and sassy AF, although likeable, which is not possible without great writing. Upon inheriting her billions, she gains a new body guard, Xion.
She's attacked in her home during a business meeting by banshees, unleashed by Pandora, who is intent on killing her, in a bid to get Mortaria (The Underworld) back into possession of the demons who used to rule, before Haedes took over to basically run it in a less torturous, more businesslike model where Sinners can work off their sins in order to ascend out of the Underworld. Zeus and Poseidon are not his biggest fans. The sudden attack unleashes Sephy's (uncontrolled) power over the Eternal Flame, a genetic gift from Haedes, that she was unaware she possessed.
Once it becomes evident to Luficer (Luce) that Sephy is, in fact, the daughter of Haedes, she's summoned to the underworld to meet the Fates (also sassy AF) and find out what debt of her father's (except not her father...) she must settle. She meets Haedes, who is definitely an unwilling parent, who spends all of his time drinking, dancing to Thriller, and... doing other things. The rest of the book is a combination of unwilling bonding between Haedes and Sephy, as he teaches her how to control the Eternal Flame, plotting by Pandora to have Sephy killed (which sees Sephy in a giant coliseum being attacked by a dozen different demons,) after she's kidnapped under Haedes' nose and Sephy's badassery manifesting into serious power. There is so much plotting between various Titans and demi-gods to get Mortaria back that I can see why this requires a trilogy (in such a good way!) The ending, without giving away anything, sees Xion and Haedes flying to Cairo, working together to get Sephy back from her latest misadventure with a mistake from her past that bites her in the butt. As this is the first in a trilogy, there is a massive amount of (well-done) world building, but it doesn't feel like an info dump.
There are some fabulous scenes between more minor characters; Luce, who basically functions as Haedes' sassy parent/BFF- by all means, he needs someone to keep him in line, and her lover, Thanatos in the Underworld, and Jules, Sephy's loveable British earthly butler, her Alfred, if you will, when she's in Chicago.
Overall I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, and can't wait to finish the other two before I move on to the other 2 trilogies. The writing is very well done, mature- more reminiscent of the OG Urban Fantasy writers like Karen Marie Moning, rather than young and immature when it comes to vocabulary and phrasing like SJM and her popular ACOTAR series. (Not a dig at ACOTAR, but Gen X and elder Milennial readers will appreciate the difference.)
Based on my criteria, this is a 5 star read. I'd happily re-read it, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy, mythology and lore, along with sassy, spitfire FMCs who can take care of themselves and aren't in need of a knight in shining armor.
July 4, 2025
Kristy Nicolle’s “The Opal Blade” is the first book in The Ashen Touch Trilogy, and it introduces us to our main character, the snarky, sassy demi-goddess Persephone “Sephy” Sinclair, a young woman who discovers that she is not mortal as she’d always assumed, but is in fact the daughter of Haedes.
First of all, I want to say that I absolutely adored Sephy. She was such a breath of fresh air; she was so different from the heroines I usually read about because she was absolutely and unapologetically herself, and I loved that about her. Sephy didn’t care what anyone thought about her, and her confidence was inspiring.
My other two favorite characters in this book were Xion, Sephy’s brooding and protective half-demon bodyguard/protector/love interest, and Luce, aka Lucifer, who was a dear friend of Sephy’s father, Haedes, a sort of mother figure to Xion, and someone who was very powerful/had a lot of sway down in Mortaria.
Kristy Nicolle is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, mostly because I can’t help falling in love with these worlds she creates! I’m already addicted to this series with just one book, so I will absolutely be reading book two to find out what happens next, especially after that cliffhanger of an ending. I highly recommend!
First of all, I want to say that I absolutely adored Sephy. She was such a breath of fresh air; she was so different from the heroines I usually read about because she was absolutely and unapologetically herself, and I loved that about her. Sephy didn’t care what anyone thought about her, and her confidence was inspiring.
My other two favorite characters in this book were Xion, Sephy’s brooding and protective half-demon bodyguard/protector/love interest, and Luce, aka Lucifer, who was a dear friend of Sephy’s father, Haedes, a sort of mother figure to Xion, and someone who was very powerful/had a lot of sway down in Mortaria.
Kristy Nicolle is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, mostly because I can’t help falling in love with these worlds she creates! I’m already addicted to this series with just one book, so I will absolutely be reading book two to find out what happens next, especially after that cliffhanger of an ending. I highly recommend!
May 6, 2025
Well, this was a refreshing take on underworld fantasy!
We had slowburn demon bodyguard romance, Greek/Egyptian mythology, underworld action scenes, daughter uniting with her unknown father, and tons of drama between gods/titans/demigods, etc. and their intertwined family dynamics.
Sephy, our main character, was an absolute firecracker! She was strong and opinionated. She asserted herself unabashedly. Ditto to all for her true father. The author did a great job of painting a descriptive picture so we could visualize this expansive world and the diverse characters. Lucifer (Luce), being an elegant poised woman, was one of my favourites! Haedes was also played in what I found to be a more comical and lighthearted (than typical) way that I enjoyed.
I can't wait to see what happens next for Xion and Sephy and the drama continuing to unfold for these gods/goddesses.
Thank you to the author for this ARC in exchange for a review prior to the 10th installment being released.
We had slowburn demon bodyguard romance, Greek/Egyptian mythology, underworld action scenes, daughter uniting with her unknown father, and tons of drama between gods/titans/demigods, etc. and their intertwined family dynamics.
Sephy, our main character, was an absolute firecracker! She was strong and opinionated. She asserted herself unabashedly. Ditto to all for her true father. The author did a great job of painting a descriptive picture so we could visualize this expansive world and the diverse characters. Lucifer (Luce), being an elegant poised woman, was one of my favourites! Haedes was also played in what I found to be a more comical and lighthearted (than typical) way that I enjoyed.
I can't wait to see what happens next for Xion and Sephy and the drama continuing to unfold for these gods/goddesses.
Thank you to the author for this ARC in exchange for a review prior to the 10th installment being released.
June 18, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
The Opal Blade was a refreshing take on mythology, blending Greek and Egyptian influences in a way that felt both original and immersive. The worldbuilding is rich, and the lore adds depth without overwhelming the story. I really enjoyed the character development that several of the characters undergo and the found family dynamics—they gave the story a strong emotional core.
The plot twist near the end paired with the cliffhanger has me excited to continue the series!
The Opal Blade was a refreshing take on mythology, blending Greek and Egyptian influences in a way that felt both original and immersive. The worldbuilding is rich, and the lore adds depth without overwhelming the story. I really enjoyed the character development that several of the characters undergo and the found family dynamics—they gave the story a strong emotional core.
The plot twist near the end paired with the cliffhanger has me excited to continue the series!
October 13, 2017
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and truthfully can’t wait for more! This book had so much action and adventure! This book grabbed me from page one and wouldn’t let me put it down! I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and truthfully can’t wait for more! This book had so much action and adventure! This book grabbed me from page one and wouldn’t let me put it down! I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series!
March 5, 2025
This was my first book by Kristy Nicolle. Overall, I thought the book had a very interesting and fresh take on the Haedes and Persephone retelling. So many have repeated the same story, but Kristy Nicolle does not by any means. I truly enjoyed how Persephone was Haedes daughter in this retelling of the story as well as the system for the underworld. Having the idea of redemption and cosmic balance was a great turn of events. I loved Kristy’s take in general on Greek mythology.
I genuinely enjoyed the book and thought it was a good read. I would definitely recommend it to friends. With that being said this didn’t really make me feel anything if that makes sense. It was a fun read with amazing characters and I am so excited for the next book to see where the story goes especially after the major twist that I never saw coming.
All in all, if you want a fun and quirky take on Greek mythology then Kristy is your girl!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
(🖕🏻 brad)
I genuinely enjoyed the book and thought it was a good read. I would definitely recommend it to friends. With that being said this didn’t really make me feel anything if that makes sense. It was a fun read with amazing characters and I am so excited for the next book to see where the story goes especially after the major twist that I never saw coming.
All in all, if you want a fun and quirky take on Greek mythology then Kristy is your girl!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
(🖕🏻 brad)
October 28, 2017
Hell. An overwritten subject. Sinners and penance, gods, demons, portals, demi-gods. . .all over done. At least that’s what I thought. Usually the books I get a kick out of reading feel like the same story with the words rearranged, and towards the end I can’t tell them apart anyways.
This year I have branched out and tried to read more indie authors- the underdogs, the not-so-well-known. One thing I’ve learned this year (even though the year isn’t up yet!) is that I was LESS disappointed with indie authors than I was my regular authors. I won’t go into TOO much detail in this review, but look out later for an Op-Ed post indie vs. well read.
This is my first go at a Kristy Nicolle book, and I was NOT disappointed. Upon finishing “The Opal Blade” I quickly learned that Nicolle has an entire other series already published that has a bit of a cross over with “The Opal Blade”. While I have not read the Tidal Kiss trilogy, I can openly say you do not NEED to read it to understand “The Opal Blade”.
Meet Persephone Sinclair- heiress to her father’s legacy in which she feels hesitant to accept. Most people wouldn’t turn down a family fortune, but Sephy feels reluctant to because of her parent’s death and the responsibility that comes with signing on the dotted line. She belongs out on the town, wild and free with no baggage holding her down. With a love ’em and leave ’em kind of attitude, Sephy’s seemingly only friend in the world is Jules, the butler as well as Cerb, her faithful and loyal leonberger. Being wild and free has it’s consequences. In hopes of not tarnishing the Sinclair name, Peter, Sephy’s uncle, decides to hire a body guard to keep her out of trouble. None too pleased, Sephy continues being her absolute self in hopes of embarrassing Xion (bodyguard) enough to leave well enough alone.
What she isn’t prepared for is braving the heartache her parent’s death has left her in and figuring out where her place in the world really is.
Xion takes Sephy through the portal (on her parent’s property I may add!) to hell. I would like to tell you that every detail is morbid, or even romanticized (usually the only two ends of the spectrum that are hit), but Nicolle steps up to the plate and makes hell completely her own. There a quite a few gender swaps, which are deviously amazing and well written. Sephy seems to be able to make friends in hell rather quickly, especially with Lucifer.
Naturally, realizing your father, Lord of the Underworld, wants nothing to do with you, other citizens of Mortaria would like to know how your presence will affect the present and the future. Naturally the Fates are involved, and a few unexpected mythological figures as well.
Join Sephy as she journeys through life in the Underworld, only coming up for air when her business is finished, and the threat on her life has been contained. Losing her former self, and discovering who she truly is, and what connections she has in the afterlife. As she steps through the portal to hell, she leaves her old life, a flickering flame waiting to ignite. As she discovers her true purpose and identity, Sephy becomes a force to be reckoned with.
To be honest- I am too excited writing this review to even feel like I gave this book the justice it deserves. Kristy Nicolle is the REAL force to be reckoned with. From start to finish, the reader is able to tell that everything, no seriously, EVERYTHING has been well thought out. The detail that is put into the descriptions, body language, actions, is overwhelmingly stimulating. I usually struggle trying to match descriptions to quotes and post on my Instagram account. Not the case here. I was overwhelmed, and literally had to space out my IG posts just to keep from spamming my friends with bookish posts.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I HIGHLY suggest reading “The Opal Blade” by Kristy Nicolle. I would say it’s for a “mature” audience, however I will NEVER put an age limit on where mature starts (I’m still bitter from an incident in 4th grade when my teacher told me I was “too young for a book” I was reading- reading well in fact!). I will fully admit I have left A LOT out of this review- on purpose. I don’t enjoy reading spoilers, I don’t enjoy starting to read a review and slowly realizing they are spoiling the book for me. I don’t do that- that’s not classy. I would hope that if you are into mythology of ANY kind, be it, Greek, Egyptian, what have you, and you love a fantastic fictional cross over, you have to give this book a try. And if the story line doesn’t pull you in, then the author’s pure level of snark surely will. I don’t often find myself saying this, but I am now on a mission to have an entire shelf devoted to this author- with signed books. I’ll even be as bold to say this is one author I would absolutely love to meet.
This year I have branched out and tried to read more indie authors- the underdogs, the not-so-well-known. One thing I’ve learned this year (even though the year isn’t up yet!) is that I was LESS disappointed with indie authors than I was my regular authors. I won’t go into TOO much detail in this review, but look out later for an Op-Ed post indie vs. well read.
This is my first go at a Kristy Nicolle book, and I was NOT disappointed. Upon finishing “The Opal Blade” I quickly learned that Nicolle has an entire other series already published that has a bit of a cross over with “The Opal Blade”. While I have not read the Tidal Kiss trilogy, I can openly say you do not NEED to read it to understand “The Opal Blade”.
Meet Persephone Sinclair- heiress to her father’s legacy in which she feels hesitant to accept. Most people wouldn’t turn down a family fortune, but Sephy feels reluctant to because of her parent’s death and the responsibility that comes with signing on the dotted line. She belongs out on the town, wild and free with no baggage holding her down. With a love ’em and leave ’em kind of attitude, Sephy’s seemingly only friend in the world is Jules, the butler as well as Cerb, her faithful and loyal leonberger. Being wild and free has it’s consequences. In hopes of not tarnishing the Sinclair name, Peter, Sephy’s uncle, decides to hire a body guard to keep her out of trouble. None too pleased, Sephy continues being her absolute self in hopes of embarrassing Xion (bodyguard) enough to leave well enough alone.
What she isn’t prepared for is braving the heartache her parent’s death has left her in and figuring out where her place in the world really is.
Xion takes Sephy through the portal (on her parent’s property I may add!) to hell. I would like to tell you that every detail is morbid, or even romanticized (usually the only two ends of the spectrum that are hit), but Nicolle steps up to the plate and makes hell completely her own. There a quite a few gender swaps, which are deviously amazing and well written. Sephy seems to be able to make friends in hell rather quickly, especially with Lucifer.
Naturally, realizing your father, Lord of the Underworld, wants nothing to do with you, other citizens of Mortaria would like to know how your presence will affect the present and the future. Naturally the Fates are involved, and a few unexpected mythological figures as well.
Join Sephy as she journeys through life in the Underworld, only coming up for air when her business is finished, and the threat on her life has been contained. Losing her former self, and discovering who she truly is, and what connections she has in the afterlife. As she steps through the portal to hell, she leaves her old life, a flickering flame waiting to ignite. As she discovers her true purpose and identity, Sephy becomes a force to be reckoned with.
To be honest- I am too excited writing this review to even feel like I gave this book the justice it deserves. Kristy Nicolle is the REAL force to be reckoned with. From start to finish, the reader is able to tell that everything, no seriously, EVERYTHING has been well thought out. The detail that is put into the descriptions, body language, actions, is overwhelmingly stimulating. I usually struggle trying to match descriptions to quotes and post on my Instagram account. Not the case here. I was overwhelmed, and literally had to space out my IG posts just to keep from spamming my friends with bookish posts.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I HIGHLY suggest reading “The Opal Blade” by Kristy Nicolle. I would say it’s for a “mature” audience, however I will NEVER put an age limit on where mature starts (I’m still bitter from an incident in 4th grade when my teacher told me I was “too young for a book” I was reading- reading well in fact!). I will fully admit I have left A LOT out of this review- on purpose. I don’t enjoy reading spoilers, I don’t enjoy starting to read a review and slowly realizing they are spoiling the book for me. I don’t do that- that’s not classy. I would hope that if you are into mythology of ANY kind, be it, Greek, Egyptian, what have you, and you love a fantastic fictional cross over, you have to give this book a try. And if the story line doesn’t pull you in, then the author’s pure level of snark surely will. I don’t often find myself saying this, but I am now on a mission to have an entire shelf devoted to this author- with signed books. I’ll even be as bold to say this is one author I would absolutely love to meet.
April 2, 2025
The Opal Blade is the first book in The Ashen Touch trilogy, a retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth with a unique spin. I appreciated the Greek mythology setting and the creative twists the author incorporated. However, as the first installment in a trilogy, some elements felt underdeveloped or rushed.
Overall, I liked the characters and their interactions. Their emotions and actions were well contextualized within the story, making them feel more grounded. The writing is highly descriptive, which helps build the atmosphere, though at times, it leans into repetition. The pacing is slow, and the romance unfolds gradually. While I usually enjoy slow-burn romances, the moment when the main characters finally get together felt rushed—almost as if it was squeezed in to set up book two.
The world-building was a strong point, particularly the time spent in the Underworld. The way we discover bits and pieces alongside the FMC, through her dialogues with other characters, made it engaging. While the setting was well-developed, it wasn’t particularly original—it draws heavily from Greek mythology and other depictions of the Underworld and infernal beings.
As for the FMC, she undergoes some character growth by the end, but for most of the book, she remains reactive rather than proactive. Her first instinct is always anger, with logic coming as an afterthought in nearly every situation. This made her character arc feel somewhat stagnant for a large portion of the book.
The antagonists, unfortunately, were one-dimensional. They are demons, the bad guys, and they act as such in every circumstance. Their single driving force is their goal, and beyond that, there isn’t much depth or complexity to them. Given how much time the book spends on their plotting, I was hoping for more layers to their motivations or conflicts.
What ultimately led me to rate this book three stars was the handling of the main plot. The first half focuses on the FMC discovering her true background and powers, while the second half shifts to her survival in the Underworld. Throughout, there's a consistent underlying conflict: the antagonists plotting to kidnap the FMC and force her father to return what was once theirs. A significant portion of the book is dedicated to these villains and their schemes, but when the resolution comes, it’s abrupt and unsatisfying. The FMC escapes, and suddenly, the antagonists are no longer a concern—no retaliation, no real consequences, just a rapid shift to the romance and setup for book two. It left me wondering if I had missed something.
While the premise and early chapters intrigued me, the rushed conclusion dulled my enthusiasm. I’ll continue with book two, but I hope the author either leans fully into the romance or fully into the action, rather than trying to balance both without fully developing either.
Overall, I liked the characters and their interactions. Their emotions and actions were well contextualized within the story, making them feel more grounded. The writing is highly descriptive, which helps build the atmosphere, though at times, it leans into repetition. The pacing is slow, and the romance unfolds gradually. While I usually enjoy slow-burn romances, the moment when the main characters finally get together felt rushed—almost as if it was squeezed in to set up book two.
The world-building was a strong point, particularly the time spent in the Underworld. The way we discover bits and pieces alongside the FMC, through her dialogues with other characters, made it engaging. While the setting was well-developed, it wasn’t particularly original—it draws heavily from Greek mythology and other depictions of the Underworld and infernal beings.
As for the FMC, she undergoes some character growth by the end, but for most of the book, she remains reactive rather than proactive. Her first instinct is always anger, with logic coming as an afterthought in nearly every situation. This made her character arc feel somewhat stagnant for a large portion of the book.
The antagonists, unfortunately, were one-dimensional. They are demons, the bad guys, and they act as such in every circumstance. Their single driving force is their goal, and beyond that, there isn’t much depth or complexity to them. Given how much time the book spends on their plotting, I was hoping for more layers to their motivations or conflicts.
What ultimately led me to rate this book three stars was the handling of the main plot. The first half focuses on the FMC discovering her true background and powers, while the second half shifts to her survival in the Underworld. Throughout, there's a consistent underlying conflict: the antagonists plotting to kidnap the FMC and force her father to return what was once theirs. A significant portion of the book is dedicated to these villains and their schemes, but when the resolution comes, it’s abrupt and unsatisfying. The FMC escapes, and suddenly, the antagonists are no longer a concern—no retaliation, no real consequences, just a rapid shift to the romance and setup for book two. It left me wondering if I had missed something.
While the premise and early chapters intrigued me, the rushed conclusion dulled my enthusiasm. I’ll continue with book two, but I hope the author either leans fully into the romance or fully into the action, rather than trying to balance both without fully developing either.
October 5, 2017
Do you like fantasy stories that yank the emotions right out of you? Then run out and buy this book! Wait! Even better, go download it right now! This book is my favourite story from Kristy Nicolle to date. It follows 4 characters through some pretty heavy situations and we get to see and feel everything they do. Sephy (do not call me Persephone) Sinclaire is a bad ass heroine with firey red hair and an attitude to match. Xion is the bad boy who wants to be oh so good. Luce has a bad rap but a good heart. Pandora is filled with rage but also patience - strange bedfellows to be sure.
All of these characters change and grow throughout the story very well. With each glimpse into their psyche we see more and more of their complex make-up. They seem like real people with real human (or God like) emotions. This is a testament to Kristy Nicolle's talent as a writer. Kirsty must have taken great care to give each of her characters a tremendous backstory, I do not think they would have felt as real otherwise.
Kristy also excels at world building and I was not disappointed with the Opal Blade. Kristy was able to make Mortaria feel like a real place. Her descriptions of the buildings and environment made the world live in my imagination. What I like most about Kirsty's world building is how it flows. We don't just get a description of the city all at once. Each time one of the characters travels throughout the city we get to experience a little more. We get to see the city through their eyes and it makes it more interesting and real. Regular people are not able to focus on everything all at one time, they pick out details and focus on them. Sephy and the others discover their cities much like I would discover London, New York or any other large city. Your eyes are drawn to certain things and it isn't until later you see all the other details. I think it is a fantastic and natural way to explore your environment and Kirsty excels at this type of writing.
Just a small heads up for those people who have read the Tidal Kiss Triology - there is more sexual content in this story. Personally, I think it adds to the story; it helps to define the mental state of some of the characters, Haedes for example. Just be forewarned if you were going to give this to a younger individual.
Overall I loved this book - you should go buy it right now! I hope you love it too.
Oh FYI I did receive an ARC for an honest review but I have also pre-ordered it because I believe in supporting great artists.
All of these characters change and grow throughout the story very well. With each glimpse into their psyche we see more and more of their complex make-up. They seem like real people with real human (or God like) emotions. This is a testament to Kristy Nicolle's talent as a writer. Kirsty must have taken great care to give each of her characters a tremendous backstory, I do not think they would have felt as real otherwise.
Kristy also excels at world building and I was not disappointed with the Opal Blade. Kristy was able to make Mortaria feel like a real place. Her descriptions of the buildings and environment made the world live in my imagination. What I like most about Kirsty's world building is how it flows. We don't just get a description of the city all at once. Each time one of the characters travels throughout the city we get to experience a little more. We get to see the city through their eyes and it makes it more interesting and real. Regular people are not able to focus on everything all at one time, they pick out details and focus on them. Sephy and the others discover their cities much like I would discover London, New York or any other large city. Your eyes are drawn to certain things and it isn't until later you see all the other details. I think it is a fantastic and natural way to explore your environment and Kirsty excels at this type of writing.
Just a small heads up for those people who have read the Tidal Kiss Triology - there is more sexual content in this story. Personally, I think it adds to the story; it helps to define the mental state of some of the characters, Haedes for example. Just be forewarned if you were going to give this to a younger individual.
Overall I loved this book - you should go buy it right now! I hope you love it too.
Oh FYI I did receive an ARC for an honest review but I have also pre-ordered it because I believe in supporting great artists.
March 13, 2022
There are so many incredible elements that make this book, this story, a pure work of art. I have finished reading last night and I am still under the full impression of just how much this story blew me away.
Starting with the characters, the amazing and unique take on personalities and traits of mythological Gods presented in this book adds an entirely new, unexpected and fun dimension to this story. The ever present perfect blend of serious/comedic relief moments tied in with very relatable, raw and realistic characters mixed in with a meticulously developed web of complex themes of this universe coupled with stunning world building elevated this read to an entirely new and different level.
The plot is extremely gripping from the very start as the character introduction kicks off with a very dynamic theme, only to build up and become more and more interesting from that point. The pacing never feels slow nor too fast, the storyline development was on point in every single chapter, that by the end of each, it always leaves one needing more.
I would say that the definite highlight of this story is also the ability of the author to completely blindside the reader with unpredictable twists and turns throughout the book, that can't leave anyone indifferent to them, in fact, quite the opposite, they invoke very strong emotions which is one of the definite strong points of this amazing work and directly consequential to the fact that the author has superb character development writing capabilities.
Overall I can't wait to get started on the sequels since after finishing the first book, my expectations have now been set to be extremely high, and I don't have a single doubt in my mind that they will be fulfilled.
Truly amazing read, pure 5/5 rating and warmly reccomended!
Starting with the characters, the amazing and unique take on personalities and traits of mythological Gods presented in this book adds an entirely new, unexpected and fun dimension to this story. The ever present perfect blend of serious/comedic relief moments tied in with very relatable, raw and realistic characters mixed in with a meticulously developed web of complex themes of this universe coupled with stunning world building elevated this read to an entirely new and different level.
The plot is extremely gripping from the very start as the character introduction kicks off with a very dynamic theme, only to build up and become more and more interesting from that point. The pacing never feels slow nor too fast, the storyline development was on point in every single chapter, that by the end of each, it always leaves one needing more.
I would say that the definite highlight of this story is also the ability of the author to completely blindside the reader with unpredictable twists and turns throughout the book, that can't leave anyone indifferent to them, in fact, quite the opposite, they invoke very strong emotions which is one of the definite strong points of this amazing work and directly consequential to the fact that the author has superb character development writing capabilities.
Overall I can't wait to get started on the sequels since after finishing the first book, my expectations have now been set to be extremely high, and I don't have a single doubt in my mind that they will be fulfilled.
Truly amazing read, pure 5/5 rating and warmly reccomended!
November 3, 2017
Marvin Gaye summons demons!
No seriously though, you'll get the joke when ya read the book!
Also, this is a pretty much spoiler free review!
Anywho, on to the actual book itself!
I really, REALLY want this book to be turned into a tv show. Yes, truly. At first, I was unsure of Selphy because she is thst stereotypical trustfund brat party girl.
But..big BUT here, you get to watch her grow through the obstacles she faces. Her character develops wonderfully through the book and you will love her. Xion is right there helping her along too. Being not a dutiful bodyguard but a trusted friend and maybe something more?
This book is written from multipe points of view also which may seem daunting at first but you get to picture what each character is going through, not just a he said/she said. You get ro aee how each interacts and how things are perceived from their own thoughts which makes you see the pivture is much larger than 1 heiress and her bodyguard. Kristy nailed it by writing in this style so we as readers can have a fuller idea formed in ours heads as we devour page by page of this book.
Bravo Kristy Nicolle on not just another fantastic read but on creating a new universe of characters for readers to enjoy.
She also helps create emotions you were NOT prepared for. Annoyance to characters who can't be happy (c'mon you have a daughter!), giddiness at what will happen (Marvin freakin Gaye), shock at an unexpected multiple (WTH IS HE DOING BACK?!) and evem an immediate gut wrenching (knife wrenching even) moment that makes you want to yell, throw your kindle, cry and just stop to figure out why all at once(crimson on white 😭😭).
And seriously...someone please pitch this as a tv series to like HBO or something. I NEED more of this series!
No seriously though, you'll get the joke when ya read the book!
Also, this is a pretty much spoiler free review!
Anywho, on to the actual book itself!
I really, REALLY want this book to be turned into a tv show. Yes, truly. At first, I was unsure of Selphy because she is thst stereotypical trustfund brat party girl.
But..big BUT here, you get to watch her grow through the obstacles she faces. Her character develops wonderfully through the book and you will love her. Xion is right there helping her along too. Being not a dutiful bodyguard but a trusted friend and maybe something more?
This book is written from multipe points of view also which may seem daunting at first but you get to picture what each character is going through, not just a he said/she said. You get ro aee how each interacts and how things are perceived from their own thoughts which makes you see the pivture is much larger than 1 heiress and her bodyguard. Kristy nailed it by writing in this style so we as readers can have a fuller idea formed in ours heads as we devour page by page of this book.
Bravo Kristy Nicolle on not just another fantastic read but on creating a new universe of characters for readers to enjoy.
She also helps create emotions you were NOT prepared for. Annoyance to characters who can't be happy (c'mon you have a daughter!), giddiness at what will happen (Marvin freakin Gaye), shock at an unexpected multiple (WTH IS HE DOING BACK?!) and evem an immediate gut wrenching (knife wrenching even) moment that makes you want to yell, throw your kindle, cry and just stop to figure out why all at once(crimson on white 😭😭).
And seriously...someone please pitch this as a tv series to like HBO or something. I NEED more of this series!
April 11, 2020
The Opal Blade - a review by Rosemary Kenny
A fascinating mixture of ancient Greek and Egyptian deities along with the denizens of the Underworld, is brought to life in a new way, in The Opal Blade, Book 1 in Kristy Nicolle's delightful trilogy, The Ashen Touch.
In this reality, Persephone ('Sephy'), is Haedes' daughter, by Demi Sinclair, a human, (rather than his 'part-time' wife/Goddess of Spring and Rebirth and daughter of Demeter, the Goddess of Fertility and the Harvest).
Living a life of irresponsible hedonism, she's occasionally overwhelmed (in her dreams), by guilt at the deaths of her human parents, but never for long enough to let it get in the way of the high life she enjoys, while her Uncle Peter runs the family business and nags her to settle down and face her responsibilities with no success.
The secret enemy who plots against Haedes, (having seen how he and Sephy, a demi-goddess, with her true father's powers of fire and limited teleportation) have bonded is none other than Pandora, whose infamous Box here enables her to create fiery portals just by thinking of a destination.
What is Pandora's nefarious plot? Whose help does she enlist?
Who is Xion and who is his mother?
When does he forget his mission - and what happens as a result?
A comprehensibly alternate dimension, (with narrative by the MC in each section of this exciting new book, by the amazing Kristy Nicolle) is expertly crafted, in such a way that adults and teens alike will be thrilled and swept away, by a combination of fantasy and derring-do, with elements of A Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings and much more.
Get your copy of The Opal Blade and be sure that you won't think of the horrors of Covid-19, for as long as you're within its magical myths and realms!
A fascinating mixture of ancient Greek and Egyptian deities along with the denizens of the Underworld, is brought to life in a new way, in The Opal Blade, Book 1 in Kristy Nicolle's delightful trilogy, The Ashen Touch.
In this reality, Persephone ('Sephy'), is Haedes' daughter, by Demi Sinclair, a human, (rather than his 'part-time' wife/Goddess of Spring and Rebirth and daughter of Demeter, the Goddess of Fertility and the Harvest).
Living a life of irresponsible hedonism, she's occasionally overwhelmed (in her dreams), by guilt at the deaths of her human parents, but never for long enough to let it get in the way of the high life she enjoys, while her Uncle Peter runs the family business and nags her to settle down and face her responsibilities with no success.
The secret enemy who plots against Haedes, (having seen how he and Sephy, a demi-goddess, with her true father's powers of fire and limited teleportation) have bonded is none other than Pandora, whose infamous Box here enables her to create fiery portals just by thinking of a destination.
What is Pandora's nefarious plot? Whose help does she enlist?
Who is Xion and who is his mother?
When does he forget his mission - and what happens as a result?
A comprehensibly alternate dimension, (with narrative by the MC in each section of this exciting new book, by the amazing Kristy Nicolle) is expertly crafted, in such a way that adults and teens alike will be thrilled and swept away, by a combination of fantasy and derring-do, with elements of A Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings and much more.
Get your copy of The Opal Blade and be sure that you won't think of the horrors of Covid-19, for as long as you're within its magical myths and realms!
April 25, 2025
If you haven’t discovered Kristy Nicolle, then this is a great book to start with! The Opal Blade is the first book of The Ashen Touch trilogy, a Persephone/Haedes story with some unique modern twists. The world building around this story was so well written I had a complete picture in my mind of what the underworld would be like, and the beings you’d find living there.
I honestly can’t remember the last book I physically laughed out loud while reading. The banter and sass from FMC Sephy with the rest of the cast was non stop from the very start. Immediately I fell in love with her self confidence and the beautiful relationship with her butler Jules warmed my heart. As the story progressed I couldn't help but be all in on Sephy’s journey as she unravelled a strength within herself she knew she had deep down all along. The tension between her and bodyguard Xion was a slow burn I didn’t know I needed and the development of his character and relationship with other characters in the book added good depth to the story. However when I met Haedes in this tale, I was done. Hilariously unhinged and totally unpredictable, Haedes' character was by far my favourite and the development of his relationship to Sephy was so well crafted.
The ending of the book completely shocked me to the core, I absolutely did not see that one coming. It’s lucky that there is no time to wait for the next installment because I am absolutely going to dive straight into it. If you are looking for a series that will have you totally immersed and giggling non-stop at quick witted banter, you have to give this one a go. I haven’t even finished the trilogy and I think this will be up there with some of the best books I’ve read, not just this year, but ever!
I honestly can’t remember the last book I physically laughed out loud while reading. The banter and sass from FMC Sephy with the rest of the cast was non stop from the very start. Immediately I fell in love with her self confidence and the beautiful relationship with her butler Jules warmed my heart. As the story progressed I couldn't help but be all in on Sephy’s journey as she unravelled a strength within herself she knew she had deep down all along. The tension between her and bodyguard Xion was a slow burn I didn’t know I needed and the development of his character and relationship with other characters in the book added good depth to the story. However when I met Haedes in this tale, I was done. Hilariously unhinged and totally unpredictable, Haedes' character was by far my favourite and the development of his relationship to Sephy was so well crafted.
The ending of the book completely shocked me to the core, I absolutely did not see that one coming. It’s lucky that there is no time to wait for the next installment because I am absolutely going to dive straight into it. If you are looking for a series that will have you totally immersed and giggling non-stop at quick witted banter, you have to give this one a go. I haven’t even finished the trilogy and I think this will be up there with some of the best books I’ve read, not just this year, but ever!
June 6, 2018
Sephy Sinclair is a spoiled heiress who just wants to relax and have fun after getting her degree. Her life becomes complicated when she finds an opal blade and gains strange powers. After defeating a terrifying wolf-creature, she is taken to the underworld, where she meets her father. She is in danger though, and attempts are constantly being made on her life. Will she ever be safe? Will she ever find herself?
I am not well-versed with mythology, so the universe of this book was a little overwhelming at times. There are so many characters to know! So many concepts and realms! Some of the names were vaguely familiar, and some of them were much different than expected (for example, Lucifer is female). The world building in this book is very well done. It's clearly a very rich universe, and I know I will enjoy becoming more familiar with the characters (even if I don't completely understand everything now.)
The characters make this book shine. Sephy starts out as a fairly unlikable character (she lives to drink, party, and hook up with random guys, and she avoids all responsibility as the heir to the Sinclair fortune) but she shows tremendous character growth throughout the story. Her personality makes more sense once we meet Hades, who is a truly entertaining character. I also enjoyed seeing how his character evolved after meeting Sephy. Both Xion and Jules are solid as a rock and very dependable. Lucifer was one of my favorites because she cares so much. I'll be intererested to learn more about her and Thane.
This is an exciting story with some nice twists! Mythology readers will enjoy this take on the gods, demi-gods, and titans!
I am not well-versed with mythology, so the universe of this book was a little overwhelming at times. There are so many characters to know! So many concepts and realms! Some of the names were vaguely familiar, and some of them were much different than expected (for example, Lucifer is female). The world building in this book is very well done. It's clearly a very rich universe, and I know I will enjoy becoming more familiar with the characters (even if I don't completely understand everything now.)
The characters make this book shine. Sephy starts out as a fairly unlikable character (she lives to drink, party, and hook up with random guys, and she avoids all responsibility as the heir to the Sinclair fortune) but she shows tremendous character growth throughout the story. Her personality makes more sense once we meet Hades, who is a truly entertaining character. I also enjoyed seeing how his character evolved after meeting Sephy. Both Xion and Jules are solid as a rock and very dependable. Lucifer was one of my favorites because she cares so much. I'll be intererested to learn more about her and Thane.
This is an exciting story with some nice twists! Mythology readers will enjoy this take on the gods, demi-gods, and titans!
October 17, 2017
The Opal Blade is Book One in The Ashen Touch Trilogy, and Boy can I not wait for book two. Author Kristy Nicolle has wrapped me in darkness and left me craving more and more of the intense Infiniverse she has created.
Sephy Sinclair is heir to an enormous fortune, and head of a company she doesn't really want to run. She is reckless and just wants to live her life.
What Sephy doesn't know is the secrets her parents kept from her, and shes about to find out the hard way.
Join Sephy and her guardian Xion as they travel through the Underworld and meet Gods, Titans, DemiGods and some pretty evil dudes. The author has created another fantastic world where you truly are immersed, and invested in the characters. Her words grant a vivid imagery of your surroundings throughout the entire book, and while there are always questions, there is plenty of information to keep you satisfied until the next book.
The characters are so developed you feel as if they are someone who could easily be your best friend, and others your worst enemies. A world you want to jump into and live in because these characters are just so intense.
It was no question I was going to read this book in one sitting. I devoured it, word by word, and page by page. "One more chapter" turned into "oh man i need to be up in an hour" as i finished the last page. I regret nothing :P
I highly recommend this book, and any by the author really, because her worlds are just what I'm looking for when I need to get lost in a good book.
Sephy Sinclair is heir to an enormous fortune, and head of a company she doesn't really want to run. She is reckless and just wants to live her life.
What Sephy doesn't know is the secrets her parents kept from her, and shes about to find out the hard way.
Join Sephy and her guardian Xion as they travel through the Underworld and meet Gods, Titans, DemiGods and some pretty evil dudes. The author has created another fantastic world where you truly are immersed, and invested in the characters. Her words grant a vivid imagery of your surroundings throughout the entire book, and while there are always questions, there is plenty of information to keep you satisfied until the next book.
The characters are so developed you feel as if they are someone who could easily be your best friend, and others your worst enemies. A world you want to jump into and live in because these characters are just so intense.
It was no question I was going to read this book in one sitting. I devoured it, word by word, and page by page. "One more chapter" turned into "oh man i need to be up in an hour" as i finished the last page. I regret nothing :P
I highly recommend this book, and any by the author really, because her worlds are just what I'm looking for when I need to get lost in a good book.
October 18, 2017
My favorite book I've read so far this year! This was such an unexpected and exciting story, and it blindsided me in so many ways! I don't know what I expected when I walked into it, but it far exceeded anything I could have imagined.
Sephy Sinclair is a strong, stubborn, passionate and tenacious heroine, everything that I want to see in a female lead character. She has so much fight and determination, and is haunted by not only her personal demons but apparently some real demons, also. It doesn't take long for her to find out why she has all of this fun and adventure in her life. Then, Xion enters the picture, there to guard her as she faces her responsibilities on earth and guide her into the Hollows for sanctuary and to discover her birthright. But everything is not as it seems. Those who are trusted may be the ones who should be trusted the least. And those who are not trusted could be the ones to change the world as we see it.
Honestly, I this entire story, its premise and its characters, was so much more than mind-blowing. The characters were so full and complete that I couldn't even hate the bad guys. They were staggeringly well-developed and the world this author built were absolutely stunning, both with such a three dimensional brilliance that reading this story was like stepping into a completely other world. And that ending still has me shaken. I am looking forward, on so many levels, to seeing where she takes this story. With this fantastic beginning, the rest of the story is going to be epic!
Sephy Sinclair is a strong, stubborn, passionate and tenacious heroine, everything that I want to see in a female lead character. She has so much fight and determination, and is haunted by not only her personal demons but apparently some real demons, also. It doesn't take long for her to find out why she has all of this fun and adventure in her life. Then, Xion enters the picture, there to guard her as she faces her responsibilities on earth and guide her into the Hollows for sanctuary and to discover her birthright. But everything is not as it seems. Those who are trusted may be the ones who should be trusted the least. And those who are not trusted could be the ones to change the world as we see it.
Honestly, I this entire story, its premise and its characters, was so much more than mind-blowing. The characters were so full and complete that I couldn't even hate the bad guys. They were staggeringly well-developed and the world this author built were absolutely stunning, both with such a three dimensional brilliance that reading this story was like stepping into a completely other world. And that ending still has me shaken. I am looking forward, on so many levels, to seeing where she takes this story. With this fantastic beginning, the rest of the story is going to be epic!
April 8, 2025
Persephone "Sephy" Sinclair is a rich, sarcastic princess. Sephy comes back home after graduating from Oxford University. Her butler, Jules, looks after her needs and caters to her every whim. Her Uncle Peter is insistent on her signing the papers to take over her father's business, but Sephy doesn't want to be tied to a board room. Sephy wants to live her life. Hanging out with her Leonberger, Cerb, and riding her Percheron, Nightshade, as well as partying hard at the club every night and bringing home a different guy every night, is how Sephy wants to spend her time. Then there's Xion. The new security guard her uncle hired for her. After giving in and signing the papers to take her responsibility and then finding an opal blade that she unknowingly absorbed powers from, she is attacked by banshees. Only Sephy thinks they're giant feral wolves. She doesn't believe Xion when he tells her that she is Haedes' daughter. A daughter that Haedes didn't know he had. Xion takes Sephy to the Underworld and introduces her to Haedes. She also meets Lucifer "Luce", Thane and others that she had no idea existed. Sephy learns about a prophecy about her and seemingly Xion. Then there's Pandora and the demon lords. Pandora has a grudge against Zeus and wants to use Haedes to get back at him. Pandora convinces the demon lords they need to use Sephy to get to Haedes, and so they kidnap Sephy. Instead of Haedes coming to her rescue, with the help of Luce, Thane and Xion, Sephy basically rescues herself with an infusion of some power from Haedes. All's well that ends well. Or is it?
July 9, 2025
Sometimes, having to deal with others is just a great annoyance to your sanity.
When I saw certain elements in the first two chapters, I had already made an assumption about the plotline of the book. Of course, I was delightfully surprised to find out I was mistaken. Not to spoil anything, of course, but it's one of the more trope elements that I haven't encountered much or at all—so it felt refreshing to the eyes.
That aside, I'm going to praise the wordbuilding, the characters, and most importantly, Kristy's literary style. She wrote her characters in such a clean way that, while seeing who they are, you are aware that isn't everything. There's more as you dig deep. The worldbuilding is majestic, having touched upon mythology encompassing more than simply Greek—we have Hinduism, Egyptian mythology, and even Mexican elements. As a person heavily invested in mythology, seeing all these names and concepts come to life is just a well-loved gift.
My favorite aspect of the entire book is the humor. It hit so close to my regular humor that, honestly, it made reading through the book all the more exciting. I love characters with sarcastic quips and side comments, but how these characters came to life making quips I would've in their situation is a cherry on top.
The book finishes a whole arc on its own, ending somewhere that easily leads up to the next part of the saga. A very exciting read, please, please, please, read it.
When I saw certain elements in the first two chapters, I had already made an assumption about the plotline of the book. Of course, I was delightfully surprised to find out I was mistaken. Not to spoil anything, of course, but it's one of the more trope elements that I haven't encountered much or at all—so it felt refreshing to the eyes.
That aside, I'm going to praise the wordbuilding, the characters, and most importantly, Kristy's literary style. She wrote her characters in such a clean way that, while seeing who they are, you are aware that isn't everything. There's more as you dig deep. The worldbuilding is majestic, having touched upon mythology encompassing more than simply Greek—we have Hinduism, Egyptian mythology, and even Mexican elements. As a person heavily invested in mythology, seeing all these names and concepts come to life is just a well-loved gift.
My favorite aspect of the entire book is the humor. It hit so close to my regular humor that, honestly, it made reading through the book all the more exciting. I love characters with sarcastic quips and side comments, but how these characters came to life making quips I would've in their situation is a cherry on top.
The book finishes a whole arc on its own, ending somewhere that easily leads up to the next part of the saga. A very exciting read, please, please, please, read it.
October 6, 2017
I have been trying to come to terms with this story ending for the past hour.yind has been so blown that I'm afraid that I will just end up writing jibberish. Here goes. Everytime I read a Kristy Nicolle novel I feel like it is her best work ever and this is no different. Every line, every nuance holds a greater meaning. There were tie-ins to her previous works, some obvious and some much more subtle. It almost became a treasure hunt to find them all. As for the characters: I wanted so badly to be Sephy. She is such a strong independent characters with just the right amount of snark. The more I read the more I found myself identifying as Luce. Her unerring need to help, comfort, and mother those around her spoke to me on a personal level. Every character played an important role, even if it was just to help establish the personality and state of mind of another character. A portion at the end left me devestated. Though I suspect that was the point as I wasn't the only person devestated. Luckily, the others can do something about it. I now get to wait on bated breath for the next installment to find out not only what is happening in this trilogy, but also in the entire infiniverse.
October 12, 2017
I’ve read stories by Kristy Nicolle before, but The Opal Blade blows all those stories away. The Opal Blade follows the life of Persephone “Sephy” Sinclair, after the death of her parents she is forced to sign a contract to take over her father’s business empire, but that’s not the only can of worms signing the contract opens.
Sephy is loud, energetic and sarcastic. As the story unfolds, Sephy faces many truths about her past as well as information she never knew about herself. Xion is her newest security guard but he’s more than he seems. The relationship between the two is interesting, though both seem to hate each other and would rather be anywhere but in each other’s company when they are forced together because of circumstances.
I absolutely loved this story from start to finish. The writing was descriptive but without going into too much detail. Giving the reader the opportunity to imagine the world, especially the Underworld. I would highly recommend this story for those who enjoy the paranormal, steeped in ancient myth and magic.
I’m really excited for the next story in this series, which I believe comes out next year. I’d give it a strong 5 star!
Sephy is loud, energetic and sarcastic. As the story unfolds, Sephy faces many truths about her past as well as information she never knew about herself. Xion is her newest security guard but he’s more than he seems. The relationship between the two is interesting, though both seem to hate each other and would rather be anywhere but in each other’s company when they are forced together because of circumstances.
I absolutely loved this story from start to finish. The writing was descriptive but without going into too much detail. Giving the reader the opportunity to imagine the world, especially the Underworld. I would highly recommend this story for those who enjoy the paranormal, steeped in ancient myth and magic.
I’m really excited for the next story in this series, which I believe comes out next year. I’d give it a strong 5 star!
August 26, 2018
So after finishing Kristy's first trilogy about Mermaids I jumped straight into the start of this next trilogy, unsure what to expect. I was very intrigued and when I spoke about the book with other people I found that they would give me a lecture on Greek mythology. Even my husband seemed interested in what I was reading.
I love that once again we have a kick arse, take no crap, strong female lead. Sephy (Persephone) seems to take everything in her stride as she loses her parents and discovers that not only is there an underworld, but also she has links to that world. Kristy takes us on a journey to hell and back, we meet characters that we think we should know such as Lucifer and Hades, and yet the spin on the story that Kristy has written is really enjoyable. What I enjoy about these books is that they go beyond your expectations, each setting is described perfectly so that you can really immerse yourself into the scene, each character is individual and unique and well written. I also enjoyed discovering that each chapter is named after a song, it links in perfectly with the story and the characters.
Whilst the story does move away from traditional mythology (Persephone was actually Hades wife) it feels modern and fresh. Its engaged my interest and the ending has left me wanting more.
I love that once again we have a kick arse, take no crap, strong female lead. Sephy (Persephone) seems to take everything in her stride as she loses her parents and discovers that not only is there an underworld, but also she has links to that world. Kristy takes us on a journey to hell and back, we meet characters that we think we should know such as Lucifer and Hades, and yet the spin on the story that Kristy has written is really enjoyable. What I enjoy about these books is that they go beyond your expectations, each setting is described perfectly so that you can really immerse yourself into the scene, each character is individual and unique and well written. I also enjoyed discovering that each chapter is named after a song, it links in perfectly with the story and the characters.
Whilst the story does move away from traditional mythology (Persephone was actually Hades wife) it feels modern and fresh. Its engaged my interest and the ending has left me wanting more.
April 28, 2025
I received an advanced reader copy of this trilogy. This story had a huge amount of potential with demon lords, Demigods, Gods, and a plethora of other types of characters. I absolutely LOVE Greek mythology so I was so excited to five into this book with such a rich background stemming partially from that. unfortunately while I enjoyed Sephy, Luce, Xion, and Haedes I felt like there was no real way to develop any single character because the POV jumped so frequently. There is also a huge amount of over description throughout the book. it felt like every piece of architecture, furniture, carpet color, clothing, facial expression etc was described multiple times and exhaustively. I am all for description of it helps the story or world building but I found myself struggling and re-reading many pages because I zoned out halfway through another tedious description of the "bottle green runner" and other room descriptions. based on this and some word choices errors I don't know if I will read the next book in the trilogy.
May 23, 2025
Meet Sephy, an absolutely unabashed woman who is a force in her own right. She is an heiress to a major fortune, and her whole world is turned upside down when she finds out what it really means to take control of her family's diamond business.
Sounds normal, right?
Absolutely not. This story is not your normal Haedes and Persephone retelling, which was refreshing to read. You will find hilarious banter, amazing world building, great characters that really sell this whole world and story to you on a silver platter. Lots of twists and turns that will leave you pondering life afterward.
Sephy is not a perfect main character. She has literally and figuratively been to hell and back, so she is going through her own personal journey right alongside the actual mythological journey as well. I really think you do have to read her journey in full to get the whole picture, dont give up on her!
I was lucky enough to receive an arc of this amazing novel and am leaving a review of my own thoughts and feelings.
Sounds normal, right?
Absolutely not. This story is not your normal Haedes and Persephone retelling, which was refreshing to read. You will find hilarious banter, amazing world building, great characters that really sell this whole world and story to you on a silver platter. Lots of twists and turns that will leave you pondering life afterward.
Sephy is not a perfect main character. She has literally and figuratively been to hell and back, so she is going through her own personal journey right alongside the actual mythological journey as well. I really think you do have to read her journey in full to get the whole picture, dont give up on her!
I was lucky enough to receive an arc of this amazing novel and am leaving a review of my own thoughts and feelings.
July 9, 2025
The Opal Blade by Kristy Nicolle (@authorkristynicolle)
——
When Sephy Sinclair is forced to take over her father's business empire, she's not happy. What she doesn't know is that she's about to discover her lineage is steeped far deeper in ancient myth than she ever anticipated, putting her at risk in ways she cannot begin to imagine.
Sephy's true parentage does not stay secret for long though, as Pandora, a vengeful ex-Titan with all the power of a rare Othrysian portal box, sees an opportunity to take her revenge.
Can Xion, Sephy's demon halfling bodyguard, keep her safe without getting too close as they flee across Mortaria? And more importantly, can Sephy outrun Pandora and her lineage, or will she have to risk it all and take a final stand with powers she doesn't fully understand?
—-
Thank you for letting me arc read this beautiful well written book! I really appreciate it! If you are a huge fan of Gods, Goddesses, etc this book is for you! I definitely give this book a five out five stars! I loved it!
——
When Sephy Sinclair is forced to take over her father's business empire, she's not happy. What she doesn't know is that she's about to discover her lineage is steeped far deeper in ancient myth than she ever anticipated, putting her at risk in ways she cannot begin to imagine.
Sephy's true parentage does not stay secret for long though, as Pandora, a vengeful ex-Titan with all the power of a rare Othrysian portal box, sees an opportunity to take her revenge.
Can Xion, Sephy's demon halfling bodyguard, keep her safe without getting too close as they flee across Mortaria? And more importantly, can Sephy outrun Pandora and her lineage, or will she have to risk it all and take a final stand with powers she doesn't fully understand?
—-
Thank you for letting me arc read this beautiful well written book! I really appreciate it! If you are a huge fan of Gods, Goddesses, etc this book is for you! I definitely give this book a five out five stars! I loved it!
June 27, 2025
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in The Opal Blade. It takes so many pieces of mythology you think you already know and flips them around in fresh, sometimes brutal ways. The setting is vivid, layered, and easy to get lost in.
The characters are all over the spectrum—some you’ll absolutely love, some you’ll hate with a passion. Sephy and Xion have an incredible slow burn that kept me invested the whole time. And Haedes? He’s such a great mix of unbothered humor and hidden depth—definitely a standout for me.
I won’t spoil anything, but there were a few moments that had me side-eyeing certain characters hard, waiting for them to finally get what they deserve. And there are still a lot of questions about how certain events were even possible, which I hope the rest of the series digs into.
If you love Greek mythology with a dark twist, slow-burn tension, and a big cast of morally gray immortals, definitely give this one a try. I’m excited to see where the trilogy goes from here.
The characters are all over the spectrum—some you’ll absolutely love, some you’ll hate with a passion. Sephy and Xion have an incredible slow burn that kept me invested the whole time. And Haedes? He’s such a great mix of unbothered humor and hidden depth—definitely a standout for me.
I won’t spoil anything, but there were a few moments that had me side-eyeing certain characters hard, waiting for them to finally get what they deserve. And there are still a lot of questions about how certain events were even possible, which I hope the rest of the series digs into.
If you love Greek mythology with a dark twist, slow-burn tension, and a big cast of morally gray immortals, definitely give this one a try. I’m excited to see where the trilogy goes from here.
March 2, 2020
Review of The Opal Blade by Kristy Nicolle
5 stars
Kristy Nicolle has done it again! I don’t give out 5 stars easily and she has snagged another one from me! The Opal Blade starts out with a very spoiled rich girl, Sephy. She hides behind her snarky and quick-witted attitude. At first, I was thrilled about this character. It was a breath of fresh air having a woman MC taking up characteristics that you see in most male MC’s, example-rich, cocky, womanizing man whore. So to have a female character do that it was different. Then I started to not like Sephy. Her attitude got old, her nighttime antics got old, she seriously came across as a spoiled rich girl. However, in my eyes, she fully redeems herself and becomes a loveable character. She’s a bad ass hero that doesn’t need saving. I loved her friendship with Xion. He was like the Ying to Sephy’s Yang. They insult each other perfectly. I really loved the world the Author built in this book. I’ve always loved Greek mythology so as soon as I knew it was about the underworld I was intrigued. Her take on it was way different than anything I’ve ever read before and it sucked me in! I love how she didn’t make “hell” this crazy damned place. She made it where you can repent and still move on. You weren’t damned for eternity like everyone believes. The characters and this world just went together perfectly. Oh, and I can’t forget about Haedes. Omg, I think I’m in love! I really love this character and can’t wait for more of him in book 2. What can I say I’ve always loved the bad boys. Throughout the entire book, you were questioning everyone's motives. Are they sincere? Are they trustworthy? Is so and so going to betray Sephy. It was seriously written so perfectly, and you didn't know what was coming next. The twist at the end surprised me! I did not see it coming at all. It really set the pace for the next novel and I really can’t wait to dig in. I would highly recommend this book to everyone! Like seriously go pick it up right now!
Reviewed by Admin Jenna
5 stars
Kristy Nicolle has done it again! I don’t give out 5 stars easily and she has snagged another one from me! The Opal Blade starts out with a very spoiled rich girl, Sephy. She hides behind her snarky and quick-witted attitude. At first, I was thrilled about this character. It was a breath of fresh air having a woman MC taking up characteristics that you see in most male MC’s, example-rich, cocky, womanizing man whore. So to have a female character do that it was different. Then I started to not like Sephy. Her attitude got old, her nighttime antics got old, she seriously came across as a spoiled rich girl. However, in my eyes, she fully redeems herself and becomes a loveable character. She’s a bad ass hero that doesn’t need saving. I loved her friendship with Xion. He was like the Ying to Sephy’s Yang. They insult each other perfectly. I really loved the world the Author built in this book. I’ve always loved Greek mythology so as soon as I knew it was about the underworld I was intrigued. Her take on it was way different than anything I’ve ever read before and it sucked me in! I love how she didn’t make “hell” this crazy damned place. She made it where you can repent and still move on. You weren’t damned for eternity like everyone believes. The characters and this world just went together perfectly. Oh, and I can’t forget about Haedes. Omg, I think I’m in love! I really love this character and can’t wait for more of him in book 2. What can I say I’ve always loved the bad boys. Throughout the entire book, you were questioning everyone's motives. Are they sincere? Are they trustworthy? Is so and so going to betray Sephy. It was seriously written so perfectly, and you didn't know what was coming next. The twist at the end surprised me! I did not see it coming at all. It really set the pace for the next novel and I really can’t wait to dig in. I would highly recommend this book to everyone! Like seriously go pick it up right now!
Reviewed by Admin Jenna
September 17, 2024
Sephy wants absolutely nothing to do with responsibility. Fresh out of graduate school, the last thing she wants to do is tie herself to her family’s massive corporation, heir to the proverbial throne or not. But fate has a way of stepping in at the oddest of times…
And if fate left a hunky, built, Greek god of a man at my door, claiming to be my bodyguard, I would not have objected as much as her!
Ok I think this is by far my favorite of the saga so far! I have always loved a good Hades x Persephone retelling, but this was such a refreshing take on the concept and I really loved it!!
Sephy is so incredibly fiesty despite her relatively laidback nature, and I really love that personality pairing. And matched with Xion’s kind of brute like yet stand off-ish behavior, they really are an excellent coupling.
I’m excited to see where this storyline goes given the ending, but I’m hoping our characters can figure something out to save the day:)
And if fate left a hunky, built, Greek god of a man at my door, claiming to be my bodyguard, I would not have objected as much as her!
Ok I think this is by far my favorite of the saga so far! I have always loved a good Hades x Persephone retelling, but this was such a refreshing take on the concept and I really loved it!!
Sephy is so incredibly fiesty despite her relatively laidback nature, and I really love that personality pairing. And matched with Xion’s kind of brute like yet stand off-ish behavior, they really are an excellent coupling.
I’m excited to see where this storyline goes given the ending, but I’m hoping our characters can figure something out to save the day:)
June 29, 2025
Persephone Sinclair, Aris to her father’s legacy that she is hesitant to accept, because of her parents, death and the responsibilities. With a love, Wild and Free type of personality. Because of that wild and carefree persona, her uncle hires, a bodyguard. Persephone be gradually keeps on going not wanting a bodyguard. She continues being herself with the hopes of embarrassing XION her bodyguard. XION takes Persephone to hell through the portal. Where she makes friends rather quickly, especially Lucifer and finds of her true bloodlines her legacy. Journeys through the underworld. As she steps through the portal, she discovered herself and powers leaving her old life behind so fun to see her grow. Love Stephy and the gods and the supernatural creatures. I absolutely ate this book up and 100% recommend.
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