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Pennyblade
A sharp-tongued disgraced-noble-turned-mercenary has to stop the world collapsing into chaos in this gripping, savagely funny epic fantasy packed with unforgettable characters, for fans of Joe Abercrombie.
Exile. Mercenary. Lover. Monster. Pennyblade.
Kyra Cal’Adra has spent the last four years on the Main, living in exile from her home, her people, her lover and her past. A highblood commrach—the ancient race of the Isle, dedicated to tradition and the perfection of the blood—she’s welcome among the humans of the Main only for the skill of her rapier, her preternatural bladework. They don't care which of the gleaming towers she came from, nor that her grandmother is matriarch of one of Corso’s most powerful families.
But on the main, women loving women is a sin punishable by death. Kyra is haunted by the ghost of Shen, the love of her life, a lowblood servant woman whom Kyra left behind as she fled the Isle.
When a simple contract goes awry, and her fellow pennyblades betray her, Kyra is set onto a collision course with her old life, and the age-old conflict between the Main and the Isle threatens to erupt once more.
Exile. Mercenary. Lover. Monster. Pennyblade.
Kyra Cal’Adra has spent the last four years on the Main, living in exile from her home, her people, her lover and her past. A highblood commrach—the ancient race of the Isle, dedicated to tradition and the perfection of the blood—she’s welcome among the humans of the Main only for the skill of her rapier, her preternatural bladework. They don't care which of the gleaming towers she came from, nor that her grandmother is matriarch of one of Corso’s most powerful families.
But on the main, women loving women is a sin punishable by death. Kyra is haunted by the ghost of Shen, the love of her life, a lowblood servant woman whom Kyra left behind as she fled the Isle.
When a simple contract goes awry, and her fellow pennyblades betray her, Kyra is set onto a collision course with her old life, and the age-old conflict between the Main and the Isle threatens to erupt once more.
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2022
32 people are currently reading
1165 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Worrad
7 books25 followersJames Luke Worrad lives in Leicester, England, and has for almost all his life. He has a degree in classical studies from Lampeter University, Wales. He has found this invaluable to his growth as a science fiction and fantasy writer in that he soon discovered how varied and peculiar human cultures can be. In 2011 James attended Clarion, an SF workshop held at the University of California, San Diego. He's had short stories published by Daily Science Fiction, Flurb, Newcon Press and Obverse Books. He also writes screen plays for short films, one of which- Flawless- won the Seven/Five Film Festival Award and was selected for both the Cannes and NYC Independent film festivals. (It was also screened at CERN, home of the Large Hadron Collider). He runs the Fantasy & Science Fiction Salon group on Facebook. He also works a nightshift at a small hotel, an occupation that never leaves him short of material.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
December 22, 2021
I received an ARC from the publisher, to which I am very grateful... because I loved this book!
Pennyblade is the story of Kyra, a commrach (elf), a murderer, a thief, and a mercenary. It tells the tale of her past, how and why she left her ancestral home, and also her present struggles against betrayal, organised religious persecution, and a plot that ties her past and present together. It's also a love story. One more thing it is is dark, gritty, and unflinching. I'd not hesitate to call it Grimdark.
I'll give a quick warning right here, there is swearing, sex, and violence in this book. Also sex. And some sex. It's a theme, but one that's well used.
Pennyblade reminded me of the Grey Bastards by Jonathan French in more ways than one. It has a similar feel to it, the same dark wit around the prose. It also has the same creative re-imagining of a classic fantasy species. In the Grey Bastards, it was orcs. In Pennyblade, it's elves. And the new take on them is fascinating, and unlike any I've read before.
Told in 1st person from Kyra's point of view, it's easy to fall into. She's charismatic, fun, dangerous. And her growth throughout the book is wonderful to experience.
So there we go. My final read of 2021, and I ended the year on a high. I loved this book and happily give it 4 stars!
Pennyblade is the story of Kyra, a commrach (elf), a murderer, a thief, and a mercenary. It tells the tale of her past, how and why she left her ancestral home, and also her present struggles against betrayal, organised religious persecution, and a plot that ties her past and present together. It's also a love story. One more thing it is is dark, gritty, and unflinching. I'd not hesitate to call it Grimdark.
I'll give a quick warning right here, there is swearing, sex, and violence in this book. Also sex. And some sex. It's a theme, but one that's well used.
Pennyblade reminded me of the Grey Bastards by Jonathan French in more ways than one. It has a similar feel to it, the same dark wit around the prose. It also has the same creative re-imagining of a classic fantasy species. In the Grey Bastards, it was orcs. In Pennyblade, it's elves. And the new take on them is fascinating, and unlike any I've read before.
Told in 1st person from Kyra's point of view, it's easy to fall into. She's charismatic, fun, dangerous. And her growth throughout the book is wonderful to experience.
So there we go. My final read of 2021, and I ended the year on a high. I loved this book and happily give it 4 stars!
March 6, 2022
An ARC of this book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan for the opportunity to review this book.
Trigger warning I discuss rape in this review. Rape doesn't occur in the book (or at least it didn't by 70%) but the scene I discuss can be extremely triggering. Apologies for the delay in adding this warning.
I DNFed at 70% when I got to a point where I felt like I was a peeping tom in a man's wet dream rather than reading a fantasy book with erotic or vulgar elements. The vulgarity was not the issue for me, and you're welcome to check what books I've 4 or 5 starred previously to see the truth of that.
The issue for me is that this was very clearly written by a man, there is a distinct lack of a female voice. That's not to say that men cannot write female characters, nor that they shouldn't try. What I am saying is that Worrad, is specifically bad at it. It also isn’t about femininity, I want to emphasise that. It’s the lack of a woman’s perspective of the world around her and her experiences. When discussing what women of their race are forced to undergo during marriage, the emphasis is on their limited sexual appetite afterward. While Kyra is indeed very driven by sexual impulses, I find it difficult to believe that a female writer would not have commented on the gender inequalities.
This is particular evident in a scene that occurred right before I stopped reading. The females of Kyra's race, the commrach, go into heat at a certain time of the year. During this period they become little better than desperate animals, desperate to touched, to have sex - you get the idea. Even worse, they have this horrible mating call. This mating season doesn't come up once, but twice in the book, because once wasn't enough, apparently. First, it happens to Kyra, and she is tortured by the church to endure it without release.
The scene that takes place at 70% was even worse. The novel alternates between flashbacks between current time on the main land, and Kyra's time on her native Isle. On the Isle during heat groups of young unmarried women are escorted through the city by post-menopausal and asexual guards to attend a play (something to do with their race's traditions). They are not allowed to have release until after the play. So a group of desperate, vulnerable in heat young women are escorted through a city, a city which is teeming with men who react to them in heat and want to rape them. The guards have to actually kill the males to stop them reaching the women.
This isn't vulgarity. It's someone's wet dream, and it's extremely demeaning. I'm pretty sure if this was reversed and men were the ones in heat this wouldn't be about "vulgarity".
Despite having a lesbian protagonist everything in Pennyblade is about sex, but it comes via the male perspective of the author. Kyra’s appetite never feels like it comes from a female one, and I say this as a bi woman, not a straight one. She is constantly thrusting her hips at people... but why? This is a male gesture because men have something to thrust. Yes, women can use strap-ons, however, Kyra never uses one (as of 70% anyway), she has one used on her. Likewise, during a sword fight she holds her rapier up and makes a joke about how "size does matter". Umm.. what? Women don't generally make size jokes (unless we're specifically talking about a man's penis) like that because we don't have anything to measure. The whole concept of measuring is again, a male thought process.
Again, it’s not about femininity, it’s about the male gaze vs the female gaze and I constantly felt like I was reading a male gaze through a female body. Like a male gamer playing a female avatar in a video game. The author tries to bury this feeling in Kyra’s alienness, she’s not human after all. But it fails miserably.
There are also two worrying disability representations in this book. There is a woman, Poppi, with an intellectual disability, who exists just to be physically, emotionally and sexually abused. There's also the sister who has a stutter and suffers from muscle spasms. As I DNFed at 70% I didn't learn her full story, and I didn't want to. She was beginning to be portrayed as a sadistic bigot, and seeing a disabled character portrayed in that way was too much.
Trigger warning I discuss rape in this review. Rape doesn't occur in the book (or at least it didn't by 70%) but the scene I discuss can be extremely triggering. Apologies for the delay in adding this warning.
I DNFed at 70% when I got to a point where I felt like I was a peeping tom in a man's wet dream rather than reading a fantasy book with erotic or vulgar elements. The vulgarity was not the issue for me, and you're welcome to check what books I've 4 or 5 starred previously to see the truth of that.
The issue for me is that this was very clearly written by a man, there is a distinct lack of a female voice. That's not to say that men cannot write female characters, nor that they shouldn't try. What I am saying is that Worrad, is specifically bad at it. It also isn’t about femininity, I want to emphasise that. It’s the lack of a woman’s perspective of the world around her and her experiences. When discussing what women of their race are forced to undergo during marriage, the emphasis is on their limited sexual appetite afterward. While Kyra is indeed very driven by sexual impulses, I find it difficult to believe that a female writer would not have commented on the gender inequalities.
This is particular evident in a scene that occurred right before I stopped reading. The females of Kyra's race, the commrach, go into heat at a certain time of the year. During this period they become little better than desperate animals, desperate to touched, to have sex - you get the idea. Even worse, they have this horrible mating call. This mating season doesn't come up once, but twice in the book, because once wasn't enough, apparently. First, it happens to Kyra, and she is tortured by the church to endure it without release.
The scene that takes place at 70% was even worse. The novel alternates between flashbacks between current time on the main land, and Kyra's time on her native Isle. On the Isle during heat groups of young unmarried women are escorted through the city by post-menopausal and asexual guards to attend a play (something to do with their race's traditions). They are not allowed to have release until after the play. So a group of desperate, vulnerable in heat young women are escorted through a city, a city which is teeming with men who react to them in heat and want to rape them. The guards have to actually kill the males to stop them reaching the women.
This isn't vulgarity. It's someone's wet dream, and it's extremely demeaning. I'm pretty sure if this was reversed and men were the ones in heat this wouldn't be about "vulgarity".
Despite having a lesbian protagonist everything in Pennyblade is about sex, but it comes via the male perspective of the author. Kyra’s appetite never feels like it comes from a female one, and I say this as a bi woman, not a straight one. She is constantly thrusting her hips at people... but why? This is a male gesture because men have something to thrust. Yes, women can use strap-ons, however, Kyra never uses one (as of 70% anyway), she has one used on her. Likewise, during a sword fight she holds her rapier up and makes a joke about how "size does matter". Umm.. what? Women don't generally make size jokes (unless we're specifically talking about a man's penis) like that because we don't have anything to measure. The whole concept of measuring is again, a male thought process.
Again, it’s not about femininity, it’s about the male gaze vs the female gaze and I constantly felt like I was reading a male gaze through a female body. Like a male gamer playing a female avatar in a video game. The author tries to bury this feeling in Kyra’s alienness, she’s not human after all. But it fails miserably.
There are also two worrying disability representations in this book. There is a woman, Poppi, with an intellectual disability, who exists just to be physically, emotionally and sexually abused. There's also the sister who has a stutter and suffers from muscle spasms. As I DNFed at 70% I didn't learn her full story, and I didn't want to. She was beginning to be portrayed as a sadistic bigot, and seeing a disabled character portrayed in that way was too much.
June 7, 2022
ARC provided by Edelweiss
This is going to be a polarising book. The main character is selfish, headstrong and even slightly misogynistic, despite being a woman and a lesbian. If you find that an impossible contradiction, may I refer you to the diaries of Anne Lister - an interesting historical figure who documented her conquests in graphic detail as she serially seduced the daughters of the local gentry. In fact, reading her diaries, you could be forgiven for thinking they were written by a man - an eighteenth century rake. But I digress. Kyra, the protagonist, is an elf and as part of a set of fraternal twins, desires only women. By contrast, other elves are basically pan sexual. There is a lot of graphic sexual content in the book, often delivered in Kyra's cheerfully vulgar voice, because she is motivated by the chase. While this is generally perceived as a male trait amongst humans, it really isn't exclusively. In any case, this is grimdark fantasy and the elves are very clearly not human - and not the noble beings of light Tolkien introduced either!
Personally, I found this treatment of elves a piquant and refreshing change. I liked Kyra, despite her being thoroughly unlikeable. She was an awful person and she's only slightly less awful by the end of the book - although that character growth does happen. But we so rarely get to see a female Byronic hero, that this was a breath of fresh air. It was also interesting to me to see the elves' culture versus the human culture. Status is not dependant on gender amongst the elves and there are no great disparities in size and strength between males and females. Which makes sense of why the females would evolve to go into heat if you think about it. You can't say that elvish society is completely gender equal but it seems to be unequal in both directions, rather than devotedly against women.
The story is told in a dual timeline - Kyra as a mercenary on the mainland amongst humans, and Kyra in the past reflecting on what caused her to leave her people. No spoilers but it is actually surprisingly poignant for such an apparently hard hearted character. In addition, she clashes with the human sky religion which is basically fantasy christianity, and it's not all one way traffic. Kyra is dragged kicking and screaming into admitting there is good in it as well as cruelty. Sister Benidetta acts as an excellent foil for her, and is in no way perfect.
So overall, I really enjoyed this. It's a brutal piece of dark fantasy and yes maybe the MC is a lesbian written by a man, but it's done in such a way as to include some interesting observations, rather than entirely being about putting deposits in the w*nk bank. Considering the number of female writers who write two gay male characters for a female audience, or the PNR writers who use basically the same tropes just with fewer expletives, I think we could all be a bit less judgemental. And if Kyra isn't at least partly based on Anne Lister, I'll eat my hat!
This is going to be a polarising book. The main character is selfish, headstrong and even slightly misogynistic, despite being a woman and a lesbian. If you find that an impossible contradiction, may I refer you to the diaries of Anne Lister - an interesting historical figure who documented her conquests in graphic detail as she serially seduced the daughters of the local gentry. In fact, reading her diaries, you could be forgiven for thinking they were written by a man - an eighteenth century rake. But I digress. Kyra, the protagonist, is an elf and as part of a set of fraternal twins, desires only women. By contrast, other elves are basically pan sexual. There is a lot of graphic sexual content in the book, often delivered in Kyra's cheerfully vulgar voice, because she is motivated by the chase. While this is generally perceived as a male trait amongst humans, it really isn't exclusively. In any case, this is grimdark fantasy and the elves are very clearly not human - and not the noble beings of light Tolkien introduced either!
Personally, I found this treatment of elves a piquant and refreshing change. I liked Kyra, despite her being thoroughly unlikeable. She was an awful person and she's only slightly less awful by the end of the book - although that character growth does happen. But we so rarely get to see a female Byronic hero, that this was a breath of fresh air. It was also interesting to me to see the elves' culture versus the human culture. Status is not dependant on gender amongst the elves and there are no great disparities in size and strength between males and females. Which makes sense of why the females would evolve to go into heat if you think about it. You can't say that elvish society is completely gender equal but it seems to be unequal in both directions, rather than devotedly against women.
The story is told in a dual timeline - Kyra as a mercenary on the mainland amongst humans, and Kyra in the past reflecting on what caused her to leave her people. No spoilers but it is actually surprisingly poignant for such an apparently hard hearted character. In addition, she clashes with the human sky religion which is basically fantasy christianity, and it's not all one way traffic. Kyra is dragged kicking and screaming into admitting there is good in it as well as cruelty. Sister Benidetta acts as an excellent foil for her, and is in no way perfect.
So overall, I really enjoyed this. It's a brutal piece of dark fantasy and yes maybe the MC is a lesbian written by a man, but it's done in such a way as to include some interesting observations, rather than entirely being about putting deposits in the w*nk bank. Considering the number of female writers who write two gay male characters for a female audience, or the PNR writers who use basically the same tropes just with fewer expletives, I think we could all be a bit less judgemental. And if Kyra isn't at least partly based on Anne Lister, I'll eat my hat!
December 18, 2024
Pennyblade is a wonderful surprise, and I think the average rating should be much higher than it is. This book isn't for everyone, as the MC and general humor might not be to everyone's tastes. But for those who enjoy gallows humor, a generous helping of sexual acts, and lots of stabbing, then Pennyblade will make an excellent addition to your shelf.
Worrad writes with lean yet descriptive prose. He paints vivid pictures and evokes strong emotions from very few words, which is a wonderful and rare skill—especially in fantasy.
Kyra is a magnetic protagonist: fearless, sarcastic, noble-blooded, self-serving, and horny as hell. Her species, the Commarach, was invented by the author and borrows some traits from the traditional elven kind. But, there are many innovative features and history to the Commarach race, which I won't spoil. It is but a small piece of the vast world-building in this story.
I got the sense that in other writer's hands, the plot of this story would be covered across a trilogy. But Worrad wastes no time tearing through strong character development, religion, geography, architecture, and much more. I've seen other reviews comparing Worrad's writing to Joe Abercrombie's, and I agree - both authors excel at strong dialogue, quick changes in setting and plot, and wry humor.
A few years back, NetGalley had a copy of Pennyblade available for request before its release. I was granted a copy, but it was in PDF format, the text garbled and unreadable. I'm glad to have given this a second (well, first, really) chance. While I currently have a towering TBR, I'm not ready to leave this world or its characters so soon. "The Keep Within," Worrad's follow-up set in the same world as Pennyblade, has cut its way to the top of my reading list. Can't think of a better way to recommend this book than that.
Worrad writes with lean yet descriptive prose. He paints vivid pictures and evokes strong emotions from very few words, which is a wonderful and rare skill—especially in fantasy.
Kyra is a magnetic protagonist: fearless, sarcastic, noble-blooded, self-serving, and horny as hell. Her species, the Commarach, was invented by the author and borrows some traits from the traditional elven kind. But, there are many innovative features and history to the Commarach race, which I won't spoil. It is but a small piece of the vast world-building in this story.
I got the sense that in other writer's hands, the plot of this story would be covered across a trilogy. But Worrad wastes no time tearing through strong character development, religion, geography, architecture, and much more. I've seen other reviews comparing Worrad's writing to Joe Abercrombie's, and I agree - both authors excel at strong dialogue, quick changes in setting and plot, and wry humor.
A few years back, NetGalley had a copy of Pennyblade available for request before its release. I was granted a copy, but it was in PDF format, the text garbled and unreadable. I'm glad to have given this a second (well, first, really) chance. While I currently have a towering TBR, I'm not ready to leave this world or its characters so soon. "The Keep Within," Worrad's follow-up set in the same world as Pennyblade, has cut its way to the top of my reading list. Can't think of a better way to recommend this book than that.
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January 21, 2022**Please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book.**
This book was vulgar. I’m not squeamish about language, violence, or sex so what I mean is that I found the characters and their actions unlikable. This was a very rare DNF for me. My thanks to Titan Books via NetGalley.
This book was vulgar. I’m not squeamish about language, violence, or sex so what I mean is that I found the characters and their actions unlikable. This was a very rare DNF for me. My thanks to Titan Books via NetGalley.
February 28, 2022
DNF at 122 pages.
This is just not my cup of tea. I am by no means a prudish reader (why does saying that always make you sound prudish? I swear I'm not. Kushiel's Dart is one of my favourite books) but I just don't get this book. It's vulgarly sexual without being sexy, and the main character is coarse, violent, and sexually predatory without ever offering a glimmer of likeability - I genuinely thought it was intended as satire of outdated lusty-man fantasy protagonists for the first few chapters but it actually seems to be taking itself seriously. I feel pretty uncomfortable with a male author writing this kind of promiscuous, sex-obsessed, voyeuristic lesbian character, and pretty uncomfortable with the whole book so far. Not for me.
This is just not my cup of tea. I am by no means a prudish reader (why does saying that always make you sound prudish? I swear I'm not. Kushiel's Dart is one of my favourite books) but I just don't get this book. It's vulgarly sexual without being sexy, and the main character is coarse, violent, and sexually predatory without ever offering a glimmer of likeability - I genuinely thought it was intended as satire of outdated lusty-man fantasy protagonists for the first few chapters but it actually seems to be taking itself seriously. I feel pretty uncomfortable with a male author writing this kind of promiscuous, sex-obsessed, voyeuristic lesbian character, and pretty uncomfortable with the whole book so far. Not for me.
March 20, 2022
Often when fantasy stories involve elves they're portrayed as regal beings, ancient creatures whose society is so old and so wise that they look down upon humanity and see us as nothing more than savage children; it's the classic Tolkein elf. And whilst the elves in Pennyblade are ancient, are more advanced, and do look down upon humanity, we quickly learn that they are just as savage, just as decadent, and just as corrupt as us. And I absolutely loved it.
The story of Pennyblade is split across two different times, set a number of years apart, in a twisting narrative that follows Kyra Cal'Adra, a high born commrach. In the present day narrative Kyra is living on the mainland, the human territory. She's left her home to live on the road, travelling from one small town to the next putting her skills as a sword fighter to good use to become a pennyblade, a hired mercenary. We quickly learn that despite being good at her job she's hated by most of the people around her. People distrust her because she's a pennyblade, they hate her because she's not human, and they despise her because she loves women.
Kyra's been travelling with a small group of pennyblade's, taking work wherever they can find it; but when a simple mission to kill a man who's been coming to a small town, forcing the inhabitants to hand over women and girls to him for him to sleep with, goes wrong her life on the mainland is changed. Suddenly she's alone, unsure if she can trust anyone, and when she passes out from exhaustion running from an angry mob she wakes inside a local church. Unfortunately, the church didn't take her in out of the kindness of their heart. Instead, they plan to force Kyra to work for them. With no way to escape her captors, and with the threat of execution hanging over her head, Kyra's forced into even more danger.
Whilst reading this we also alternate between Kyra's past, to the time where she was still living on The Isle, the homeland of the commrach. Here we see a much different version of Kyra, where she lives a life of luxury with her twin brother Kyran as part of one of the ruling houses of their nation. Here Kyra is something of a spoilt brat, and she's trying to rage against a system that she's expected to be an active part of and uphold for future generations as her scheming grandmother attempts to plan out the futures of Kyra and Kyran. These chapters not only give us further insight into the commrach society, but also fills in the gaps explaining how Kyra ended up living on the mainland as an exiled mercenary.
One of the things that I absolutely loved about Pennyblade, something that I'd seen other people talking about before I got this book, is how awful so many of the characters are. J.L. Worrad doesn't seem to be concerned about creating a story where you'll instantly like the protagonist. You might go for the entire novel not even standing her; but what he does do is to create a group of characters that I adored in spite of the fact that they're all complete bastards.
The Kyra on the mainland is bitter, resentful, out only for herself, and is willing to screw over most of the people around her if it gets her ahead. Thrown into this is Sister Benadetta, a member of the Pilgrim's church who ensnares Kyra into working for her. She considers Kyra to be without a soul, she hates her for being a lesbian, and she uses her position to hurt people. There's also Shortleg, a mercenary who's a womaniser, a homophobe, and generally unlikable in every way; and Nail, a Caliban, a human commrach half-breed, who seems to hate everyone, who lies and cheats, and seems thoroughly untrustworthy. And this is our group of heroes. This is the noble band that is going out into the world to stop an evil cult and save everyone.
But despite all of these flaws, despite every single one of them being terrible in some way, you can't help but like them. You slowly see connections begin to form between them. They start to trust each other, they begin taking risks for each other, and they start bringing the best out in each other. By being forced into this situation none of them actually want to be in they get to grow and evolve, becoming fairly decent people. By the end of the book I was loving spending time with them, to the point where I was sad to see the book end because I wanted more time with the weird little dysfunctional family. They'd come a long way, and I wanted to see them grow more, to become even better and realise that they were actually pretty good people now.
About half of the book is set in the past, a few years before the main story, when Kyra was still living with her people. The Kyra we see here isn't a good person either, but is a very different one nonetheless. This version of Kyra sees herself as better than most. She's grown up in a position of extreme wealth an priviledge, of never really having to worry about not getting whatever she wanted. And this is where the main drive of her story in this era comes in. Kyra is finally being told what she can and can't do, and she's raging against that.
Kyra comes across a young woman, Shen, who challenges her in ways she's never seen before. Shen comes from a small town, outside of the city of Corso. She doesn't like the system that The Isle has, she doesn't like the way their society is, and she refuses to fit into it the way everyone expects. This intrigues Kyra, draws her in, and when she realises she loves Shen it sets her on a new path from the one where she thought she'd spend her days drinking, playing, and sleeping with any woman she desired. Her life is also disrupted in other ways as her grandmother has arranged for her to marry a man from a rival house, despite Kyra having no interest in men. Now Kyra is trying to work a way out of it, having to engage in plotting and politics in ways she's never had to before; and it pushes her abilities to the limit.
This Kyra is a schemer, but also a dreamer. She thinks that if she can just figure out the right plan, come up with a clever enough play she can outwit her grandmother's machinations. Despite only being set five years before the main events of the book this Kyra feels so much younger, and it shows how much her time on the Mainland has changed her. But these sections aren't just an insight into her, but her people as a whole.
The human world of Pennyblade is very similar to our own history in a lot of ways, albeit a world with magic and the existence of elves. The commrach society, on the other hand, is very different. Whilst the human world is ruled by capitalism and religion, with the poor forced to live in squalor, and queer peopl persecuted, the commrach have none of this. There might be different levels in their society, but none are left on the streets to survive on their own. They aren't ruled by puritanical thinking, and sex and queerness aren't seen as anything to be ashamed of or hidden away at all. The vast majority of elves seem to be open to all genders, with the odd exception being those born twins, where they're born homosexual. And the elven society even has trans people, who are never treated as anything but their actual genders, and not what society believes them to be.
But that doesn't mean the commrach are perfect, as there's a lot in their world that seems brutal, or even openly sadistic at times. Worrad hasn't just created a race of people who are humans with long lives and feelings of self importance. The commrach feel completely alien in a lot of ways. They're a society so unlike the human one, shaped not just by their long different history, but by the fact that they're so different to us biologically too. It's one of the most interesting take on elves I think that I've ever seen, and it makes for a fantastically compelling read.
Pennyblade is a book filled to the brim with amazing, interesting ideas, with characters that are flawed and awful, yet so wonderful at times too. There are no big fantasy hero archetypes here, just imperfect people in an imperfect world, trying to balance the scales out a bit by doing a little good whilst they can. Whilst this book is a perfect story all on its own, and I loved every moment of it I truly hope that this is a world that Worrad revisits in the future, as I'd love to see more.
The story of Pennyblade is split across two different times, set a number of years apart, in a twisting narrative that follows Kyra Cal'Adra, a high born commrach. In the present day narrative Kyra is living on the mainland, the human territory. She's left her home to live on the road, travelling from one small town to the next putting her skills as a sword fighter to good use to become a pennyblade, a hired mercenary. We quickly learn that despite being good at her job she's hated by most of the people around her. People distrust her because she's a pennyblade, they hate her because she's not human, and they despise her because she loves women.
Kyra's been travelling with a small group of pennyblade's, taking work wherever they can find it; but when a simple mission to kill a man who's been coming to a small town, forcing the inhabitants to hand over women and girls to him for him to sleep with, goes wrong her life on the mainland is changed. Suddenly she's alone, unsure if she can trust anyone, and when she passes out from exhaustion running from an angry mob she wakes inside a local church. Unfortunately, the church didn't take her in out of the kindness of their heart. Instead, they plan to force Kyra to work for them. With no way to escape her captors, and with the threat of execution hanging over her head, Kyra's forced into even more danger.
Whilst reading this we also alternate between Kyra's past, to the time where she was still living on The Isle, the homeland of the commrach. Here we see a much different version of Kyra, where she lives a life of luxury with her twin brother Kyran as part of one of the ruling houses of their nation. Here Kyra is something of a spoilt brat, and she's trying to rage against a system that she's expected to be an active part of and uphold for future generations as her scheming grandmother attempts to plan out the futures of Kyra and Kyran. These chapters not only give us further insight into the commrach society, but also fills in the gaps explaining how Kyra ended up living on the mainland as an exiled mercenary.
One of the things that I absolutely loved about Pennyblade, something that I'd seen other people talking about before I got this book, is how awful so many of the characters are. J.L. Worrad doesn't seem to be concerned about creating a story where you'll instantly like the protagonist. You might go for the entire novel not even standing her; but what he does do is to create a group of characters that I adored in spite of the fact that they're all complete bastards.
The Kyra on the mainland is bitter, resentful, out only for herself, and is willing to screw over most of the people around her if it gets her ahead. Thrown into this is Sister Benadetta, a member of the Pilgrim's church who ensnares Kyra into working for her. She considers Kyra to be without a soul, she hates her for being a lesbian, and she uses her position to hurt people. There's also Shortleg, a mercenary who's a womaniser, a homophobe, and generally unlikable in every way; and Nail, a Caliban, a human commrach half-breed, who seems to hate everyone, who lies and cheats, and seems thoroughly untrustworthy. And this is our group of heroes. This is the noble band that is going out into the world to stop an evil cult and save everyone.
But despite all of these flaws, despite every single one of them being terrible in some way, you can't help but like them. You slowly see connections begin to form between them. They start to trust each other, they begin taking risks for each other, and they start bringing the best out in each other. By being forced into this situation none of them actually want to be in they get to grow and evolve, becoming fairly decent people. By the end of the book I was loving spending time with them, to the point where I was sad to see the book end because I wanted more time with the weird little dysfunctional family. They'd come a long way, and I wanted to see them grow more, to become even better and realise that they were actually pretty good people now.
About half of the book is set in the past, a few years before the main story, when Kyra was still living with her people. The Kyra we see here isn't a good person either, but is a very different one nonetheless. This version of Kyra sees herself as better than most. She's grown up in a position of extreme wealth an priviledge, of never really having to worry about not getting whatever she wanted. And this is where the main drive of her story in this era comes in. Kyra is finally being told what she can and can't do, and she's raging against that.
Kyra comes across a young woman, Shen, who challenges her in ways she's never seen before. Shen comes from a small town, outside of the city of Corso. She doesn't like the system that The Isle has, she doesn't like the way their society is, and she refuses to fit into it the way everyone expects. This intrigues Kyra, draws her in, and when she realises she loves Shen it sets her on a new path from the one where she thought she'd spend her days drinking, playing, and sleeping with any woman she desired. Her life is also disrupted in other ways as her grandmother has arranged for her to marry a man from a rival house, despite Kyra having no interest in men. Now Kyra is trying to work a way out of it, having to engage in plotting and politics in ways she's never had to before; and it pushes her abilities to the limit.
This Kyra is a schemer, but also a dreamer. She thinks that if she can just figure out the right plan, come up with a clever enough play she can outwit her grandmother's machinations. Despite only being set five years before the main events of the book this Kyra feels so much younger, and it shows how much her time on the Mainland has changed her. But these sections aren't just an insight into her, but her people as a whole.
The human world of Pennyblade is very similar to our own history in a lot of ways, albeit a world with magic and the existence of elves. The commrach society, on the other hand, is very different. Whilst the human world is ruled by capitalism and religion, with the poor forced to live in squalor, and queer peopl persecuted, the commrach have none of this. There might be different levels in their society, but none are left on the streets to survive on their own. They aren't ruled by puritanical thinking, and sex and queerness aren't seen as anything to be ashamed of or hidden away at all. The vast majority of elves seem to be open to all genders, with the odd exception being those born twins, where they're born homosexual. And the elven society even has trans people, who are never treated as anything but their actual genders, and not what society believes them to be.
But that doesn't mean the commrach are perfect, as there's a lot in their world that seems brutal, or even openly sadistic at times. Worrad hasn't just created a race of people who are humans with long lives and feelings of self importance. The commrach feel completely alien in a lot of ways. They're a society so unlike the human one, shaped not just by their long different history, but by the fact that they're so different to us biologically too. It's one of the most interesting take on elves I think that I've ever seen, and it makes for a fantastically compelling read.
Pennyblade is a book filled to the brim with amazing, interesting ideas, with characters that are flawed and awful, yet so wonderful at times too. There are no big fantasy hero archetypes here, just imperfect people in an imperfect world, trying to balance the scales out a bit by doing a little good whilst they can. Whilst this book is a perfect story all on its own, and I loved every moment of it I truly hope that this is a world that Worrad revisits in the future, as I'd love to see more.
March 2, 2022
“Pennyblade” by J.L Warrad is vulgar and savage, full of unlikeable characters and disturbingly violent sexual scenes that can be uncomfortable. The saving grace is Kyra Cal’Adra, a fierce female lead with uncouth qualities but a wicked sense of wit and the impeccable skill to cut down any enemy with her badass sword-wielding abilities. She’s a hard character to like but in this epic fantasy of non-stop action and wild adventures, she proves to have some redeeming qualities that will make readers stick with her through her unending torment.
When Kyra Cal’Adra is exiled from her home, her people, her family, and her lover, she spends out her years among humans. Though her race is detested among humans and many wish her dead for her unnaturalness, she survives only for her skill with her blade. When a contract goes awry and she is betrayed by her fellow assassins, Kyra’s life among humans and that of her home collide. Set on an adventure of epic proportions, Kyra’s strength and skills are put to a test she may not survive.
This is a story that will have mixed reviews. The swearing, sex scenes, and brutal sexual aspects of the story are certainly not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Worrad is not shy, subtle, or suggestive in his approach to these themes. There is an unabashed openness and explicit detail that will leave readers uncomfortable. Yet, despite a personal dislike toward those particular scenes, it does provide an interesting contrast to Kyra’s personal rebellion that goes against what her culture and family desire for her. Kyra’s determination to express herself freely in society is something that will resonate with readers as it connects with real-world issues where people are still fighting for their right to live without judgment.
The stylistic narrative choices are awkward and jarring within the first few pages. It takes a while to get used to the language used between characters and the unfamiliar terms, but like any good fantasy novel, it becomes second nature once the reader is immersed in the world and the action. Worrad creates a tale of adventure and wickedness that is grim and offers some pretty detestable characters but is able to add to the genre a tale that doesn’t follow the usual predictable arcs, stereotypes, or patterns of a “normal” fantasy novel. This book offers a hate-love relationship with Kyra (though love triumphs hate in the end, promise), creatures that are both fascinating and horrific, relationships that feel tangible and relatable, and a wildly imaginative fantasy world that will take readers on a journey they’ll either enjoy or wish they’d never embark on.
“Pennyblade” comes highly recommended to lovers of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, epic adventures, and those who are willing to try a novel that isn’t what they would normally pick up. Look for “Pennyblade” by J.L Worrad on its expected publication date of March 29th, 2022.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with a free e-arc of this novel and the opportunity to share my honest opinion in this review.
When Kyra Cal’Adra is exiled from her home, her people, her family, and her lover, she spends out her years among humans. Though her race is detested among humans and many wish her dead for her unnaturalness, she survives only for her skill with her blade. When a contract goes awry and she is betrayed by her fellow assassins, Kyra’s life among humans and that of her home collide. Set on an adventure of epic proportions, Kyra’s strength and skills are put to a test she may not survive.
This is a story that will have mixed reviews. The swearing, sex scenes, and brutal sexual aspects of the story are certainly not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Worrad is not shy, subtle, or suggestive in his approach to these themes. There is an unabashed openness and explicit detail that will leave readers uncomfortable. Yet, despite a personal dislike toward those particular scenes, it does provide an interesting contrast to Kyra’s personal rebellion that goes against what her culture and family desire for her. Kyra’s determination to express herself freely in society is something that will resonate with readers as it connects with real-world issues where people are still fighting for their right to live without judgment.
The stylistic narrative choices are awkward and jarring within the first few pages. It takes a while to get used to the language used between characters and the unfamiliar terms, but like any good fantasy novel, it becomes second nature once the reader is immersed in the world and the action. Worrad creates a tale of adventure and wickedness that is grim and offers some pretty detestable characters but is able to add to the genre a tale that doesn’t follow the usual predictable arcs, stereotypes, or patterns of a “normal” fantasy novel. This book offers a hate-love relationship with Kyra (though love triumphs hate in the end, promise), creatures that are both fascinating and horrific, relationships that feel tangible and relatable, and a wildly imaginative fantasy world that will take readers on a journey they’ll either enjoy or wish they’d never embark on.
“Pennyblade” comes highly recommended to lovers of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, epic adventures, and those who are willing to try a novel that isn’t what they would normally pick up. Look for “Pennyblade” by J.L Worrad on its expected publication date of March 29th, 2022.
Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with a free e-arc of this novel and the opportunity to share my honest opinion in this review.
gave-up-on
July 7, 2022DNF - got 60 pages in and had to quit.
I was really excited by the blurb on the back of the book. I was al for reading this, despite the crude world and language. But I think the issue I had is... I didn't understand the world, and most importantly the main character. I felt that she was written to harshly with a male gaze. Which can be contradictory since women can write men, and some men have written women. I just found that her mannerisms and collective story-line didn't really make much sense to me.
I will refrain from rating it, but I will add as a warning that if you're looking for a gay female MC, this might not be a book to start out with.
I was really excited by the blurb on the back of the book. I was al for reading this, despite the crude world and language. But I think the issue I had is... I didn't understand the world, and most importantly the main character. I felt that she was written to harshly with a male gaze. Which can be contradictory since women can write men, and some men have written women. I just found that her mannerisms and collective story-line didn't really make much sense to me.
I will refrain from rating it, but I will add as a warning that if you're looking for a gay female MC, this might not be a book to start out with.
December 29, 2024
Extremely fun, dark, bawdy and great noir fantasy with a great non-human anti-hero at the heart of things. I love a well wrote and unpredictable tale and this delivers in spades. Highly recommend
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
April 20, 2022
Pennyblade is a book that shouldn’t be my type of read and I think I am going to have to rethink my options, see I don’t usually read books like this a lot, but now I think I’ve been prejudgemental and I’m going to have to back to the thinking board. I found I loved and disliked Kyra in equal measure and I think that’s what I loved, I don’t think I’ve felt so emotional about a character in quite some time, but the times I disliked her I still wanted and needed to know more. This book isn’t for everyone, it’s quite often crude, violent and quite a bit of graphic sex, but if you like grim dark, this is definitely the book for you. I loved the world building , the characters are (the commach particularly) so well done, I liked the fact they are meant to be so civilised but are ultimately as animalistic as the humans they look down on. I enjoyed the end, that twist was fantastic but I did think at points the end, or rather a small section of it did need some work. Overall, if you know what to expect from this book (dark themes and strong sex scenes) then you will enjoy this and I highly recommend it to the intended audience
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
March 14, 2022
3-3.5 stars
Headlines:
Grimdark plot and vibe
Strong but vulgar female MC
Witty dialogue
Pennyblade plunges you into a world of violence, base vulgarity and mercenary life. Kyra, the main character, wasn't about to endear herself to you. She was a from an aristocratic family, seen as a 'pixie' or 'elf' by the humans who hired her for her rapier skills. She was fearless, bloodthirsty and lusty in the true sense of the word.
Kyra reminded me of an ever-horny young male, ready to find her satisfaction with any female that caught her eye and I'm not criticising that, all's fair in sex and violence. There's a lot of sex in this book and it's wasn't delicate, affectionate or loving, it was functional, base and about the momentary pleasure. The language and sexual language was colourful too. Kyra had her reasons...a lost love, but often these elements made her a little unlikeable and unreachable as a character.
There was a fast paced story to grab onto and an interesting but sometimes fleeting cast of characters alongside Kyra and strong LGBTQIAP+ characters. I particularly was interested in Kyra's origins, her family, her twin and the reasons why she was as she was.
I did have some struggles over feeling I could hear a male voice in the background of Kyra's characterisation and a voyeuristic feel to the way the character behaved. Nevertheless, there's substance to this character and story that made it engaging, especially some twists as we romped to towards the end.
Thank you to Titan Books for the early review copy.
Headlines:
Grimdark plot and vibe
Strong but vulgar female MC
Witty dialogue
Pennyblade plunges you into a world of violence, base vulgarity and mercenary life. Kyra, the main character, wasn't about to endear herself to you. She was a from an aristocratic family, seen as a 'pixie' or 'elf' by the humans who hired her for her rapier skills. She was fearless, bloodthirsty and lusty in the true sense of the word.
Kyra reminded me of an ever-horny young male, ready to find her satisfaction with any female that caught her eye and I'm not criticising that, all's fair in sex and violence. There's a lot of sex in this book and it's wasn't delicate, affectionate or loving, it was functional, base and about the momentary pleasure. The language and sexual language was colourful too. Kyra had her reasons...a lost love, but often these elements made her a little unlikeable and unreachable as a character.
There was a fast paced story to grab onto and an interesting but sometimes fleeting cast of characters alongside Kyra and strong LGBTQIAP+ characters. I particularly was interested in Kyra's origins, her family, her twin and the reasons why she was as she was.
I did have some struggles over feeling I could hear a male voice in the background of Kyra's characterisation and a voyeuristic feel to the way the character behaved. Nevertheless, there's substance to this character and story that made it engaging, especially some twists as we romped to towards the end.
Thank you to Titan Books for the early review copy.
July 10, 2023
Rep: lesbian mc, bi li, sapphic li, gay side characters, trans side character
CWs: gore, violence, attempted rape, incest
CWs: gore, violence, attempted rape, incest
October 18, 2022
"Sometimes you have to throw it all away, Sister. Cast off your trappings and stand free."
★★★★½
Well this was certainly...different. Crude and violent but also captivating in its unflinching vulgarity and its lack of desire to fit into any preset fantasy molds. This book honestly could have easily ended up being a complete disaster but it all actually kind of works.
➺ Not your typical fantasy elves
Pennyblade is the story about the rise and fall of the commrach/elf named Kyra, whose exile from the esteemed Cal'Adra family currently sees her eking it out on the human mainland as a low class mercenary. Unfortunately, with the betrayal of a fellow Pennyblade after her most recent job, Kyra finds that the past that she's been running away from for so long might finally be catching up to her.
We follow two separate story threads in the book that are depicted in alternating chapters. The first is about present-day Kyra as she becomes increasingly entangled in the web of a church figure named Sister Benadetta and her secrets. The other is about past Kyra in the time leading up to her exile. Unfortunately, I was not as invested in these "flashback" sections, which seemed to be more about worldbuilding and setting up the horrible, hypocritical nature of the commrachs. J.L. Worrad has taken the usual concept of elves and completely turned it over its head. Despite how beautiful, sophisticated, and holier-than-thou they appear to be, these elves are no better, and in some ways are indeed much worse, than the humans they look down upon. The commrachs really do feel alien. It's actually pretty clever. However, sometimes it does seem like the story is trying to be a little...too clever. I am not so subtly rolling my eyes at the multiple depictions of these "seasons" that the commrach go through, complete with this cringy "mating call." I can see what the author was attempting to do with this but that doesn't change the fact that it was physically painful to read.
➺ Characters you love to hate
"You wretches are a compost heap of lies, arrogance, rapaciousness, and vanity. So much so..." She sighed. "It would be a sin if I did not keep an eye on you."
Part of the reason why I was wayyyy more interested in the present-day Kyra storyline was her interactions with this unusual bunch of people she's fallen in with. It's really this group dynamic that I absolutely loved the most about Pennyblade. We've got Sister Benadetta, a Perfecti aka a magical nun (?) with a mysterious past who is at war with her sexuality, Nails, a young half-commrach half-human who is quick with knives and quicker to stab you in the back, and Shortleg, who I believe is our token straight character. Honestly, they're all horrible people but there are these brief flickers of humanity that make them really interesting to read about. The banter among them is top notch. In fact, I wouldn't have minded at all if the entire book was just about them tearing at each other.
➺ The unsexy sex scenes
"You want their bodies, Cal'Adra. The sickness of a soulless thing." She paused. "But women - their minds, their choices - you detest. You fear their power over you. Whenever you talk of women you reduce them to...matter. Fodder."
Also, I disagree with the notion that Pennyblade was written to fulfill some sort of male fantasy on the part of the author. Pennyblade does feature a LOT of sex and sexual thoughts/language, but it seems to handle this in a unique way. Most of these scenes appear purposefully written to be over the top and mechanical and came across as satirical to me. In contrast, I don't think that any sort of sex that occurs between the central romantic relationship is actually ever depicted. Also, our main character Kyra, while being bitter, self-serving, haughty, and in no way the most morally upright or likable lesbian to ever exist, is still very complex, darkly humorous, and surprisingly "human" despite essentially being an elf. Her character grows and changes throughout the course of the story in such an organic way, which I always find to be an incredible feat for any author to accomplish. I absolutely adored the final closing sentences.
Be forewarned that this book will definitely try its best to disgust and disturb you. However, underneath the dirt and grime is a rollicking good story with multifaceted characters and some fresh concepts.
— ♩♫♩ ~ Act of Demon or Work of God
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
March 31, 2022DNF.
I could deal with the vulgarity of the writing, the twisted behaviour, & the fact that it’s so obviously a man who has written this book, but I draw the line at ableism & references to putting disabled people “to sleep” at birth. The story has potential, I’m curious about the world building, but the author tried too hard to shock & has made himself look like a complete prick. A real shame as I was very excited about this book.
I could deal with the vulgarity of the writing, the twisted behaviour, & the fact that it’s so obviously a man who has written this book, but I draw the line at ableism & references to putting disabled people “to sleep” at birth. The story has potential, I’m curious about the world building, but the author tried too hard to shock & has made himself look like a complete prick. A real shame as I was very excited about this book.
March 17, 2022
Oh my heart. I don't know how a book as bawdy and savage as Pennyblade managed to make me cry at the beautiful heartbreak of the final chapters but oh, how it did and how I did. This is not a book that everyone will like (see: bawdy and savage) but if the idea of fantasy novels that hew closer to a dirty reality than to a sanitized idyll appeals to you, then you'll likely adore this book as much as I do.
Kyra Cal'Arda is a commrach (i.e. elf) in exile in human lands. Once a spoiled member of the upwardly mobile elven nobility, whose main concerns were protecting her beloved twin brother while fostering her romance with the outcast Shen (to whom most of the novel is addressed,) she now spends her days wielding her blade in service to the highest bidder, hence the title. When a job goes awry and she's forced to go on the run, before being essentially press ganged by the human church, all the secrets of her past come spilling out. But what have they to do with the mission that the church wants her to complete, under the supervision of the infuriating Sister Perfecti Benedetta, and why does the church need her in particular to achieve their goals? And what's the deal with the creepy rope-masked humans who keep getting in her way? Surely, they can't actually be worshipping the devil, which everyone who isn't a superstitious rube (according to Kyra, anyway) knows doesn't exist?
This sex-positive, queer-affirming European-Middle-Ages-inspired-fantasy is such a breath of fresh air in a genre that often takes itself Very Seriously but doesn't actually have much depth behind its portentous facade. Pennyblade's Kyra, otoh, is a cheerful shit with hidden, meaningful layers, whose rakish sociopathy is the natural adaptation to her upbringing and the betrayals she's endured. The subversion of elves as being basically Nazis is both hilarious and surprisingly thoughtful: not in the form of inspiring any sympathy for fascists, but in showing how that kind of upbringing brutalizes you, even if it brings apparent advantages. Not that the humans in this book are much better, ofc, obsessed as they are with an invisible God who works through a totalitarian church. Both types of society, the book tells us, are worth subverting, but only in a way that doesn't sacrifice our own basic decency by treating others as less than real people.
And that was why the climax of this book -- so beautifully constructed in the manner of the best fair play mysteries -- was such a heartbreaker. There are some things you can't fix through force of will and ruthlessness alone. Where the spoiled Kyra or even the hunted Kyra of the first hundred pages or so might have sympathized with the devil, the Kyra who has been shown her blind spots and who has finally begun to understand empathy and compromise learns how to make less selfish choices. She's not perfect by any means, but she -- as well as the other members of her ragtag crew -- is capable of growth, and I loved that about her.
There were a few pacing issues that I thought could have been handled better in the book (the scene on the Darrad balcony, for example, deserved more interiority, IMO) but overall I found this a spectacularly original fantasy novel, and one of my favorite books of the year so far.
Pennyblade by J. L. Worrad will be published March 29 2022 by Titan Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
Kyra Cal'Arda is a commrach (i.e. elf) in exile in human lands. Once a spoiled member of the upwardly mobile elven nobility, whose main concerns were protecting her beloved twin brother while fostering her romance with the outcast Shen (to whom most of the novel is addressed,) she now spends her days wielding her blade in service to the highest bidder, hence the title. When a job goes awry and she's forced to go on the run, before being essentially press ganged by the human church, all the secrets of her past come spilling out. But what have they to do with the mission that the church wants her to complete, under the supervision of the infuriating Sister Perfecti Benedetta, and why does the church need her in particular to achieve their goals? And what's the deal with the creepy rope-masked humans who keep getting in her way? Surely, they can't actually be worshipping the devil, which everyone who isn't a superstitious rube (according to Kyra, anyway) knows doesn't exist?
This sex-positive, queer-affirming European-Middle-Ages-inspired-fantasy is such a breath of fresh air in a genre that often takes itself Very Seriously but doesn't actually have much depth behind its portentous facade. Pennyblade's Kyra, otoh, is a cheerful shit with hidden, meaningful layers, whose rakish sociopathy is the natural adaptation to her upbringing and the betrayals she's endured. The subversion of elves as being basically Nazis is both hilarious and surprisingly thoughtful: not in the form of inspiring any sympathy for fascists, but in showing how that kind of upbringing brutalizes you, even if it brings apparent advantages. Not that the humans in this book are much better, ofc, obsessed as they are with an invisible God who works through a totalitarian church. Both types of society, the book tells us, are worth subverting, but only in a way that doesn't sacrifice our own basic decency by treating others as less than real people.
And that was why the climax of this book -- so beautifully constructed in the manner of the best fair play mysteries -- was such a heartbreaker. There are some things you can't fix through force of will and ruthlessness alone. Where the spoiled Kyra or even the hunted Kyra of the first hundred pages or so might have sympathized with the devil, the Kyra who has been shown her blind spots and who has finally begun to understand empathy and compromise learns how to make less selfish choices. She's not perfect by any means, but she -- as well as the other members of her ragtag crew -- is capable of growth, and I loved that about her.
There were a few pacing issues that I thought could have been handled better in the book (the scene on the Darrad balcony, for example, deserved more interiority, IMO) but overall I found this a spectacularly original fantasy novel, and one of my favorite books of the year so far.
Pennyblade by J. L. Worrad will be published March 29 2022 by Titan Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
March 21, 2022
A fast paced, dark humoured, fantasy adventure. This book is filled with a wide cast of wonderfully rogueish characters. Each of them probably infinitely more enjoyable when they are happening to someone else, preferably far away. But together, they create a chaotic kind of power balance where everyone is constantly trying to get a slight upper hand against everyone else. The world in grim, dirty, and carnal. At the center of all this, there's a mystery to be unravelled that intertwines both past and present, which satisfyingly resolves itself in the final few Chapters. Highly recommended.
A word of warning to the faint hearted: there's a lot of sexual references. Worrad has opted for some *ahem* strange strokes in his use of sex. It is largely unsexy. Instead there is the disinterested just-get-on-with-it sex from the 'roadwoman'. The unnecessarily extravagant and over the top sex of elven aristocrats. While a lot of character redemption arc revolves around not having sex. Worrad has used sex as a tool for worldbuilding and character development, and as such is not treated as a delicate flower in bloom but feels more like a cheapened mundane commodity which is fitting in the jaded world he has built.
A word of warning to the faint hearted: there's a lot of sexual references. Worrad has opted for some *ahem* strange strokes in his use of sex. It is largely unsexy. Instead there is the disinterested just-get-on-with-it sex from the 'roadwoman'. The unnecessarily extravagant and over the top sex of elven aristocrats. While a lot of character redemption arc revolves around not having sex. Worrad has used sex as a tool for worldbuilding and character development, and as such is not treated as a delicate flower in bloom but feels more like a cheapened mundane commodity which is fitting in the jaded world he has built.
August 15, 2023
Why I read it: Seemed interesting.
Thoughts: Have you ever wanted to read a grimdark low fantasy novel where the protagonist was a crass, debauched lesbian moving through a crass, debauched world? Or a book that was so obviously written under the influence of furry porn and the author's own kinks? Because I might have the book for you.
As for me, I didn't like this. I'm not opposed to sex and violence. I've read sex and violence. I've written sex and violence. But I do not enjoy sex and violence simply for the sake of sex and violence. And I especially hate it when men write this sort of female character, who's basically a misogynistic man wrapped in the meat of a woman. Do not expect to be "seen" as a queer person if you're of a more tender disposition -- I really hate the "I see you" schtick but if you find queer rep comforting and like feeling represented, I'd really question what it would mean for someone to feel seen by this book.
Kyra is unbearable. But it's not her fault. The fault is the author's, because he's the one who wrote this world around her, a culture and society that seems specifically tailored to demean and humiliate her (and other women) at every single turn.
The worst part is, this very nearly was good. I did read all of it, just to say that I did. And there were glimmers of something interesting beneath the dung heap. There was political intrigue. Sister Benadetta's own manipulations and machinations were interesting. Nail and Shortleg were great pennyblades with their own personalities and baggage, balancing out Kyra's general... behavioural issues. Everyone brought something to the table.
But then every time I thought, "Okay, it's taking a turn now, maybe this'll actually be good," some fresh bullshit was applied to the heap. There was Kyra nearly molesting Poppi, who was a character clearly set there to be molested and pitied; there was the matrimonial chain; there was Kyra's unbridled hatred for nearly everyone but somehow especially for other women; there was the completely unnecessary heat/season thing, complete with absolutely ridiculous mating calls.
I hated the heat/season passages. I don't care that your elves are cat-like, man, and that they go aroo-oo or awoo-woo-woo or they go yip yip (legit how they're typed, these calls) when they wanna fuck. I do care that the only time when the heat thing comes up is when it's basically to torture your protagonist. I do care that you set up Kyra's love interest as someone who's not super impressed by Kyra's status or by how many women she's fucked, and who wants Kyra's attention solely and undividedly on her, so she makes Kyra court her properly. Except we never get to see any of that. The whole courtship: missing. Is it because the author can't write a pleasant, natural, genuine feeling to save his own life?
Instead, we get a bonus heat scene, where all the women in the elf city go into heat at the same time and Kyra, being that she's a lesbian and is one of the few who's a lesbian and doesn't want to be mounted by a man, is part of the escort that takes a group of yowling horny women to a theatre, and they get set upon by horny men on the way there, who then have to be put down. Which makes no fucking sense. If your birth rates are super low because you're long-lived and special (and also breeding for a purpose), why the fuck are you always putting your breedable citizens at such unnecessary risk? Is it so the author can write his own spank bank material? Who the fuck knows. And then at the theatre, after the play, the horny women get put in a room and they fuck amongst themselves for a while, and then men get brought in. It's all high ritualised, of course, there's sigils and pass phrases and shit, but it's still a bunch of cat people aroo-roo-roo-ing their way through an orgy, in which Kyra has to watch the (bisexual) love of her life get fucked by 20 men in a row, which, again: spank bank.
And then there's the breeding programme. Kinda like the Nazi breeding programmes but for cat elves instead. Their breeding is continuously aimed at creating the ultimate elf or whatever. It was so hard to take seriously, and it was so easy to like Nail (the "caliban" half-breed elf, whose human mother was raped by a full elf, and who gets looked down on by Kyra for the entire fucking book, even when Nail is the only one with smarts) whenever he called Kyra inbred, because that's what she was!
Stand-out scene: The less I spend thinking about this book, the better. I don't have a favourite scene. I guess most memorable is the part where Grandmother threatens to marry Kyra off to a man whom she hates and who hates her right back, who would 100% mistreat and abuse her, and as a kicker, she'd have to wear the chain matrimonial as well, which is a magical, unremovable chain that ensures the wearer never has any sexual or romantic desire for anyone but her husband. And only women have to wear it. Grandmother's husband has been dead for some decades now and she still wears the chain. That's how magically bound it is to the person wearing it. If that's not someone's fetish, then I don't know horny.
If this then that, if that then this: Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains, my first "mainstream" fantasy novel with a gay protagonist that also actually featured absurd sex and violence. I didn't like that one either, but if you like the tone of this one, then you'd like that for sure. Just be warned that apparently Richard Morgan is a transphobe, which surprises me not at all.
If you want to read something that's actually good, pick up some Abercrombie. It gets mentioned often enough in reviews for this book, but this book is miles beneath that. Similar world building is also in Peter McLean's War for the Rose Throne series, except, again, better.
Would I read a sequel or the author's other works: No. Hell no. Fuck no. No, thank you.
Thoughts: Have you ever wanted to read a grimdark low fantasy novel where the protagonist was a crass, debauched lesbian moving through a crass, debauched world? Or a book that was so obviously written under the influence of furry porn and the author's own kinks? Because I might have the book for you.
As for me, I didn't like this. I'm not opposed to sex and violence. I've read sex and violence. I've written sex and violence. But I do not enjoy sex and violence simply for the sake of sex and violence. And I especially hate it when men write this sort of female character, who's basically a misogynistic man wrapped in the meat of a woman. Do not expect to be "seen" as a queer person if you're of a more tender disposition -- I really hate the "I see you" schtick but if you find queer rep comforting and like feeling represented, I'd really question what it would mean for someone to feel seen by this book.
Kyra is unbearable. But it's not her fault. The fault is the author's, because he's the one who wrote this world around her, a culture and society that seems specifically tailored to demean and humiliate her (and other women) at every single turn.
The worst part is, this very nearly was good. I did read all of it, just to say that I did. And there were glimmers of something interesting beneath the dung heap. There was political intrigue. Sister Benadetta's own manipulations and machinations were interesting. Nail and Shortleg were great pennyblades with their own personalities and baggage, balancing out Kyra's general... behavioural issues. Everyone brought something to the table.
But then every time I thought, "Okay, it's taking a turn now, maybe this'll actually be good," some fresh bullshit was applied to the heap. There was Kyra nearly molesting Poppi, who was a character clearly set there to be molested and pitied; there was the matrimonial chain; there was Kyra's unbridled hatred for nearly everyone but somehow especially for other women; there was the completely unnecessary heat/season thing, complete with absolutely ridiculous mating calls.
I hated the heat/season passages. I don't care that your elves are cat-like, man, and that they go aroo-oo or awoo-woo-woo or they go yip yip (legit how they're typed, these calls) when they wanna fuck. I do care that the only time when the heat thing comes up is when it's basically to torture your protagonist. I do care that you set up Kyra's love interest as someone who's not super impressed by Kyra's status or by how many women she's fucked, and who wants Kyra's attention solely and undividedly on her, so she makes Kyra court her properly. Except we never get to see any of that. The whole courtship: missing. Is it because the author can't write a pleasant, natural, genuine feeling to save his own life?
Instead, we get a bonus heat scene, where all the women in the elf city go into heat at the same time and Kyra, being that she's a lesbian and is one of the few who's a lesbian and doesn't want to be mounted by a man, is part of the escort that takes a group of yowling horny women to a theatre, and they get set upon by horny men on the way there, who then have to be put down. Which makes no fucking sense. If your birth rates are super low because you're long-lived and special (and also breeding for a purpose), why the fuck are you always putting your breedable citizens at such unnecessary risk? Is it so the author can write his own spank bank material? Who the fuck knows. And then at the theatre, after the play, the horny women get put in a room and they fuck amongst themselves for a while, and then men get brought in. It's all high ritualised, of course, there's sigils and pass phrases and shit, but it's still a bunch of cat people aroo-roo-roo-ing their way through an orgy, in which Kyra has to watch the (bisexual) love of her life get fucked by 20 men in a row, which, again: spank bank.
And then there's the breeding programme. Kinda like the Nazi breeding programmes but for cat elves instead. Their breeding is continuously aimed at creating the ultimate elf or whatever. It was so hard to take seriously, and it was so easy to like Nail (the "caliban" half-breed elf, whose human mother was raped by a full elf, and who gets looked down on by Kyra for the entire fucking book, even when Nail is the only one with smarts) whenever he called Kyra inbred, because that's what she was!
Stand-out scene: The less I spend thinking about this book, the better. I don't have a favourite scene. I guess most memorable is the part where Grandmother threatens to marry Kyra off to a man whom she hates and who hates her right back, who would 100% mistreat and abuse her, and as a kicker, she'd have to wear the chain matrimonial as well, which is a magical, unremovable chain that ensures the wearer never has any sexual or romantic desire for anyone but her husband. And only women have to wear it. Grandmother's husband has been dead for some decades now and she still wears the chain. That's how magically bound it is to the person wearing it. If that's not someone's fetish, then I don't know horny.
If this then that, if that then this: Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains, my first "mainstream" fantasy novel with a gay protagonist that also actually featured absurd sex and violence. I didn't like that one either, but if you like the tone of this one, then you'd like that for sure. Just be warned that apparently Richard Morgan is a transphobe, which surprises me not at all.
If you want to read something that's actually good, pick up some Abercrombie. It gets mentioned often enough in reviews for this book, but this book is miles beneath that. Similar world building is also in Peter McLean's War for the Rose Throne series, except, again, better.
Would I read a sequel or the author's other works: No. Hell no. Fuck no. No, thank you.
March 22, 2022
This book was personal not for me and I ended up DNFing at 40%. I did not connect to the story and the writing style. The lack of definition or explanation for a number of areas left me lost and confused throughout. I wish there was more world building and better explanation of the cultural and social structures, because of this I was pulled out of the story. There were a number of conflicting points in the synapses that did not match with what was in the book. Overall, this book was not for me. I found it very confusing, lacking in world building and writing style did not work for me.
Trigger warnings: rape, assault, gore, bullying
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
Trigger warnings: rape, assault, gore, bullying
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
June 29, 2022
2022 Pride Month Read #10
And so my Pride Month read-a-thon comes to an end. Fast, violent, vulgar, pulpy, fun, very queer, painful in turns and sometimes all of these things at once. Pennyblade's take on elves dials up their worst subtextual traits to 11, or maybe 12, and its protagonist is often incredibly unlikable. There is sex and violence aplenty, with grit and camp in equal measure (for its impulses, think Sam Raimi, but Evil Dead Sam Raimi and not Spider-Man Sam Raimi). This is not a book that will be for everyone, and it's not a book that would be for me all the time, but it was absolutely a book that was for me right now. Sometimes, Worrad acknowledges, queer people can be raging assholes too, and that's okay.
And so my Pride Month read-a-thon comes to an end. Fast, violent, vulgar, pulpy, fun, very queer, painful in turns and sometimes all of these things at once. Pennyblade's take on elves dials up their worst subtextual traits to 11, or maybe 12, and its protagonist is often incredibly unlikable. There is sex and violence aplenty, with grit and camp in equal measure (for its impulses, think Sam Raimi, but Evil Dead Sam Raimi and not Spider-Man Sam Raimi). This is not a book that will be for everyone, and it's not a book that would be for me all the time, but it was absolutely a book that was for me right now. Sometimes, Worrad acknowledges, queer people can be raging assholes too, and that's okay.
January 5, 2022
A fantasy adventure full of violence, passion, chaos and betrayal. A world balanced on the edge of a knife and a rich cast of characters teetering on the edge of loyalties and prejudice.
J.L. Worrad has built a fascinating world of humans and Commrach. Commrach in this world is essentially who we would understand to be ‘elves’ although this seems to amount to a racial slur to the Commrach in Worrad’s world. These Commrach are perceived to be a glorious, alpha race and the humans a stain upon existence. The humans are more set in medieval ways, mostly verbalising with cockney-esqe accents and dabbling in all sorts of forms of depravity.
The structure of the book is exquisite. The chapters alternate throughout the book between the current timeline and the timeline of the past which ultimately leads to the current. These alternating chapters ensure that the main story moves forward consistently but also along the way you are steadily building the background to the story, answering the questions that appear throughout the main timeline. These can be quite fair apart on some occasions but please bear with it. There are no real questions that remain unanswered, well, none that have a massive impact on the story. Leftover questions for me mainly consisted of the normal ‘I wonder what happened to this character’ type questions that normally plague my mind after a good novel, whilst these can be frustrating, it goes to show how much of an impact the novel has on me.
Kyra Cal’Adra is a superb main character, cold and complicated but also warm, funny and loyal. Kyra is a Commrach and destined for a life of being nothing more than a vessel for the blood which the Commrach are attempting to ‘perfect’. A chance meeting with her future love interest, Shen, diverts her story in a huge way. A way that will change Kyra forever and force her into the life of a Pennyblade on the main.
A story packed full of fantastical locations, terrifying enemies and awesome battles. All toped off with a magnificent twist! Pennyblade is a novel of pure fantasy brilliance that will have you begging for a continuation immediately after you finish the last page. A rich story ingrained with interesting lore and spectacular characters, Pennyblade promises to dazzle all fans of fantasy books.
J.L. Worrad has built a fascinating world of humans and Commrach. Commrach in this world is essentially who we would understand to be ‘elves’ although this seems to amount to a racial slur to the Commrach in Worrad’s world. These Commrach are perceived to be a glorious, alpha race and the humans a stain upon existence. The humans are more set in medieval ways, mostly verbalising with cockney-esqe accents and dabbling in all sorts of forms of depravity.
The structure of the book is exquisite. The chapters alternate throughout the book between the current timeline and the timeline of the past which ultimately leads to the current. These alternating chapters ensure that the main story moves forward consistently but also along the way you are steadily building the background to the story, answering the questions that appear throughout the main timeline. These can be quite fair apart on some occasions but please bear with it. There are no real questions that remain unanswered, well, none that have a massive impact on the story. Leftover questions for me mainly consisted of the normal ‘I wonder what happened to this character’ type questions that normally plague my mind after a good novel, whilst these can be frustrating, it goes to show how much of an impact the novel has on me.
Kyra Cal’Adra is a superb main character, cold and complicated but also warm, funny and loyal. Kyra is a Commrach and destined for a life of being nothing more than a vessel for the blood which the Commrach are attempting to ‘perfect’. A chance meeting with her future love interest, Shen, diverts her story in a huge way. A way that will change Kyra forever and force her into the life of a Pennyblade on the main.
A story packed full of fantastical locations, terrifying enemies and awesome battles. All toped off with a magnificent twist! Pennyblade is a novel of pure fantasy brilliance that will have you begging for a continuation immediately after you finish the last page. A rich story ingrained with interesting lore and spectacular characters, Pennyblade promises to dazzle all fans of fantasy books.
January 1, 2023
This book left me feeling very conflicted. So I'm sorry but I'm gonna spend this review working out those feelings. Bare with me.
Minor SPOILERS ahead (but nothing that would ruin the plot)
Everything about this book felt like it was being marketed just for me. The cover, the synopsis, the front & center lesbian MC. Exiled disgraced royal elf turned mercenary gets pulled back into her mysterious past. Yes, that sounds great! How could I resist?
And while I have to admit I did enjoy reading this book there are a lot of things I didn't like about it, and by the end I felt as though a lot of those things I had endured were not quite worth it.
Worrad's world and protagonist of Pennyblade are brutal, crass, complex, and often very funny. This book (the story and the MC) were fun to read, I enjoyed spending time in this world and with Kyra despite the fact that they were somewhat despicable.
I didn't really do any research before starting this book and of course the author uses their first two initials, so I'll be honest and say that I went in thinking that Worrad was likely a female author, given the lesbian female protagonist. Shame on me for assuming. Unfortunately for readers and the MC, Worrad writes his sword welding gender-defying lesbian female lead like a man. And it becomes really really obvious that the author is a man the more you read. Worrad rights Kyra's entire character but specifically her attraction towards women and her treatment of women through a very toxic male gaze. The way he writes Kyra's attraction towards women is similar to how you would expect a stereotypical rich frat boy character to think about and treat women. And the author seems to acknowledge this since he even has another character bring it up at one point in the book. So I'm not really sure if it was intentional or something he tried to excuse by making it seem like an intentional character flaw. Some of Kyra's unacceptable behavior (such as: assuming a sex worker is going to sleep with her despite not having any money and not having made an appointment and barging into the sex worker's room unannounced, also attempting to seduce someone with a obvious mental handicap who is clearly uncomfortable, and just generally coming on to everyone she meets and assuming every woman she meets wants to sleep with her even when they protest) the author tries to excuse given the fact that she is from a different and strange culture of elves and is therefore not human. But I find that excuses nothing in a fantasy world where a fantasy race is given human qualities and intelligence. This isn't me complaining about morally gray characters or even unlikable characters, this is me complaining that Kyra's behavior is never really treated that way by anyone other than the crazy homophobic Church people. Rather Kyra is normally simply scolded by the people she victimizes and treated like nothing more than a naughty child rather than truly held accountable for any of her actions, even by herself.
Beyond the problems with Kyra herself, I'd like to talk a little bit about the weird culture of the elven race in this book, they're called Commrachs. Kyra comes from a culture that is (yay!!) strikingly fluid and accepting in terms of sexuality, gender, and gender norms. There are minor characters that are trans or non-binary even a brief mention of asexual individuals in the society. The culture is extremely sexually liberal, they have alot of distain for the humans' belief in an inferior gender and the gender binary in general. However they're handling of sex in the society is blase at best and brutal at worst, very vulgar, detached, and sometimes downright strange. Their race goes through a type of mating cycle that involves a seasonal heat that is both ritualistic and more than a little rapey at times. I don't condemn the author for this idea specifically but I wasn't too happy with the way it was handled and a lack of explanation on a lot of the more ritualistic aspects of those scenes. I needed more information than just like scary porn.
I also felt some of the side characters were a little underdeveloped and I would have liked to know more about them especially by the time we got to the end it was as though I had skipped over some developmental stuff that really could have lent some weight to the way the novel wrapped up. Particularly thinking of Nail and Sister Benadetta. It felt like the author wanted to do something with these two characters and with their individual relationships with Kyra but just like never got around to it or couldn't find the time when I would have enjoyed that a lot more than the graphic heat orgy.
As for the love story and the love interest I'm just going to go ahead and call instalove. Which is unfortunate. The book is split into dual timelines one in Kyra's past leading up to her self exile and the other in the present where she's being sucked back into that past through a series of unfortunate & strange events. The past timeline introduces her love interest and at the very beginning the book is setting up this really delicious game of cat and mouse where Kyra is going to have to put aside her womanizing ways and court Shen in a sincere way. However, skip to the next flashback and months have gone by and they're already in love and we miss the entire courtship. I wanted it! I needed it. It's why I was here. Sigh. After the initial intrigue I really just didn't care for their love story because I had missed all the good bits. And from my perspective having missed those things it felt more like infatuation than anything.
All of this to say, that the world of Pennyblade is I think full of potential I like its vulgarity and it's brutality and it's politics. I think the Commrach culture is fascinating and it's duality of being both very liberal in terms of sexuality and gender but very constraining in terms of duty, marriage, and family. I wish this had been even more deeply explored. Kyra is a main character that is fun to follow even if she is unlikable to a point slightly beyond morally gray. But ultimately I felt the real problems with her was not in her unlikability but in the characterization of that unlikeability. She's a problematic lesbian character written by a man and it showed. (Not to say that male authors can't write good female or sapphic characters, just that Worrad didn't here). Beyond that Worrad's writing is quite beautiful at times and vivid sometimes to the point of discomfort. His world building is intriguing & felt unique even in a landscape currently saturated with grim dark.
I have to be honest if there was going to be a sequel for this book or more written in the world I would probably read it just to see if maybe he can learn from his mistakes and find a way to improve upon a solid foundation here.
TW: graphic sex, rapey vibes, implied sexual assault/abuse, inappropriate sexual behavior, mistreatment towards disabled individuals, homophobia, gore, violence, death
Does contain LGBTQ+ characters (some very minor)
Minor SPOILERS ahead (but nothing that would ruin the plot)
Everything about this book felt like it was being marketed just for me. The cover, the synopsis, the front & center lesbian MC. Exiled disgraced royal elf turned mercenary gets pulled back into her mysterious past. Yes, that sounds great! How could I resist?
And while I have to admit I did enjoy reading this book there are a lot of things I didn't like about it, and by the end I felt as though a lot of those things I had endured were not quite worth it.
Worrad's world and protagonist of Pennyblade are brutal, crass, complex, and often very funny. This book (the story and the MC) were fun to read, I enjoyed spending time in this world and with Kyra despite the fact that they were somewhat despicable.
I didn't really do any research before starting this book and of course the author uses their first two initials, so I'll be honest and say that I went in thinking that Worrad was likely a female author, given the lesbian female protagonist. Shame on me for assuming. Unfortunately for readers and the MC, Worrad writes his sword welding gender-defying lesbian female lead like a man. And it becomes really really obvious that the author is a man the more you read. Worrad rights Kyra's entire character but specifically her attraction towards women and her treatment of women through a very toxic male gaze. The way he writes Kyra's attraction towards women is similar to how you would expect a stereotypical rich frat boy character to think about and treat women. And the author seems to acknowledge this since he even has another character bring it up at one point in the book. So I'm not really sure if it was intentional or something he tried to excuse by making it seem like an intentional character flaw. Some of Kyra's unacceptable behavior (such as: assuming a sex worker is going to sleep with her despite not having any money and not having made an appointment and barging into the sex worker's room unannounced, also attempting to seduce someone with a obvious mental handicap who is clearly uncomfortable, and just generally coming on to everyone she meets and assuming every woman she meets wants to sleep with her even when they protest) the author tries to excuse given the fact that she is from a different and strange culture of elves and is therefore not human. But I find that excuses nothing in a fantasy world where a fantasy race is given human qualities and intelligence. This isn't me complaining about morally gray characters or even unlikable characters, this is me complaining that Kyra's behavior is never really treated that way by anyone other than the crazy homophobic Church people. Rather Kyra is normally simply scolded by the people she victimizes and treated like nothing more than a naughty child rather than truly held accountable for any of her actions, even by herself.
Beyond the problems with Kyra herself, I'd like to talk a little bit about the weird culture of the elven race in this book, they're called Commrachs. Kyra comes from a culture that is (yay!!) strikingly fluid and accepting in terms of sexuality, gender, and gender norms. There are minor characters that are trans or non-binary even a brief mention of asexual individuals in the society. The culture is extremely sexually liberal, they have alot of distain for the humans' belief in an inferior gender and the gender binary in general. However they're handling of sex in the society is blase at best and brutal at worst, very vulgar, detached, and sometimes downright strange. Their race goes through a type of mating cycle that involves a seasonal heat that is both ritualistic and more than a little rapey at times. I don't condemn the author for this idea specifically but I wasn't too happy with the way it was handled and a lack of explanation on a lot of the more ritualistic aspects of those scenes. I needed more information than just like scary porn.
I also felt some of the side characters were a little underdeveloped and I would have liked to know more about them especially by the time we got to the end it was as though I had skipped over some developmental stuff that really could have lent some weight to the way the novel wrapped up. Particularly thinking of Nail and Sister Benadetta. It felt like the author wanted to do something with these two characters and with their individual relationships with Kyra but just like never got around to it or couldn't find the time when I would have enjoyed that a lot more than the graphic heat orgy.
As for the love story and the love interest I'm just going to go ahead and call instalove. Which is unfortunate. The book is split into dual timelines one in Kyra's past leading up to her self exile and the other in the present where she's being sucked back into that past through a series of unfortunate & strange events. The past timeline introduces her love interest and at the very beginning the book is setting up this really delicious game of cat and mouse where Kyra is going to have to put aside her womanizing ways and court Shen in a sincere way. However, skip to the next flashback and months have gone by and they're already in love and we miss the entire courtship. I wanted it! I needed it. It's why I was here. Sigh. After the initial intrigue I really just didn't care for their love story because I had missed all the good bits. And from my perspective having missed those things it felt more like infatuation than anything.
All of this to say, that the world of Pennyblade is I think full of potential I like its vulgarity and it's brutality and it's politics. I think the Commrach culture is fascinating and it's duality of being both very liberal in terms of sexuality and gender but very constraining in terms of duty, marriage, and family. I wish this had been even more deeply explored. Kyra is a main character that is fun to follow even if she is unlikable to a point slightly beyond morally gray. But ultimately I felt the real problems with her was not in her unlikability but in the characterization of that unlikeability. She's a problematic lesbian character written by a man and it showed. (Not to say that male authors can't write good female or sapphic characters, just that Worrad didn't here). Beyond that Worrad's writing is quite beautiful at times and vivid sometimes to the point of discomfort. His world building is intriguing & felt unique even in a landscape currently saturated with grim dark.
I have to be honest if there was going to be a sequel for this book or more written in the world I would probably read it just to see if maybe he can learn from his mistakes and find a way to improve upon a solid foundation here.
TW: graphic sex, rapey vibes, implied sexual assault/abuse, inappropriate sexual behavior, mistreatment towards disabled individuals, homophobia, gore, violence, death
Does contain LGBTQ+ characters (some very minor)
February 2, 2025
I really cannot understand the negative remarks about this book, or the criticism flung at the author. Yes... it is sexual and has an attempted rape at the start, but it doesn't occur, and the rapist gets his just deserts.
Much of the sex is because of the nature of the commrachs - An elf-like species like a cross between cats and humans. The commrach females go into 'season' and the sex is just basic and second nature. It isn't glorified or derogatory. There is loving sex, but it is 'off page'.
The world building is top notch. The hierarchy of the commrach city is well explained, and of the way of the species, which is purity of blood... a bit like eugenics. This is something that Kyra, the main protagonist supports. Until she doesn't.
Kyra is a twin, and so is born, along with her twin Kyran to only love their gender. She Kyra likes females, and wears long boots to signify this. Kyran likes boys. They are ruled over hy their matriarch, their grandmother.
The story is told in to timelines. One in the present year (881) where Kyra is disgraced and a Pennyblade (mercenary) working on the 'main' (mainland) where humans live. One is 5 years in the past (776) and told on the 'isle' where the commrach rule, and tells of her finding love with Shen, and the events leading to her going to the mainland.
When the timelines meet, there were lots of surprises, at least for me. I never saw them coming, and I have to say that Worrad seeded the clues really cleverly throughout the story. Yes, there is sex... but it is integral to the plot and (to me anyway) wasn't overly graphic. Certainly not a 'male mastubatory fantasy' as one reviewer stated. It amuses me how many can read graphic, painful scenes of battle and torture, but a bit of sex makes them clasp their pearls.
To those who decry the events in this book I have to ask... why did you even bother?
I really enjoyed this book, and hope Worrad writes more in this world.
Much of the sex is because of the nature of the commrachs - An elf-like species like a cross between cats and humans. The commrach females go into 'season' and the sex is just basic and second nature. It isn't glorified or derogatory. There is loving sex, but it is 'off page'.
The world building is top notch. The hierarchy of the commrach city is well explained, and of the way of the species, which is purity of blood... a bit like eugenics. This is something that Kyra, the main protagonist supports. Until she doesn't.
Kyra is a twin, and so is born, along with her twin Kyran to only love their gender. She Kyra likes females, and wears long boots to signify this. Kyran likes boys. They are ruled over hy their matriarch, their grandmother.
The story is told in to timelines. One in the present year (881) where Kyra is disgraced and a Pennyblade (mercenary) working on the 'main' (mainland) where humans live. One is 5 years in the past (776) and told on the 'isle' where the commrach rule, and tells of her finding love with Shen, and the events leading to her going to the mainland.
When the timelines meet, there were lots of surprises, at least for me. I never saw them coming, and I have to say that Worrad seeded the clues really cleverly throughout the story. Yes, there is sex... but it is integral to the plot and (to me anyway) wasn't overly graphic. Certainly not a 'male mastubatory fantasy' as one reviewer stated. It amuses me how many can read graphic, painful scenes of battle and torture, but a bit of sex makes them clasp their pearls.
To those who decry the events in this book I have to ask... why did you even bother?
I really enjoyed this book, and hope Worrad writes more in this world.
March 24, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and Titan books for this eARC for review
Let me start off by first saying that reading more adult fantasy is a top goal for me in 2022. I've been slowly making my way through different adult authors and still looking for my "favorite" fantasy-style reads.
This review is structured a bit differently than my other reviews, in that I'm only writing under two categories: what I liked, and what I didn't like.
*warning: sex - I mean lots of sex, possibly cringy, vulgarity* *also there are a lot of potential trigger warnings*
What I liked: This story is all about two races being at war. We have the Main (mainland) with humans, and the Isle with Commrach (elves) We follow a couple of other subclasses such as Pennyblades (mercenaries) like our protagonist, Kyra. We follow her experiences through different timelines throughout her life, giving us a glimpse of what has shaped her personality and view of the world around her. I loved the character study here. Please know Kyra is not necessarily a character that we are supposed to admire or cheer, but the grit and realistic portrayal of a person that has been shaped by her experiences and environments is clearly depicted here.
What I didn't like: I could not connect with the main character. I don't know if it's a case of a man writing a female character? Whatever the reason, this is a great book for some people, I was just not one of these people. By no means is this a bad book, it just carried themes throughout that left me cringing and at times very uncomfortable.
I also appreciate a plot, which in this, there really isn't one - again it seems to be more of a character study which just isn't what I tend to gravitate toward in a high fantasy novel.
Let me start off by first saying that reading more adult fantasy is a top goal for me in 2022. I've been slowly making my way through different adult authors and still looking for my "favorite" fantasy-style reads.
This review is structured a bit differently than my other reviews, in that I'm only writing under two categories: what I liked, and what I didn't like.
*warning: sex - I mean lots of sex, possibly cringy, vulgarity* *also there are a lot of potential trigger warnings*
What I liked: This story is all about two races being at war. We have the Main (mainland) with humans, and the Isle with Commrach (elves) We follow a couple of other subclasses such as Pennyblades (mercenaries) like our protagonist, Kyra. We follow her experiences through different timelines throughout her life, giving us a glimpse of what has shaped her personality and view of the world around her. I loved the character study here. Please know Kyra is not necessarily a character that we are supposed to admire or cheer, but the grit and realistic portrayal of a person that has been shaped by her experiences and environments is clearly depicted here.
What I didn't like: I could not connect with the main character. I don't know if it's a case of a man writing a female character? Whatever the reason, this is a great book for some people, I was just not one of these people. By no means is this a bad book, it just carried themes throughout that left me cringing and at times very uncomfortable.
I also appreciate a plot, which in this, there really isn't one - again it seems to be more of a character study which just isn't what I tend to gravitate toward in a high fantasy novel.
July 1, 2022
Grimdark is a genre I tend to bounce off, so I was a bit apprehensive going into this, and some quite unpleasant scenes early on were off-putting (there is an attempted sexual assault in the first chapter, and a bit later on some really horrific ableism). However, I am very glad I persevered, because once it really got going I was hooked. The fictional world is well drawn and fascinating. The story has good depth and complexity, with a heartfelt romance at its core, nuanced characters, and insightful-but-not-in-your-face commentary on the real world.
Masks, literal and metaphorical, play an important role in the story: characters are often hiding their true selves behind superficial facades. And so is the book. As the protagonist's vulgarity and unpleasantness hides her inner sensitivity and vulnerability until her mask slips, so too does the book's gruesomeness obscure the work's emotional core and social commentary, until Worrad chooses to let the mask slip.
Discussing one of his novels, China Mieville said 'Part of the appeal of the fantastic is taking ridiculous ideas very seriously and pretending they’re not absurd.' That quote came back to me while reading Pennyblade. Worrad's fantasy race - the Commrach, elf-like humanoids related to cats - go into heat every year and become sex mad. Worrad has clearly spent a lot of time thinking how this aspect of their biology would affect the culture of an intelligent species as it developed civilisation. He's taken this ridiculous idea very seriously, and created a convincing culture for the Commrach, who are understandably more relaxed about sex compared to humans, and, being cat-like, are very up themselves.
There is a lot of sex in the book, which I would normally find quite tiresome, but I was impressed by the way Worrad described it. At no point did I feel like I was supposed to be getting aroused by what was being described; there was none of the cringe-inducing eroticism I normally expect from sex scenes. Instead, the sex is described with language that is a mixture of bluntly matter-of-fact and oddly poetic, which is at times hilarious, grim-in-a-funny-way. Tellingly, it is only the casual, meaningless sex scenes that are described; hidden 'off camera', but made reference to, are the private, meaningful, intimate acts between two lovers.
After finishing the book I'm better able to reflect on the unpleasant scenes I found off-putting near the beginning. I do think that having an attempted sexual assault in the first chapter was unnecessary and starts the book off on the wrong foot. However, the horrendous ableism serves a greater purpose within the story.
The Commrach civilisation in the book has a belief system like real-world eugenics. They are working towards 'the final countenance', the perfect form, and members of the society see themselves as vessels for the Blood to be passed on to the next generation through selective breeding.
I came to this book having recently read Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics, so the real world links were very fresh in my mind: eugenicist thoughts and beliefs have scarred our culture and society, and continue to influence those in power. In Britain during the pandemic, eugenicist ideas were being openly discussed and flirted with by people at the top of government. It is probably no coincidence that the virus was largely allowed to run rampant through care homes, and COVID patients with learning disability were often given blanket Do Not Resuscitate notices.
Worrad does not shy away from showing how unpleasant the eugenicist mindset is, and how damaging it is. These views, espoused early in the novel by the Commrach protagonist, highlight how unpleasant Commrach society is, and forms part of the protagonist's character arc throughout the novel. It also highlights a very real bigotry in our world - a bigotry that is more common than we'd like to believe, and one that is often forgotten. Worrad's fictional eugenicists are used to great effect in one particular scene (when the book's gruesome mask slips) to highlight the implicit eugenics of free market capitalism.
Overall I was extremely impressed by this book, and if you get the audiobook, the narrator does a frankly incredible job. I look forward to Worrad's next one.
Masks, literal and metaphorical, play an important role in the story: characters are often hiding their true selves behind superficial facades. And so is the book. As the protagonist's vulgarity and unpleasantness hides her inner sensitivity and vulnerability until her mask slips, so too does the book's gruesomeness obscure the work's emotional core and social commentary, until Worrad chooses to let the mask slip.
Discussing one of his novels, China Mieville said 'Part of the appeal of the fantastic is taking ridiculous ideas very seriously and pretending they’re not absurd.' That quote came back to me while reading Pennyblade. Worrad's fantasy race - the Commrach, elf-like humanoids related to cats - go into heat every year and become sex mad. Worrad has clearly spent a lot of time thinking how this aspect of their biology would affect the culture of an intelligent species as it developed civilisation. He's taken this ridiculous idea very seriously, and created a convincing culture for the Commrach, who are understandably more relaxed about sex compared to humans, and, being cat-like, are very up themselves.
There is a lot of sex in the book, which I would normally find quite tiresome, but I was impressed by the way Worrad described it. At no point did I feel like I was supposed to be getting aroused by what was being described; there was none of the cringe-inducing eroticism I normally expect from sex scenes. Instead, the sex is described with language that is a mixture of bluntly matter-of-fact and oddly poetic, which is at times hilarious, grim-in-a-funny-way. Tellingly, it is only the casual, meaningless sex scenes that are described; hidden 'off camera', but made reference to, are the private, meaningful, intimate acts between two lovers.
After finishing the book I'm better able to reflect on the unpleasant scenes I found off-putting near the beginning. I do think that having an attempted sexual assault in the first chapter was unnecessary and starts the book off on the wrong foot. However, the horrendous ableism serves a greater purpose within the story.
The Commrach civilisation in the book has a belief system like real-world eugenics. They are working towards 'the final countenance', the perfect form, and members of the society see themselves as vessels for the Blood to be passed on to the next generation through selective breeding.
I came to this book having recently read Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics, so the real world links were very fresh in my mind: eugenicist thoughts and beliefs have scarred our culture and society, and continue to influence those in power. In Britain during the pandemic, eugenicist ideas were being openly discussed and flirted with by people at the top of government. It is probably no coincidence that the virus was largely allowed to run rampant through care homes, and COVID patients with learning disability were often given blanket Do Not Resuscitate notices.
Worrad does not shy away from showing how unpleasant the eugenicist mindset is, and how damaging it is. These views, espoused early in the novel by the Commrach protagonist, highlight how unpleasant Commrach society is, and forms part of the protagonist's character arc throughout the novel. It also highlights a very real bigotry in our world - a bigotry that is more common than we'd like to believe, and one that is often forgotten. Worrad's fictional eugenicists are used to great effect in one particular scene (when the book's gruesome mask slips) to highlight the implicit eugenics of free market capitalism.
Overall I was extremely impressed by this book, and if you get the audiobook, the narrator does a frankly incredible job. I look forward to Worrad's next one.
July 30, 2022
So much I hated about this book, I need time. And I actually finished it
March 11, 2022
HIGHLIGHTS
~marriage-necklaces are awful
~twins are always gay, it’s a rule
~elite guard of post-menopausal women!
~never underestimate a nun
~masks, masks, masks
Pennyblade is a book that really shouldn’t have worked for me – because I do not read grimdark, and Pennyblade is, I think, grimdark.
But not very grimdark, in my opinion. Pennyblade is more crude than outright grim – I think it takes more than mud and shit and cursing to make a story grimdark, and the all-pervading sense of hopelessness and misery and people-are-awful,-always that is grimdark’s signature? Isn’t quite here. Pennyblade is sort of…sneaky-snarky-hopeful-maybe, under the mud and the blood. The ending, especially, left me grinning, and I don’t think grimdark really does that.
I don’t remember what convinced me to request a by-all-appearances-grimdark novel about a sapphic elf, but…probably it was the sapphic elf? Regardless, I’m so glad that I did, because Pennyblade is surprisingly awesome.
Pennyblade is narrated by Kyra Cal’Adra, a commrach (elf) who has fled the Isle of her people and now lives among humans on the mainland. The chapters alternate between two timelines; the events leading up to Kyra’s self-exile, and the mess she finds herself embroiled in while working as a ‘pennyblade’ – aka a sellsword or mercenary. The two storylines entwine in some very unexpected, clever ways, and although I was originally more interested in the earlier timeline set on the Isle, I ended up extremely invested in the ‘present’ timeline as well.
Reading about Kyra’s life on the Isle, it’s not at all clear why or how she left; the Cal’Adra’s are highbloods, nobility, and Kyra lives a very privileged life because of it. But those privileges come at a high price; namely, a complete lack of control over her own life. This isn’t because she’s a woman, but because she’s a highblood – one of those bloodlines that are being carefully cultivated by the unquestionable Explainers, with the goal being the Final Perfection – the ideal, perfected commrach.
Basically? Elves are eugenicists. Hardcore eugenicists. And obviously eugenicists are terrible, but it’s the total subversion of the Wise-Beautiful-Elevated Elves trope that delights me so freaking much! The commrach fit the trope in many ways – they’re faster and more graceful than humans, they have limited forms of magic, and their society doesn’t use money, has no homeless people, and are fully accepting of all flavours of queerness (Kyra herself is a lesbian, her brother Kyran is gay, and we meet or hear about bisexual, trans, nonbinary, and asexual characters). At first, they look so much better than humans (who are living in the squalor, violence and homophobia typical of Fantasy’s take on the Medieval period) that no comparison is possible…but bit by bit, that layer of gilding flakes away, revealing something much uglier underneath.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
~marriage-necklaces are awful
~twins are always gay, it’s a rule
~elite guard of post-menopausal women!
~never underestimate a nun
~masks, masks, masks
Pennyblade is a book that really shouldn’t have worked for me – because I do not read grimdark, and Pennyblade is, I think, grimdark.
But not very grimdark, in my opinion. Pennyblade is more crude than outright grim – I think it takes more than mud and shit and cursing to make a story grimdark, and the all-pervading sense of hopelessness and misery and people-are-awful,-always that is grimdark’s signature? Isn’t quite here. Pennyblade is sort of…sneaky-snarky-hopeful-maybe, under the mud and the blood. The ending, especially, left me grinning, and I don’t think grimdark really does that.
I don’t remember what convinced me to request a by-all-appearances-grimdark novel about a sapphic elf, but…probably it was the sapphic elf? Regardless, I’m so glad that I did, because Pennyblade is surprisingly awesome.
Pennyblade is narrated by Kyra Cal’Adra, a commrach (elf) who has fled the Isle of her people and now lives among humans on the mainland. The chapters alternate between two timelines; the events leading up to Kyra’s self-exile, and the mess she finds herself embroiled in while working as a ‘pennyblade’ – aka a sellsword or mercenary. The two storylines entwine in some very unexpected, clever ways, and although I was originally more interested in the earlier timeline set on the Isle, I ended up extremely invested in the ‘present’ timeline as well.
Whenever Kyran set out to acomplish something in life, life would step back and demur.
Reading about Kyra’s life on the Isle, it’s not at all clear why or how she left; the Cal’Adra’s are highbloods, nobility, and Kyra lives a very privileged life because of it. But those privileges come at a high price; namely, a complete lack of control over her own life. This isn’t because she’s a woman, but because she’s a highblood – one of those bloodlines that are being carefully cultivated by the unquestionable Explainers, with the goal being the Final Perfection – the ideal, perfected commrach.
‘You know, for all my people’s faults, not one commrach has starved or been without a roof in sixteen thousand years. And the emphasis there is sixteen thousand years. You creatures are lucky to make anything last a hundred.’
Basically? Elves are eugenicists. Hardcore eugenicists. And obviously eugenicists are terrible, but it’s the total subversion of the Wise-Beautiful-Elevated Elves trope that delights me so freaking much! The commrach fit the trope in many ways – they’re faster and more graceful than humans, they have limited forms of magic, and their society doesn’t use money, has no homeless people, and are fully accepting of all flavours of queerness (Kyra herself is a lesbian, her brother Kyran is gay, and we meet or hear about bisexual, trans, nonbinary, and asexual characters). At first, they look so much better than humans (who are living in the squalor, violence and homophobia typical of Fantasy’s take on the Medieval period) that no comparison is possible…but bit by bit, that layer of gilding flakes away, revealing something much uglier underneath.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
February 6, 2022
This very dark fantasy is set in a world with two races in conflict. On the mainland “The Main” are humans and on the “Isle” are the “Commrach” (aka elves) with halfbreed “Calibans” rejected by everybody. Humans are portrayed right out of the superstitious dark ages, complete with a rather strict moral code and a powerful church to enforce it. “Perfecti” are clerics that can perform actual miracles. “Pennyblades" are mercenaries for private hire (as opposed to an army). The Commrach are a decadent race that is brutally organized to the perfection of their race, with all individuality subordinated that goal. Rank is represented by the location and type of towers the serve as the family seat. I saw echos of Melniboné as the author gradually revealed the details of their society in flashbacks.
The main protagonist/antihero is Kyra, an exiled Commarch working as a Pennyblade on the Main. Her flashbacks are addressed to the ghost of her lost love (which was an interesting use of a first person perspective using a second person perspective … something generally hard to pull off). The flashback eventually converge with the present where Kyra is “recruited” by a sister Perfecti to help investigate rumors of an ancient evil (the commrach know them as the fomorg). She is teamed up with a halfbreed caliban (Nail) and another pennyblade with a history of betrayal (Shortleg).
The general impression is that life in this world is brutal and often short … supported by very course and frequently vulgar/sex oriented language that might put some folks off. I don’t generally enjoy such; and while I can understand the artistic merits for it, it was the main reason this didn’t get 5 stars (the story really is pretty good outside of that).
I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#Pennyblade #NetGalley.
The main protagonist/antihero is Kyra, an exiled Commarch working as a Pennyblade on the Main. Her flashbacks are addressed to the ghost of her lost love (which was an interesting use of a first person perspective using a second person perspective … something generally hard to pull off). The flashback eventually converge with the present where Kyra is “recruited” by a sister Perfecti to help investigate rumors of an ancient evil (the commrach know them as the fomorg). She is teamed up with a halfbreed caliban (Nail) and another pennyblade with a history of betrayal (Shortleg).
The general impression is that life in this world is brutal and often short … supported by very course and frequently vulgar/sex oriented language that might put some folks off. I don’t generally enjoy such; and while I can understand the artistic merits for it, it was the main reason this didn’t get 5 stars (the story really is pretty good outside of that).
I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#Pennyblade #NetGalley.
March 10, 2022
Reminds me of Wraeththu mixed with some Seven Blades in Black. I recommend the hell out of Sal the Cacophony, Wraeththu not so much. But if you've read those two, you've got a good idea of what's going on. With the politics of the Jackals (Scourge of the Betrayer).
If you haven't read those stories, don't stress. The main character is an elven woman who is born lesbian because she is half of a set of twins, and all female elf twins are lesbians. And this is a real thing, shut up.
Elven politics is wrapped around towers, as in actual buildings. You can gain power and prestige by moving to a better tower, as in pack up your stuff and move. But what about the family in that tower? This is where politics comes in. The families have some Game of Thrones style politics going on, including murdering a family member and blaming a neighboring family to start a street war.
Thanks to her own decisions and the politics of her grandmother, Kyra finds herself exiled to the lands of humans, where homosexuality is outlawed by a church that doesn't like elves in the first place. Needing money, she becomes a "pennyblade", a sword for hire, where she is really really bad at life. She struggles to get laid, can't get paid, doesn't get not-stabbed, its just a bad time to be Kyra.
Chapters alternate between present day (being blackmailed by the Church to accomplish a job) and her past (in the Elven city, politics, background, etc.).
Some serious topics come up for discussion, especially sexism and homophobia. Characters bring them up and discuss them like real people, not some afterschool special lazy writing (looking at you, Kadrey, https://sites.google.com/view/booksan...).
The ending isn't awful, but not as strong as the beginning and middle. The fantasy equivalent of a Scooby Doo villain being unmasked, and then some people get stabbed.
Overall, funny, irreverent, thoughtful, and fun.
**I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you haven't read those stories, don't stress. The main character is an elven woman who is born lesbian because she is half of a set of twins, and all female elf twins are lesbians. And this is a real thing, shut up.
Elven politics is wrapped around towers, as in actual buildings. You can gain power and prestige by moving to a better tower, as in pack up your stuff and move. But what about the family in that tower? This is where politics comes in. The families have some Game of Thrones style politics going on, including murdering a family member and blaming a neighboring family to start a street war.
Thanks to her own decisions and the politics of her grandmother, Kyra finds herself exiled to the lands of humans, where homosexuality is outlawed by a church that doesn't like elves in the first place. Needing money, she becomes a "pennyblade", a sword for hire, where she is really really bad at life. She struggles to get laid, can't get paid, doesn't get not-stabbed, its just a bad time to be Kyra.
Chapters alternate between present day (being blackmailed by the Church to accomplish a job) and her past (in the Elven city, politics, background, etc.).
Some serious topics come up for discussion, especially sexism and homophobia. Characters bring them up and discuss them like real people, not some afterschool special lazy writing (looking at you, Kadrey, https://sites.google.com/view/booksan...).
The ending isn't awful, but not as strong as the beginning and middle. The fantasy equivalent of a Scooby Doo villain being unmasked, and then some people get stabbed.
Overall, funny, irreverent, thoughtful, and fun.
**I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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