Bound by Sword and Spirit

Loresmith #3

by Andrea Robertson

Ara and her companions are separated, and the world is in danger. The evil Vokkans are continuing their conquest of Saetlund and the world Ara is meant to protect. The only thing that can stop the wizards and the destroyer, Vokk, is Ara and her Loreknights. But she still has many to find.

Teth is captured—thrown into prison with none other than their betrayer, Prince Eamon. While he struggles with a shocking secret from his past, he must determine whether he can trust his former friend to help turn the tables on the dark wizards. Meanwhile, Eamon has to gather all his courage and wit to enact a secret plan to help his sister and redeem himself—no matter what.

As a battle to save their world approaches, Ara and her friends must rally their forces—some more mysterious than they ever could have imagined—and take back their kingdom, once and for all. Ultimately, they will change the future of Saetlund forever.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, High Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult Fantasy

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 16, 2023

About the author

Andrea Roberston (formerly Andrea Cremer) is the internationally bestselling author of the Nightshade series and of Invisibility, which she co-wrote with David Levithan. She is also the author of the Inventor's Secret trilogy. Originally from Minnesota, she now lives in California.

Reviews

[Katherine Bichler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wraps up the YA fantasy trilogy. Out of the three, I liked this one and book 2 the best.

Synopsis:
In this book, Ara continues to add more Loreknights to her crew to stop the Vokkans. Meanwhile, Teth has been captured and jailed with Prince Eamon, who betrayed them all at the end of Book 1. Eamon has a change of heart and tries to help his sister all while the the battle to save the kingdom is approaching. Can Ara save everyone?

This book pulled everything together and had a satisfying conclusion to the series. I liked the romance between Teth ad Ara as a subplot. There was a lot of build up to the final battle and I ended up liking Eamon in this book.

If you enjoy a battle driven quest like An Ember in the Ashes or Shadow and Bone, this kind of has the same vibe.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the ARC! 🗡️

[Allysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about nailing the ending! For a series leading up to an epic battle against evil wizards and a devouring god, this book delivered on all the action and emotion.
Ara’s quest lead her to great allies, and great romance, and helped show her and all of Saetlund the true power of their five gods. Teth proves to be a heroic warrior and a truly caring person, so much more than the thief he was introduced as. Naimeh finds her place as a leader and a warrior. Eamon realizes his errors and finds his courage through his knowledge and intelligence. Liran takes his place outside of the evil shadow of this family. All this and an epic war sequence, a truly magical show of power and Loreknights being incredible.
A truly enjoyable and epic series.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final installment of the Loresmith trilogy and it does not disappoint. Ara, the Loresmith, and her compatriots are finalizing their plans for what is hoped to be the final battle against the Vokkans and their god Vokk the Destroyer. Told from multiple 3rd person perspectives as the allies are separated until being united at novel's end. Two character aliases are revealed. Robertson's characters are stronger than her world building but the characters are the strength of this series with various clever twists and turns and the much anticipated show down is very satisfying and I was disheartened that I would not get to spend more time with these characters by novel's end. Recommended for high school teens who like character driven fantasies with some high fantasy elements.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Knives (and Swords and Axes) Out
BFF Charms: Yay x2
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Wrap-Up
Bonus Factor: Gods and Goddesses
Anti-Bonus Factor: Awful Grownups
Relationship Status: Like You Forever

Read the full book report here.

[Madie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have the same criticisms about this book that I did about the other two. The story was dragged on when it really didn't need to be. This easily could have been a duology. I definitely appreciated the varying POVs (if you can call it that?), and I feel that they added a lot to the story. However, they did cause the story to drag on unnecessarily. Unfortunately, I don't think this book was as good as the previous installment, but I do think it was as good as the first book. I wish the epilogue gave us a more satisfying ending, but I'll take what I can get. I did really enjoy this book and this series, and I think any fans of YA fantasy should give it a try. Even though it seems to be a little unpopular, that definitely doesn't speak to the quality of the story.

3.75/5 stars

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only flaw is it's over

I have loved this series from page 1 book 1. I'm incredibly sad it's over. I loved all the characters so much and the storyline was fantastic. As an avid fantasy reader, I love seeing a female hero, and a blacksmith to boot. I'm especially fond of Fox and Huntress. So here is my plea to the author......PLEASE BRING THESE CHARACTERS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dreams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ending was everything that I could hope for and more. You pick up right where book 2 ends and it is fast paced from start to finish. There were a few surprised throughout which I loved and everything came full circle. The last battle was fantastic. Definitely recommend this trilogy.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Good finale to the trilogy, but it read a little too fast for me to savor.

Check out my review at Forever Young Adult.

[Kirstyn (readwithkirstyn) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was cute and added to the rest of the series well enough. For some reason I never felt fully engaged by the story, and I'm unsure why, I just couldn't fully get into it. I do think the authors writing style is great, - I just wish this grabbed my attention more.

[Aubrey Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid end to a decent series. I wouldn't rave-recommend it, but since all three books were available with no wait at my library, I'd say it was a nice filler while waiting for other holds. [Audiobook]

[Amanda Rychtarik · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I liked this book the best out of the three. I actually ended up liking Eamon in this book. I also liked how the romance took backseat to the action in this series. It was good romance, but the action parts were just better.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful conclusion to the series. Definitely a bit of a tear jerker, but I really enjoyed the way everything was wrapped up in this book.

[Kallan Neddeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A

[Mahan Air · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[As You Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good conclusion; I just wish I had read all three of these in one go.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.25 stars