Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Blade Born

Rate this book
One young woman tries to save the world-or at least, the person she loves the most-from demons, old magic, family secrets, and cutthroat witches fighting for political power. Amelia Bishop is the last witch born to a powerful house. Raised by her kooky aunts, in a world where demons hunt witches for their magic, it's the responsibility of the strongest magic-wielders to fight the beasts who dare cross the border between Earth and Hell. Hunters like Amelia are made more powerful still when they bind their magic with a demonkeeper, a fighter with the power to contain and suppress demonic energy. A formidable alliance-except that Amelia refuses to forge such a bond. There's only one fate for a demonkeeper: execution by the very witch who fought by their side, when the keeper is inevitably overtaken by the demons they sought to contain. This is the future Amelia is trying to avoid at all costs. She is determined to save her best friend Alex Laveau from such a fate. But while Amelia searches for Alex's salvation, another powerful witch family-strong hunters, all of them-is murdered in their beds. Was it demons? The fey? A political rival? Or something they've never seen... If you love magic, mayhem, and fairytale retellings, you'll love this urban fantasy take on the Persephone-Hades myth. Dive right in and lose yourself the enchanting world of The Borderlands.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 19, 2022

17 people are currently reading
18 people want to read

About the author

Kory M. Shrum

53 books648 followers
USA TODAY bestselling author Kory M. Shrum has published more than thirty books, including the bestselling Shadows in the Water series.

She hosts two podcasts—Who Killed My Mother?, a true-crime podcast about her mother’s tragic death, and A Well Cared For Human, focused on practical strategies for wellbeing and personal transformation.

She also publishes poetry under the name K.B. Marie.

When not writing, speaking, or pursuing one of her 300 hobbies, she can usually be found under thick blankets with snacks. The kettle is almost always on.

She lives in Michigan with her equally bookish wife, Kim, and their rescue dog, Max.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
32 (71%)
4 stars
11 (24%)
3 stars
1 (2%)
2 stars
1 (2%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Bec.
240 reviews3 followers
December 17, 2022
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BLPB5H8J
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Timberlane Press (December 19, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 19, 2022

Fairies, Witches and Demons …Oh My! You’ll find all three, and more, in Kory M. Shrum’s newest series starter, Blade Born . The main character, Amelia Bishop, is a young woman, aged 22, who was born into one of the most magically powerful families of witches. Amelia Bishop, a direct descendant of the first witch, is a hunter of demons.

Kory once again creates a main character that’ll you’ll have no trouble falling in love with, and the secondary companions, her two aunts Demi and Arty, her ghostly sister, Phelia, and her best friend, Alex, are just as endearing. And of course the bad guys, both human and demonic, are just plain evil.

I read this in one sitting, which took most of a day and onto late in the evening. I probably should have read it over a couple of days, but I just couldn’t stop turning the pages! I needed to know what was going to happen next! A new series starter, Blade Born, stands on its own, but it definitely leaves the door open for these characters to continue battling the forces of evil!

Amelia’s story is as complex as the magic she wields and the relationships she holds most dear will directly impact the decisions she makes. Amelia is also bound by secrets even she doesn’t yet know about, and those secrets will be the most stunning reveal of all.
577 reviews5 followers
December 31, 2022
One young woman tries to save the world-or at least, the person she loves the most-from demons, old magic, family secrets, and cutthroat witches fighting for political power. Amelia Bishop is the last witch born to a powerful house. Raised by her kooky aunts, in a world where demons hunt witches for their magic, it's the responsibility of the strongest magic-wielders to fight the beasts who dare cross the border between Earth and Hell. Hunters like Amelia are made more powerful still when they bind their magic with a demonkeeper, a fighter with the power to contain and suppress demonic energy. A formidable alliance-except that Amelia refuses to forge such a bond. There's only one fate for a demonkeeper: execution by the very witch who fought by their side, when the keeper is inevitably overtaken by the demons they sought to contain. This is the future Amelia is trying to avoid at all costs. She is determined to save her best friend Alex Laveau from such a fate. But while Amelia searches for Alex's salvation, another powerful witch family-strong hunters, all of them-is murdered in their beds.
Fast paced ,action ,magic and great characters what more do you want to make a awesome story all you have to do is read the book.
Profile Image for Karen.
888 reviews10 followers
January 1, 2023
This intense fantasy/paranormal book took me awhile to get into as the world was being built. There are witches who capture demons, and their male counterparts keep the demons inside them until they can’t any more.

There was a flashback to another time and world, but most of this is in one setting/time. We learn more about it as the main character goes through some adventures, for lack of a better word, and as she ruminates. It works; I feel like I got the gist of it but not completely. Meanwhile, there are many things going on in the world as Amelia learns more. The novel has some ups and downs. Sometimes the characters seem incredibly naïve or shallow or resentful, depending on the person. Shrum drops clues slowly as Amelia looks for answers, until the climax and then it’s all danger and action. This is definitely an entertaining and gripping novel that’s hard to put down.
Profile Image for Stan Hutchings.
1,370 reviews24 followers
December 20, 2022
This is the story of Amelia Bishop, a young witch in a First Family household, run by her aunts Arty and Demi. She, along with Alex, her friend from childhood, and the family are Hunters of demons who come to this earth from Hell. She meets Ciel and begins the slow realization of who he is, who she is, their relationship, and eventually why the King of Hell is after her. It’s an exciting, non-stop, action-packed, adventure-romance-finding-oneself story. There are demons, monsters, Fae, witches, and other magical beings who work with her, against her, or for their own ends. It was difficult to put down once I started. It’s not a cliffhanger so you can go ahead and read it now but hopefully, it’s just the beginning of a new series.
Profile Image for James Slater.
72 reviews
December 29, 2022
Witches carry magic and some carry the oldest magic of all. Some are hunters and all they want to do is kill the demons. For Amelia hunting is a way of life along with the little bit of magic that she studies, but yet she's always been very good at magic.. is there a reason for this? Is she a witch? Or is she more than a witch? Is there something in the history of witches that most think are tall tales and it turns out are completely true? Is she a descendant of it? Or is she even more and that's why she's so adept at being a hunter?

Even if fantasy is not your genre, this book stands out as a really good read. I am not huge into the fantasy novels, but this one was well worth the time spent reading it. Pick it up today and find out when a witch is more than a witch....
Profile Image for Lynn.
126 reviews2 followers
January 8, 2023
The immortal tale!

How fitting that a story that sat in her heart for over a decade has a plot that spans time and space back and back and back to the very beginning!

Kory has done it again with a riveting world and story drawn together with characters that grip your heart or clench your fists!

Read the back of the book if you want to know what it's about. I'm only here to tell you that it is heavily recommended that you read the book because you will love it! AND of course to beg our omniscient word-slinger for a part two or a jump to sixty-five years in the future so I can have more of the world lore embedded in this universe. Kory, this is a place I'd love to explore more.

Also, when is the audio coming, cuz I would love to hear this narrated.

I love this book!!
55 reviews1 follower
January 31, 2024
Another triumph for Shrum

If already read Kory Shrum, this title will not disappoint. It is a bit of a departure from what I had come to expect from the author in setting, but not in enjoyment. Her fine art of storytelling is on great display. If you are a fan of more traditional fantasy and as a result, have not read much of her work, it is time to let her take you into this world. I cannot imagine you would regret it. My only regret is that it ended without a promised series.
101 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2022
Amelia a young witch and Alex her best friend who’s a keeper.
Amelia is trying to find a way to kill demons so Alex doesn’t have to keep them inside him.
She meets someone who kisses her and she starts having odd dreams. She’s trying to figure out what’s going on. I really enjoyed this story. I received the book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Which was quite easy to do. Read it and you’ll see what I mean.
Profile Image for Billie.
5,786 reviews71 followers
December 28, 2022
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
2,445 reviews
January 11, 2023
What a whole different world to experience with witches, demons, fey and I am not sure what else I might have missed in this suspense-filled clash between good and evil - Elysium (Heaven?) and Hell. Fascinating characters abound with lots of action, some humor, a bit of romance and angst along with a smashing ending. A total treat to read. Ms. Shrum knows her stuff and having read a number of her books (particularly the Lou Thorne series) I am an enduring fan.
Profile Image for Phthon.
2,354 reviews8 followers
December 28, 2022
Oh my goodness. This. Was. Phenomenal. I absolutely loved this story of the witch families. Bishops have always been my favorite. I could not put this book down, it was compelling, engrossing, and thrilling! I loved Amelia, her aunts, the Rowan House, Ibis…the characters were just perfect. I can’t say enough good things about this story. I loved it.
Profile Image for Terry.
226 reviews7 followers
December 28, 2022
Excellent - a must read. Kory has excelled herself yet again. I love her style of writing and imagination. Blade Born doesn't disappoint. Well written and full of action from start to finish with good, well fleshed out characters. I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily leave an honest review.
339 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2023
Blade

This was well worth waiting for, it's brilliant! Each character is fleshed out so well all I have to do is to shut my eyes to see them all. The story line(s) are seriously delicious, so much so as always, I'm going back immediately and read this all again. Thanks Kory for another strong, bold, marvellous female lead character!
753 reviews13 followers
January 10, 2023
Amelia has problems, demons and ghosts,for a start. A witch has to be careful. But who are the real demons?
This was a good mystery with evil characters and demon fighting thrown in. It does not resolve all the questions raised in the book but does resolve the basic mystery. It kept my interest to the end and I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Rosemary.
3,929 reviews72 followers
January 23, 2023
Blade Born - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

Kory M. Shrum's new Borderlands series novel, Blade Born, tells Lady Amelia Bishop's story as a member of one of the First Families in a coven of witches; she starts having strange, overwhelming dreams, in which she becomes a Queen - who must strike a bargain with the King of Hell himself, to save her loved ones.
What do these visions mean? Who's Ciel?

Treachery, revelations, secrets and lies all play a part in determining Amelia's future - and how it once was in another time and realm.

Thrill with anticipation for Kory M Shrum's supernatural, spellbinding story, as you follow a young woman's rites-of-passage adventures, against a background of evolving magic and romance. Get it now and tell all your friends!
Profile Image for Annemarie .
973 reviews22 followers
December 7, 2023
Another book crossed off of my TBR list.
Witches, demons, fae and even the King of Hell. What more could you possibly ask for, except perhaps a continuation of Amelia's story? I think this would make a great series.
Profile Image for Val Moss.
Author 1 book4 followers
December 28, 2022
So very good. The characters are fun to love and are fun to hate. Regardless it's a cool world and can't wait to see the series progress!
12.7k reviews191 followers
February 18, 2023
What a story as always. Amelia is the last of a special line of witches. Will she be able to stop the danger. Intriguing and full of surprises. How will this all turn out. Ready for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.