Deathbringer: The Spellswords Saga: Book One

The Spellsword Saga #1

by Blake Carpenter

Bloodlust, Book Three of The Spellsword Saga, is out now!

Inga Alenir is a Swordbearer. She is the latest in a long line of women to inherit a magical weapon called Deathbringer. She's also dead, murdered on her wedding day by the ruthless and covetous noblewoman Yenda Avard, who steals the sword after killing Inga and her entire family.

And yet, some secrets won't stay buried. Deathbringer has a will and a consciousness of its own, and even has the power to raise Inga from the dead for a short time. It warns her that she has one week to find and retrieve the sword before death reclaims her—permanently. With each day bringing her doom and final demise ever closer, Inga will have to see just how far she's willing to go to achieve her vengeance.

DEATHBRINGER is a compositional mix between the violent, grisly hunt for revenge in the film THE NIGHTINGALE and the tale of Vasher and his talking sword Nightblood in Brandon Sanderson's WARBREAKER . Fans of dark fantasy, of tragic love stories and tales about seeking revenge against long odds will enjoy this debut novel by Blake Carpenter in the world of Agareth where a scorned, young widow fights back against the powerful elites that wronged her, and begins a journey that might turn the entire world against her.

Winner of Upstream Reviews' Best of 2023 Golden Raygun Award!

What Readers are Saying About Deathbringer—

"Those who like tales of revenge with protagonists who do not lose their humanity or become permanently obsessed by it will enjoy this book. Anyone who wants to see other cultures portrayed in new settings and new ways will find it entertaining as well. The novel should appeal to fantasy fans everywhere but particularly those interested in Slavic and Russian milieus, as the story has the air of Anastasia about it. Those who want a new twist on familiar tropes should find this story quite engaging."
—Caroline Furlong, Upstream Reviews (

"I fell in love with these characters... If you love a good revenge story, it's so good. I had a great time with this one!"
—The Nerdy Narrative (

"I think this one is truly special... The world of Agareth is a vast and uncompromising one, being filled with dangers and factions striking out to meet their own ends, forging their way in a world which appears obsessed with progress. However, seeing our main protagonist, Inga, rise up to the challenge in spite of what’s placed in front of her makes it all the more compelling to read."
—The Lord Otter (

"Carpenter has a deft, confident style that pulls the reader in and keeps them there, connecting with the characters and exploring their world. He has crafted an exquisitely written, perfectly-paced, throughly gripping tale. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment. Highly recommended."
—S. Kirk Pierzchala, author of Echoes Through a Distant Glass, Harshest Dawn and more

K.D. McAllister, Amazon "Blake absolutely stuck the landing with a highly satisfying conclusion to Inga's tragic mission and by books end I was fully invested in her, the supporting characters, the BLADE LORE, and teases of what is to come. You can just tell Blake has so much more he wants to tell us! Buy this so that he CAN! 4/5 stars"

Genres: Fantasy

392 pages, Paperback

Published January 28, 2023

Reviews

[Lezlie The Nerdy Narrative]

This one found its way into my hands as part of my reading allotment as a judge for Phase 1 of SPFBO9. As soon as I read the book description to see that a sword named Deathbringer had a will and consciousness of its own, my gut told me I was going to love this one and that feeling proved RIGHT.

If I'm being honest, the book description really doesn't do its book justice - there is so much more for readers to get lost in!

"I am the blade of ruin. The slayer of men. All those who fall before me are slaves from beyond the grave." - Deathbringer

Deathbringer is a one of 14 Spellswords. The first Spellsword, Worldbreaker, was crafted to fight back against a threat of epic proportions. The other 13 were created to counter Worldbreaker. (I mean, right here Blake Carpenter has all he needs to give us a prequel to this series!!) Spellswords are passed from mother to daughter, always belonging to the same bloodline. Each Sword may only serve one mistress, so the daughter cannot speak the incantation to become Bearer until her mother has passed.

"Vengeance can be a worthwhile goal, Inga. But don't lose yourself if you go down that road - it's a dangerous one, and all you have to do is slip just once. If you do, you may find it hard to get back up again."

It's Inga's wedding day - the day that she leaves her mother to join Pyotr to begin their life together on the farmstead that has been her home for years. The happy couple is before all of their friends and family when Yenda Avard arrives with her soldiers to interrupt. The noblewoman is tracking down a rumor that brought her to the farm and does not hesitate to give the kill order - and the entire community is butchered. This event set the pace for the story and the action never lulled afterwards.

Deathbringer uses its magic to restore Inga to life, briefly, so that she may follow Yenda and reclaim her birthright as Swordbearer. Inga doesn't care about being a Bearer, she just wants vengeance. One thing Blake Carpenter does regarding this storyline that I really appreciated is Inga grieved. A lot of times when I read this trope, the character puts the events out of their minds, refusing to think on it and such - but Inga doesn't and that felt authentic to me. She misses the people she grew up with, the husband she lost - I was moved to tears many times when she would have a flashback or memory of Pyotr - it was a very nice touch to this story and as a result, I was fired UP for Inga to get her revenge.

I took so many notes regarding any mention of the Spellswords - their creation, history, how they worked, boons granted from being a Bearer - all of that because I absolutely plan to continue reading The Spellswords Saga. There were so many things teased regarding the Swords and even though Deathbringer played a large part in this story, I still don't know what motivates the Sword exactly. It's a thing - has no emotions, no morals of what's right or wrong - so will it make Inga go mad like it supposedly did to her ancestor, Katarina? What about the other Swords? Where is Worldbreaker, the one the other 13 were created to counter?

I loved the magic of the Swords and spell steel in general. I like how each item has its particular type of magic it can perform and they're all different and unique from one another. Deathbringer had some really cool things its magic allowed Inga to do, but those same things were also a bit frightening to contemplate. There was also a place Inga visited call The Veil - the realm between the waking world and the beyond - where humans can see the past, what might have been and what may be.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time spent with the story and I look forward to continuing the series and keeping an eye on Blake Carpenter going forward.

[Blaise]

Really a 3.5 but rounded to a 4 due to the ending. Interest approach to a revenge tale that is worth exploring. I’ll have a more in-depth review soon

[S. Pierzchala]

Inga Alenir is murdered on her wedding day over the possession of an historical artifact, the legendary Deathbringer sword. In a shadowy after-life, she learns she has a magical bond with this sword and is granted enough temporary life to try and track it down. Thus begins her epic quest to retrieve the weapon and avenge herself on a murderous, power-hungry thief before even more bloodshed descends on the world of Agareth.

While I was expecting a medieval fantasy setting, this novel is actually closer to the steampunk genre, with the action taking place in a mythic empire that has plenty of nods to Russian culture. The fact that it does take place in a more modern epoch helps create tension between those in the story who don't really believe in magic and curses any longer, and those who have witnessed deep mysteries with their own eyes, and are caught up in a centuries-old saga of greed and genocide. Another interesting facet to the world of Agareth is that it is a matriarchal society. The worst villains are women, with the male characters taking on supporting 'damsel-in-distress' roles. This not done in a preachy or contemporary way, and whether or not the author means to develop this theme into something larger in future volumes, it does set up a disquieting tension in this work.

Overall, I was absolutely delighted with the excellent world-building, which contains enough details to create a rich, immersive experience without being overwhelming. I was also captivated by Inga, who is resourceful and relatable, and found the tragic loss of her husband added depth to her character. The elements of horror and suffering are effective without being overdone. The prose is broken up between Inga's first-person narrative, and the third-person episodes with supporting characters, which helped add more texture and interest to the novel.

Carpenter has a deft, confident style that pulls the reader in and keeps them there, connecting with the characters and exploring their world. He has crafted an exquisitely written, perfectly-paced, throughly gripping tale. I am definitely looking forward to the next installment. Highly recommended.

[Blake Carpenter]

I wrote this, so I like it a lot.

Hopefully other people do, too.

[Patrick S.]

I have a hard time liking fantasy for the most part. But having read Carpenter's story in Periapsis Christmas 2 (a masterful story that I would love to read anything from an expanded story), I wanted to pick up anything by him. He did not disappoint with Deathbringer.

A darker world with elements of magic but also the technology of trains and firearms. This isn't steampunk per se, but those mid-19th/20th-century esthetic elements are there. A matriarchal society is in place but these aren't women who act like men; there are women who are high-born noble leaders who are hardened under the stress of ruling and leadership.

All characters are well-motivated and actions are believable to their personalities. There is no worry about reading about overpowered boss babes who hate men with politics of current day. They live and exist and act in the world as they have been established.

Carpenter writes the characters that you care about the story of each one, even the bad guys-I mean ladies. Our main character Inga has a great story arc. She loves a betrothed and when she experiences loss, she maintains that feeling as a real person would. She doesn't shake it off and moves to the main male lead, Kale. She loves with a love of someone who is a young married. And she also experiences thoughts of revenge of someone thrust from the small world she's accustomed to to a much, much wider world - and a metaphysical reality as well. Kale also is experiencing a change is accustomed reality and his story of sexual assault in a matriarchal society establishes a great motivation and psychological damage that makes him sympathetic to the reader (although I wasn't fully convinced until much later in the story he could be trusted. The main bad character is a great opposing force to our main lead. Her mother is also a great read and any moments reading her were tense and also understandable.

As for plot, Carpenter establishes well and sets off on the journey well. About 20% of the start of the journey has a little to desire in terms of pacing. It's not bad by any means just a different pace. I was a little leary at first with the idea of a talking sword (telepathically) and there was a power that's critical to the story that seems to be bestowed on Inga a little too convientially. Having it come up a little at a time through the journey section would have added to a more established turn of action.

The story moves so phenomenally well in the later part of the book - from the city to the end is nothing but greatness. I will also say that it is so difficult to convey fighting scenes to where it's not just "a collection of punches" or anime speeches between big moves. Not so the case here. Fights have weight and enough writing to make them action based but not every swipe of a sword or bullet fired has to be talked about. It seems clear that Carpenter seems to have some familiarity with combat fighting especially with bladed weapons. Carpenter has built the tension and he lets you have moments of breath before he rises it again. I did end up gasping, literally, in a moment of one of the final scenes - I was invested!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Carpenter's characters and writing. There's no getting bogged down in long family lines and there's a world built where there's enough detail given to you to know what you need to but there's more to explore. I will not only continue the series but be picking up pretty much anything else Carpenter has out there. A great way to kick off 2024 reading!

Final Grade - A

[Chad]

Deathbringer by Blake Carpenter was my thirty-seventh read from my personal SPFBO-9 TBR. This one was a bit of a flyer when I selected it for my list last year. The cover was intriguing. With that being said, I've since noticed there is a different cover. I'm not sure if this alternate cover is newer or just a different version but knowing what I do now, I think this alternate cover does give a better depiction of this story. I try not to let covers being a true deciding factor of whether I read a book or not. I would be liar though if I said there isn't some influence from this and I'm not sure if I would have seen this other cover if I still would have put it on this list.

With that being said, this one took me a bit of time to really get into and I wasn't sure if I would continue until probably about a third of the way in. I am glad that I did. This might not be a favorite read of min this year but it was still worth the time it took.

The pacing honestly started out a bit slow for me. I think the opening scene kind of caught me off guard. I just wasn't expecting such a scene with a title such as Deathbringer. After that it took me a considerable bit to really get into this one and decide that I was going to continue along with it, which I'm ultimately glad that I did. I didn't have any issues with names or locations within this read. However, there were a handful of editing issues sprinkled throughout. I don't feel this was a major issue but it did trip me up a couple of times as I reread the part to understand the actual intent.

The world building was really interesting in Deathbringer. The cultural twist as far as sexism roles kept things interesting though it did seem to get a bit redundant from time to time. I liked the idea it just seemed like it was thrown in the readers face a couple too many times. The fact that we had a good mix of social castes, regions and cultures certain made for a nicely fleshed out world though. We also get a bit of history brought up regarding the wars, leaders and weaponry of years past which is nice.

The character development was solid. Inga has her world turned upside down very quickly to start the story. She then ends up hyper focused on her goal throughout most of the remainder of the story until she truly begins to understand her gift or as some may say her curse. There were some really good supporting characters throughout the story as well. For those that survived book one, I'm interested to see what comes of them. Most importantly is what this all means for Inga though. Will she try to return to a more modest life similar to those before her wedding day, or will she begin to rebuild a long dead clan and have some true influence over the world.

Overall, I am still glad that I stuck this one out. It's certainly an adventurous story with some interesting characters. There is some poor treatment of characters either outright or eluded to and plenty of characters looking down on others due to sex or social standing which can get annoying at times. I do feel these moments did help contribute to the vibe the author was going with for the story though. I am interested to see where the story goes in the second book, even if it might not be a priority anytime soon.

I would recommend Deathbringer to readers who enjoy fantasy stories with a good amount of magic and a bit of darker culture with a twist. Especially if you're tired of the usual over dominate male characters taking advantage of female characters portrayed as weaker. That is the big twist for me in this read. Those tables are turned 180 degrees in this world.

[Kate Sibson]

It was alright and middle of the road. It starts with a fairly intriguing premise - Inga is murdered on her wedding day, along with most of her village. All murdered for a sword. But it is a magic sword and, even over the increasing distance, it can bring Inga back to life for a short period of time. Vengence is promised but first Inga must find her sword and reclaim it. Within a week. So far, so snappy. Good plotlines so why so average?

To be very fair to the author, I'm not really sure. As I said, the plot is pretty good and is brought up by some quite good prose. The worldbuilding, I think, is probably much better than there was chance to show here. Inga has to get her sword back in a week, so there is a fair bit of travelling. We get to see the areas surrounding Inga's village (commune might be a better work) and the city of Whitehold. It was ok. The lore of the swords and the wars fought over them is scattered through the book and we get inklings about it. Not much but enough to give you an idea. But then! The epilogue smacks you in the face with some serious reasons to read the second book. I thought "Oh! So this is where the worldbuilding had been hiding". The glossary is substantial as well, with some really nifty bits of information.

I get that when writing the first in a series, it can be hard to limit what you put in it. You can't put everything single thing that you have made up, as then you end up with one big infodump. In this age of " show, don't tell", that would be the bigger crime. It's just that the last chapter and the epilogue showed me how much work this author has put into this world and I want to read that! Even though this was good-to-middling, I will be looking to further books in this series. The suggestions are there that this could be an outstanding series with a slow start.

[M.]

I personally don't like the 5 star system, so I use the 10 star system instead. I personally rate this 8/10.

Strengths: It's technically amazing. Snappy, quick paced, action packed, and with memorable characters who are well written and well realized that feel like actual people. Also has a cool early 1900's Russian inspired semi-Steampunk setting which is super rare to see in Fantasy.

Weaknesses: Despite being impressed by the technical aspects of the writing and the skill displayed, I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters well. They always felt just a tiny bit closed off, as if you can almost see who they are, but they're hiding their real selves from you.

Despite the weaknesses, this is a great book and I would easily recommend it to anyone who likes Fantasy novels and swords.

Also, if you like the writings of Mark Lawrence or Brent Weeks, this will be right up your alley.

[I.]

I haven’t read anything quite like this before. The steampunk setting paired with a unique fantasy magic system, especially the mysterious spellswords and their personalities, makes for a compelling read. Characters have clear motivations; Inga’s introduction and arc stood out, and I understood Kale. The antagonist is effectively vile. The world feels broad yet distinctive, with a map and room for expansion. Two more books are already out, plus additional spellswords listed, so there’s plenty more to enjoy.

[Billy Rodriguez]

While a good overall story and concept, I was taken out of the story by poor editing. Also, I can't be certain, but several times, things were mentioned as having happened, and I didn't recall them actually being written; I'm not sure if I'd just forgotten them, if the author hadn't remembered to write them in, or if they just happened "off-screen". It gave a very "not planned out well" vibe. I intend to keep going with the series, but hope the author puts more care into future books.

[Katje van Loon]

Sword & sorcery, well-done matriarchal society, believable heroine on an epic quest of vengeance...what's not to love?

Now I just need to wait for the sequel...

[Justin Palmer]

So I was kind of expecting a medieval, sword to sword combat type book and I was surprised in the very beginning there were guns being shot and trains!!

This book has a really cool story going on. 14 swords and 13 were made to defend or defeat 1. So I know we will definitely get some more books out of this! By the way, the swords have abilities. ⚔️🗡️

It was a fast read and I’m really interested to see how this all plays out. There are things I still don’t understand and that’s a good thing sometimes. Makes me want more.

Go get this book and see what you think. Read it between your monster behemoth books you are reading.