Blade of Hope (Book of the Virago, #1) (2024)

Rating- 4 Stars
Many thanks to NetGalley, S.E. Babin and Xpresso Book Tours for letting me have a copy of this book and allowing me to give my honest review of this book.
(Kindle Unlimited)
Trigger Warning -Please be mindful I have mentioned of SA in this review- be cautious

After the destruction and terror the kingdom of Thornwood has done in order to seize power, Nova flees the village with a baby called Harlow where she is surrounded by dead bodies. A little baby who is someone that needs to be protected. The girl who can save them all. Harlow and Nova makes a life together before Nova finds a village where they move in with a couple who can not have children. The couple adopted them as their own. Thirteen years later, Nova has disappeared and her foster parents have died of fever. With nobody left in the village, Harlow leaves the village clutching a note that her sister has left for her. A note to tell Harlow to go to the castle and find work there. At the castle, Harlow finds work as a maid but a oppournity arises where she is asked to become part of the Virago. Will she find her sister? Will she find out why she disappeared so many years ago?

This book was a enjoyable fantasy read. It was full of plot twists- some of which I was not expecting at all. As the first book in the trilogy, this definitely started the series off strong. This book is marked at YA which I do feel is a bit low for this book. Granted that the female main character is fifteen years old, I do think some of the themes are quite explicit for YA. They do not go into details but SA was mentioned quite a lot throughout from threats and history. I am aware that this can happened in real life but I feel uncomfortable with this being recommend as YA. I would rather say this is upper YA or NA.

I also really liked the side characters through this novel too. I really enjoyed Bloom and can not wait to see her in future books. The way they all worked together and then came at the end. At the end it came together and feels like there is going to be a found family that will carry on the future books. I am looking forward to seeing this. Furthermore, I am also looking forward to the sapphic romance between Desminda and Harlow as well in the future book.

This book was fast-paced and full of twists and turns. I did feel there was issues with the way the chapters were set out.. I was often confused on how the chapter was about and had to check many times. It would have been easier if the characters name was at the top of the chapters. It would have been a lot easier to understand.. Flashbacks would also have been easier if they were made clear.. With that being said, this was a enjoyable fantasy read and I can not wait for Book 2 at the end of the year..

ARC - NetGalley (Thank you so much for letting me read blade of Hope!)

The Kingdom of Thornwilde ( or should I say Queendom) is a place of secrets, lies and banned magic. The main character Harlow is a 15 year old girl who is left all alone after her sister Nova leaves her without reason and her foster parents die of fever.
Harlow is left with a stone and a letter stating to find work in the castle...little does she know her world is about to change immensely right when she walks through those castle doors. From whispers of love that cannot be requited, to prophecies of a girl that will make magic come alive.

f you love books with magic, secrets, betrayal, and powerful female characters then this is for you!

I cannot wait to continue to read this series...I need more NOW!

EDIT: I am going through my reviews and I simply do not agree with this review anymore. I am lowering my rating by one star down to 2.5 because when I remember my internal monolgue while reading this, it was...not pleasant. There are some serious pacing issues and I was not a fan of the prose--this book was not bad but it also was definitely not for me!

First I have to say thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for the e-arc—I very much appreciated it! Now for my feelings about the book.

I think it would be more correct to say I rate this book a 3.75/5 rather than 4 stars for a couple reasons. Initially when I started the book, I was concerned for how I would feel about it. In my opinion, the first 90ish pages have some pretty major pacing issues which made the story a bit difficult to digest. It felt as though there was so much exposition trying to be put into the very beginning that it was a bit rushed and all over the place. Now, after page 90 and definitely by the training arc, the pacing had resolved itself and seemed to progress at a good speed. I’m so glad I kept going because after the pacing resolved itself, I found the story quite enjoyable!

This story has a strong, female lead who relies on nobody but herself. I did quite enjoy Harlow’s character and her interactions with the other people in the story. I specifically found her relationships with Shade and Melara to be quite interesting. I did find at some points that the characters were quick to kindness towards Harlow despite how they were described by others—specifically the royals. I understand that they may have been using friendship as a weapon against Harlow, but the way it was executed felt a bit off to me.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of the book and thought it was a nice read. I look forward to seeing how the author continues the series and once again am so glad I was able to read the e-arc of the book—it was enjoyable!

SPOILERS

Review: Author ruminating…”Blade of Despair……hmm, Blades of Desire…nah too kinky. Blade of Revenge! I got it, er…..blade of hope. Yeah, just one blade that is hopeful and stuff. Catchy am I right?”.

“Oh Harlow Jean, you are so beautiful and perfect! Why is it that we all know that you will one day save us all!!”. Nothing like obvious foreshadowing to start the novel. Harlow Jean has had a rough life but still manages to be oblivious when it counts. Can you say plot device? Now, we cannot forget Nova Roberts whom has all these speshully dark-shadow powers but manages to get knocked on the head and raped. Riiiiiight. Most of the scenes are an obvious and patterned series of events that lacks logical progression. “Oh gee, I need to get a job at the castle. I will render this mean girl unconcious with a stick and take her clothes” and VOILA!!”.

Within the first ten minutes of Harlow Jean getting in the castle she gets a speshul golden key to the showers from a naked lesbo Princess and has a hunky red-haired aristocrat from the ROSE EMPIRE in her room asking pointed questions. And what does Harlow Jean say to this? “I don’t know why, but I FEEL LIKE I KNOW HIM”. Fug. Within 2 hours of entering the castle, she is recognized by royalty as being the ONE WHO COULD DESTROY THEM ALL!!!! And ask her to become a She-Viagra Warrior Xena Magic Princess, dedicated to protecting the um, current Princess while they both crush on eachother. MEOW! Eew. Harlow Jean also has deep connections at first meetings with Shade, a boy on a Roof, a boy in a barn, a Princess, the future King, Melara, and a Horse.

I had to force read this farce to lend a viable review not truncated with guesses. There is a huge continuity issue as well where a band of starving girls chases everyone away from the castle. Team Viagra gets their butt beat by a band of half-trained starvlings and a cruel princess? Where is the palace guard? Where are the soldiers?

This novel uses story line compression to cram everything possible into a chapter to move it along. Really inventive as it thrusts you into the world with bold clarity. I despise my mind-tool for liking this show.

Rating: 3.8/5

This is a good book to a younger audience or for those who’re wanting to dip into fantasy. It was a very easy read and it captivated me right at the beginning of the story. However, I felt like the middle of the story was lacking something to it.

We have a story with a war between kingdoms and hidden identity vibes, found family, a bit of romance, magic, intrigues, and betrayal. I found the POV a bit confusing at times since I couldn’t figure it out which POV I was reading.

Overall, we have a good world building without the usual confusion in understanding it but the POV’s switches were a bit too much. I enjoy it because it was full of secrets, lies, intrigues and banned magic.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

Summary: In a world where magic is forbidden and treachery lurks in every shadow, Harlow finds herself thrust into a world of court politics and deadly secrets. Tasked with protecting the royal family as part of the Virago, she navigates a web of betrayal, awakening powers within herself that could change the fate of the kingdom. With allies and enemies alike, Harlow embarks on a journey to uncover the truth and reclaim her destiny.

Pros:
🌟 A commendable three and a half stars rounded up for a captivating story! Babin weaves a tale filled with engaging characters, from the enigmatic Harlow to the lethal but loyal Shade. The dynamics between characters add depth to the story, keeping readers hooked till the last page.

😄 The worldbuilding is great, immersing readers in Thornwilde's politics and magic. From glittering court scenes to clandestine plots, the setting serves as a rich tool for Harlow's journey of self-discovery.

🔮 With elements of found family, romance, and betrayal, "Blade of Hope" offers a smorgasbord of fantasy delights. The promise of magic and the unraveling of secrets keep the plot simmering, leaving readers eager for the sequel's release.

Cons:
⚔️ While the story grips readers with its twists and turns, the pacing falters in some parts, akin to a knight stumbling over uneven terrain. Moments of lull disrupt the otherwise steady flow of the story.

🤔 The use of differing character POVs may prove confusing at times, akin to a magical mirror reflecting multiple images simultaneously. While providing insight into various perspectives, it requires readers to juggle multiple viewpoints, occasionally leading to a tangled mess.

In conclusion, despite its minor missteps, "Blade of Hope" is a wonderful addition to the fantasy genre, with S.E. Babin wielding her storytelling blade skillfully. The promise of a sequel hints at a deeper exploration of Thornwilde's secrets, leaving me with anticipation akin to a knight preparing for battle.

Disclaimer: A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and S.E. Babin for the ARC. All opinions expressed are a product of my own enchanted musings, and the magic within the pages is solely credited to the talented sorceress, S.E. Babin. 📚✨

Thankful to have received a NetGalley arc of this in ebook.
Hidden identities, warring kingdoms, and training for a badass all girl army? Sounds good to me!
3.5 stars, Blade of Hope was a quick read and I feel it leaves a great deal to be explored (which I wouldn’t say is a bad thing for an expanding series)
Character POV’s kind of bounced around a bit and I found myself having to re read because I wasn’t sure who it was reading as.
Characters were likeable and I’d like to learn more about them and their relationships.
I did enjoy the book and look forward to finding out where this story will go!

˚₊ ❥ 𝟑/𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 」

A group of misfits with a strong female lead—I loved it. I did get confused in some areas when reading about the past. It had some romance; which can never go wrong in a fantasy. The only part I'd say needed some slowing down was the beginning, but eventually it got better, and I can’t say I was disappointed.

This was a fun read! I'm not entirely sure if this is a YA or NA Fantasy, but for the most part in reads like a YA. There are a couple darker subject matters that make me think it could lean into NA, but they're not too explicitly explained so this could still be YA. Either way it was still an enjoyable fantasy read.

Harlow Fischer is a 15 year old orphan, who makes her way to the castle in Thornwilde in search of her adoptive sister, Nova. She is drafted into the new Queen's guard, the Virago, personally picked by the future queen and her guard, Shade. It is during her training that her and Shade find a treasoner who has infiltrated the castle in an attempt to overthrow the Queen. Can they successfully find the treasoner and save not only the Queen, but the entire Queendom of Thornwilde?

🛑🛑 Minor Spoilers ahead, you have been warned 🛑🛑

I like Harlow and Shade as characters, and I wish we got a little more of their relationship. We are told through Shade's POV that he was tasked by Harlow's bio father to protect her, and I wish we got more scenarios in which Shade actually had to protect her. Not necessarily physically, but maybe someone is close to figuring out who she is and he needs to steer them in another direction. For the most part she is conscripted, trains with Shade, and we get Shade's inner dialogue about needing to protect her for her father's last wishes. But it's not really up until the point where Celeste comes to kill the Queen and Princess that he does any real action, and at this point it's to save the Queen. Sometimes I also forget that he is over 30, if not 40, because he sometimes reads as a love interest. Not explicitly because he's not supposed to be, but sometimes the way he thinks about his need to protect Harlow or her descriptions of him make it seem like he could be a potential love interest. I don't think this is what the author intended and maybe it's because I've read too many NA Romances recently so I was looking for it.

Piggybacking off of the love interest train, I also wish we got a little bit more of the budding romance for Harlow. I know it's supposed to be just a crush in this story that I hope gets explored a little more in the sequel, but there were only like 2 or 3 instances where this crush was explored or even mentioned. I like the direction they are heading in, but I just wish we had a little more opportunity for coincidental run-ins, accidentally brushing their hands against each other, pining when they were alone, etc. Just a little more build up for what's being set up.

I also think that Babin could be repetitive in her description. Every time Harlow or Nova are mentioned the same descriptors are used to describe their eyes, hair, & skin. There are also times where she'll use phrases like "scarlet hair," "riot of color," "cool night air," etc multiple times within a couple paragraphs. There's also a handful of continuity errors, a character standing up but then described with their feet up, things like that. Just things that could have been cleaned up.

Besides that, I think Harlow is a strong young woman who has endured so much but still hasn't let that tarnish her world view or aspirations for herself. She has learned a lot throughout her training in the Virago and it sets us up for what (I Hope) will be an epic sequel.

Would I re-read? Probably not, I'm super particular about the books I re-read. But I still enjoyed my first read through!
Will I continue the series? Yea, probably! It looks like the sequel is set to come out in November so I shall be waiting until then.

Big thank you to S. E. Babin, Oliver Heber Books, & to BookSprout for this eARC! I'd love to be considered for the sequel ;)

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚♡ 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

"𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐰," 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐦. "𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝." 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞,
"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞." 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧. "𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝."

If you want to venture into fantasy, this is a good book to start with. Blade of Hope allows us to discover a young girl who tries to survive as best as she can.

Following the death of her foster parents and the disappearance of her sister, Harlow must survive alone.

And she does it quite well.

This book gives us a main character who will become a little stronger every day. Harlow trains, she fights. The great thing is that even though she gets her magical power from heredity, she's not powerful overnight. She train to gain her power.

And again, I'm sure that in the next book she will become much more powerful. Because in Blade of Hope, she's only discovering what she's capable of. This is one of the points that I liked, the story takes its time, lays the foundations.

We learn about the world, about the characters, about their relationships with other characters and it was great.

The only negative point I find in this book is the points of view? Sometimes I had trouble knowing on which point of view a chapter began? Especially since sometimes we went from the point of view of one character to another in the same chapter.

It was a little disturbing but not necessarily too disturbing.

On certain points like magic, I would have liked to have more explanations. I would have liked us to be able to discover in depth the type of magic that exists in this universe. But I think that will surely be the case in the future.

Regarding the plot twists, there aren't many. Surely because the book is a kind of introduction? A few times, however, I was surprised, not expecting the story to take this turn.

Especially at the end, I didn't expect it.

Overall, it's a good book, the story is good and coherent, the writing style is pleasant to read.

I can't wait to discover the rest of Harlow's adventures.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Blade of Hope Review (ARC)

My rating: 3 ⭐️
Spice: 🚫 (thank goodness since it’s a YA book)

Overall, this book was an easy read and is definitely recommended for a younger audience who is wanting to dip their toes into fantasy. Personally, I found the beginning and the end of the novel to be more interesting, with the middle unfortunately falling a bit flat which resulted in skim reading. I enjoyed how Harlow was rather stubborn and strong-minded and her relationship with Shade and Melara. Some characters, particularly the royals were described as sounding awful, however, that wasn’t quite the case with Desminda and Harlow? The character’s POV got a bit confusing as it wasn’t labelled which character’s POV it was meant to be in, which resulted in a bit of confusion and re-reads. In addition to that, personally, I got a bit confused when it changed to Slade’s POV in one scene in particular whether it was in the past or present day.

This novel contains found family, romance, magic, and betrayal.

This book features a 15 year old, Harlow, who was orphaned as an infant after a tragedy which impacted her village. She grew up in a time where magic was banned, however, knew of its existence thanks to her sister, Nova. After Nova abandons her and their foster parents dying due to a fever, Harlow finds a cryptic note left by her sister urging her to find a job at the castle in hopes to reunite again. Harlow was selected to train as a Virago-an all-female guard sworn to protect Princess Desminda. She agrees in hopes to reunite with Nova, her one goal to reunite with her family. Upon meeting a Bard, Harlow’s life is thrown into chaos where she uncovers her whole life may have been a lie, and those closest to her may have betrayed her.

If you like book that contain:
🗡️ Multiple POVs
🗡️ Strong female character(s)
🗡️ Hidden identity
🗡️ War between Kingdoms/Queendom
🗡️ Elite all-girl army

This book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

⚠️ Just a heads up, this book does contain the mention of SA and violence ⚠️

"Blade of Hope" is a good, though not quite great, fantasy book. While I found this in the romance section of NetGalley, I would in no way call it a romance. There are hints of attraction between various pairs of characters but interactions between these duos rarely rises to even flirting and there is zero (loving) physicality in this book. I believe it is intended as a YA fantasy, though the sexual violence that occurs at several points in the book make me recommend it to the older range of YA readers.

This is the story of fifteen-year-old Harlow, who is apparently destined to bring magic back to her queendom. Harlow is reactive rather than proactive, which can perhaps be explained by age. After showing some initiative at the story's start, she then allows others to determine how she moves forward - Shade, Astrid, etc. She is mostly interesting through the perspective of others, which is not a good thing when she is supposed to form the crux of the story.

And the story, while it kept my interest, was slow at times, lightning fast, and rather confusing. We learn towards the end that somehow a year has passed - what? How? The story in no way tracked the passage of this amount of time, and I was left thinking we must not have been privy to a heck of a lot. And I am still a bit confused about who is really bad in this story - is it the Queen? The King? Both? Anyway. The ending was predictable, and sets up for the next installment in the series, though I wouldn't call it a cliffhanger - it didn't have enough impact to properly be labeled as such. All that said, I did want to keep reading and I would pick up the next book.

3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are all mine.

A fun start to what has the potential to be a wonderful YA series.

Blade of Hope follows Harlow, an orphaned girl searching for her adoptive older sister in a Queendom without magic. In searching for the long-missing Nova, Harlow ends up within the castle and finds herself training to become a member of the elite queen's guard, the Virago. As she trains, Harlow realizes that her origins may be more than that of a wartime orphan and that Desminda, the heir to the throne, may know more about her and the state of the Queendom than is evident.

This book moves at a relatively slow pace, introducing us to a host of characters as well as the world and politics around them. At times, this pacing can be a little uneven, with large chunks being spent on the training and not as much as the relations of the regions and reasons for magic being suppressed. This may be wonderful for those new to fantasy or for those not wanting to delve into the politics of more complex high fantasy. There are a few perspective changes throughout the story, as well as flashbacks to past events that are used to inform the present day storyline. These were a bit confusing at times and some did take me awhile to figure out when and where they fit into the timeline.

Overall, Blade of Hope sets the stage for what I think will be an exciting YA fantasy series. I am looking forward to future books where the stakes are raised, the characters are explored more in depth, and we see how Harlow evolves. 3.5 stars.

Thank you for NetGalley for the ARC

Blade of Hope got me hooked from the first chapter. The description of how gruesome war can be, and how just one brave girl can save another, made me want to immediately read the rest of the story.

Sisters Nova and Harlow escape their war-thorn village and seem to have built a life for themselves with their new foster family. However, soon it is revealed that after a decade or so, Nova has left her little sister for reasons yet unknown and Harlow is left to fend for herself once their parents die. Leaving for the castle of the queendom the sisters live in, Harlow eventually ends up in an elite group of female guards called the Virago who are trained to protect the future queen.

I loved Harlow’s character was a mix of her no-nonsense attitude with a dose of young naivety sprinkled on. It helps to show how the main character can grow throughout both this book and the rest of the series. In addition, the timeline in which these girls are trained to be warriors/guards is way more realistic than most other books I’ve read and I appreciate that we readers can follow Harlow’s growth as both a young woman and a Virago throughout the course of an entire year. Add in a few interesting side characters, such as the loyal guard Shade and a fellow virago called Bloom, and you have all the elements for a page-turning fantasy story.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who love reading fantasy with a dash of adventure, magic, and finding your chosen family.

- This review was based on an Advanced Reader Copy

ARC REVIEW

In the magic-banned Kingdom of Thornwilde, Harlow, a teenage orphan searching for her missing sister, finds herself thrust into a world of court intrigue and hidden powers. When she catches the eye of the future princess and her elite guard, she's offered a chance to join the Virago, a prestigious all-female force tasked with protecting the royal family. However, secrets and betrayal lurk within the castle walls, and Harlow soon discovers she possesses magic within herself, forbidden and dangerous. As she uncovers a plot to overthrow the queen, she must choose sides and fight for her own survival, the princess's future, and the fate of the kingdom. This is only Book One of the Virago Series, so it sets the stage leaving unresolved questions and cliffhangers for future books.

This book was so fun to read. The character development of Harlow is great and the secrets you learn throughout the book just keeps you engaged and entertained to keep reading. The Thornwilde 'Kingdom' is so fascinating filled with so many interesting people, I just couldn't wait to learn more about everyone and all the cool places within the kingdom. The Virago give off this Dora Milaje from Wakanda vibe, which is really cool. Lots of strong female characters in this book. There are multiple POVs throughout the story which can get confusing if you're not focused enough, but that's a minor thing. Overall, this was a great read and I cannot wait to continue the series.

“Treachery rots the Kingdom of Thornwilde from within. A teenage girl may hold the key to its salvation.”

YA Fantasy
Romance
Magic
Guard training
Secrets & betrayal
Friendship
Hidden power
Found family

Blade of Hope follows a 15-16 years old girl Harlow who grew up in a kingdom where magic was banned. After her foster parents die she goes to find a work in the castle but instead of working as a maid she ends up
training as a Virago - an elite all-female guard tasked with protecting the royal family.

Harlow is a strong character with interesting backstory. She ends up finding out that everything she knew about her life might be a lie. The book follows her learning more about herself and the world around her.

The supporting characters were also well written with interesting backgrounds.

I would have liked to see more world building. The pacing of the book was fast and at times I would have liked it to be slower so there would have been time to explain and explore things more. There were some jumps between past and present which made the timeline a bit confusing at times.

The book was told in multiple pov and sometimes it was hard to know who’s pov it was.

Overall this was a fast and easy to read fantasy book with okay world building and interesting plot.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.

Blade of Hope follows Harlow, a 15 year old orphaned girl. She is in search of her sister in a Queendom who has lost its magic. In her search she ends up at the castle training to be a guard for the future queen and learns she doesn't know the truth of her origins.

This book is a good start for the series. I did enjoy this, even though the pacing is on the slower side. Multiple pov, although I didn't always know who's pov it was. I feel that the information given was sometimes lacking. There were times something came up and I didn't know what they were talking about. As if it had been brought up earlier in the story but it had been forgotten to be written in. Also, a year had gone by at the end of the book, but there was no indication throughout that it had been this long. And being that it had been this long, shouldn't there have been more happening? Shouldn't Harlow have found out more? I felt like she was suppose to be training while figuring things out, but there didn't seem to be much about any of her training. It just seemed like there were chunks missing in areas.

But overall it was a quick, easy read. I did enjoy it and look forward to reading more in this series to see how it progresses. This is a good start to a series with potential. Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc of this book.

2.5/5

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The journey to discovering oneself, nurturing secret magic powers that are forbidden, fantasy politics, badass female warriors, queer romance, and all while on a quest to find a missing family member? Sign me up!

I forgot to check the content warnings, so don’t be like me, unless you’re in the mood for unpleasant surprises.

The story was told in multiple character POV, which is lovely, but sometimes it was unclear as to when the narrator switched, and I was horribly confused. There was also lack of clarity for when some parts of the story were told in flashback.

I wish that there had been more exposition for the setting and magic system in this world. We get a map, and that’s about it for world building. I spent too much time trying to piece together the setting, that I wasn’t able to become fully immersed in the story and the characters’ experiences.

Overall, I wanted more connection and dialogue between characters. I think the strongest relationship was between the protagonist and the horse (which isn’t bad, but I wanted the same attention spent on her relationships with her peers/rivals/mentor/love interest). There was also very little romance; I love a good slow burn, but it was disappointing, since the queerness was what originally piqued my internet in reading this story.

This series has the makings to be phenomenal, and this book could be the perfect setup for the sequel that knocks my expectations out of the park. And I’m really hoping it does. As part of the ARC team for this novel, I am thankful to Oliver Heber Books for this opportunity.

3.5 STARS.

A YA fantasy novel which I can see my younger self enjoying more. The story follows Harlow, a 15yo orphan who's been raised by her sister, Nova. Harlow must navigate being a part of a kingdom where magic has been banned since she was a baby. She trains as one of the princess's warriors and we get to know her trainer, Shade along with a few other important characters.

Parts of this book intrigued me and had me hooked, while other parts felt a bit slow. I think my biggest issue with this book was not only that there was confusing switches between povs (it is written in 3rd pov and wouldn't indicate who's closed pov it was) but also that it would switch between past and present leaving me occasionly lost.

Overall I did enjoy reading this book. It had secrets, an independent mc, interesting relationships, and some fun world building.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved Blade of Hope! The plot was intriguing and I liked the different characters, I think they all complemented each other to bring the story forward.

I enjoyed following Harlow along as she tries to find her way back to her sister, Nova. From leaving her home, to getting employed in the castle as a maid, only to end up getting enrolled as part of the Virago, the female guard who will be responsible for the future Queen's safety. She learns a lot about herself and her heritage along the way, and discovers that everything she thought she knew about magic is not entirely true...

My only complaint is that the timeline was a bit confusing. Except for Harlow and the Virago, we don't really know how old the other characters are (like Desminda, Shade or Nova) and the flashbacks to the past are not really helping.

It was a bit slow at first, but I think the conclusion makes up for it, and I can't wait for what's next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received this ARC through NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me, and after 40%, I had to DNF it.

What I liked:

- The main plot, the idea of magic being gone and the suspense around the FMC
- The characters in general and their potential

What I disliked:

- The insta-lust, almost love between the main couple. I was really interested in seeing how it would play out, but was too fast and without proper development for it to make sense
- Every couple of pages, we would get a memory between the FMC and her sister, and this made the story slow since we were told about a lot of things and didn't see them. Also, because it happened so many times, I felt pulled out of the story.

Since I didn't finish, I won't be giving a rating to this book.

I won a Kindle version of this book from one of the giveaways here and I'm SO glad I did. We're currently sitting at 2 for 2 of giveaway books being added to my favorites.

The chapters are short so if you need a book that you have to set aside frequently and pick up later cause you can't read a book in one sitting, this is your book! It's a magic based world where most of the magic was taken away in the central area of the story. A girl, you later find out that's from a prophecy, is to help rebuild the magic. The characters and dialogue are realistic and enjoyable! The writing style is easy to read but with enough detail to not lose your focus.

I've honestly really enjoyed this fantasy book and am excited to add the second one into my TBR list once it's announced!

Bonus points for being LGBTQ+

I love a book that starts with a map and ends with a cliffhanger. In a world where magic is gone, Harlow finds herself caught in the middle of courtly politics and danger. Somehow, a girl from a small village ends up as a member of the Virago, tasked with protecting the queen. The story unfolds with a delightful dose of found family, clandestine romance, and intrigue.

Although it slowly unfolded over the course of the entire book, by the end I found myself captivated by the world building and wanting to know more. I only took off a star for the slower pacing in the middle. That being said, I cannot wait to read the second novel!

Thank you for NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this!

I started it late last night and finished it today.

I loved Harlow, I was rooting for her the entire book. I'm sad that she didn't get her happy ending with Desminda, I really wanted to see the pair make a go of things but realistically I knew it wasn't likely to be possible given who the two were. But hey, things have changed so maybe there's a chance now.

At first I couldn't stand Melara but when it became apparent what she was actually doing I liked her more. I also love Bloom and her part in the story.

Nova we didn't see a lot of but I'm very interested in finding out more about her past and how she came to be where she was, leading to where she is now and Shade. I need more of Shade, he's just fantastic.

This is the first book in the Book of the Virago series. It had one of the most gripping prologues I think I’ve ever read! I was hooked on Harlow’s story as she navigates a dangerous world where magic is forbidden as she tries to track down her older sister, who disappears unexpectedly. There’s twists and turns through the whole story that left me guessing and wanting to know more. I wasn’t expecting the multiple POVs, some from side characters, but it gave the story more depth, and it was great seeing Harlow from other characters perspectives.

I’m so excited for more books in the series to come out; I think it has the potential to be a truly great series

This book is one that I’ll be thinking about for another week or two. I loved this book, which is about 15 year old Harlow who has a sister named Nova who has vanished, but left behind a rock and a piece of paper for Harlow. Harlow must figure out how to find Nova, and it leads her into this journey towards the castle. I loved reading this book so much because even thought it was hard to figure out what POV you were reading from at points, it was nice to get into other characters minds and figure out what all else is going on. I will definitely be reading the second book when it comes out, no matter how long I have to wait! A definite 4.5 star read for me!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this ARC.
I was invested in all characters and enjoyed finding out what they were up to and how the events were affecting everyone.
The only time I got slightly confused was during some times that we flashbacked and I didn’t realise.
But if you’re looking for a book with a strong female lead and outlawed magic look no further.
The end gave me answers to questions I didn’t even have.
I cannot wait to find out what happens next and see where our group of misfits go next.
Release date: 13/2/2024

Captivating story with great characters. Little nuggets of real life wisdom sprinkled throughout a story that makes you want to know what happens next. Glimpses of past events that explain why and help round out the world were vague enough to inspire more questions but enlightening in the advancement of the tale. Easy and enjoyable read that ends in a delightful tease for what is to come. Looking forward to the next book in this new series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This novel was an interesting take on multiple tropes: bullies to friends, abandonment, military, arranged marriage, and betrayal.

The author manages to combine the background and world building into the plot without dragging the pacing. There is a resolution of the majority of the issues, but it is clear that the author plans a follow-up book.

This is a good book for readers who enjoy fantasy novels.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

After her foster parents die, Harlow is left alone and she decides to go looking for her sister, Nova, who left a clue saying 'go to the castle, there is a friend there.'
Through various trials she finally makes it there. And somehow, she found herself being trained to be a Virago, a member of the future queen's guardians. All well and good, except she has magic in a kingdom that has outlawed magic.
Really interesting world-building and story. Looking forward to the next in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.