Pennyblade
by J.L. Worrad, James WorradAlso by this author: The Keep Within
Published by: Titan Books on March 29, 2022
Genres: Adult
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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.
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- People who enjoy dark fantasy worlds filled with danger (especially from other people).
- Gray characters and antiheroes.
- Lots of bickering and betrayal.
- Plot twists! So. Many. Plot twists.
- A rude, brutal world that will make you glad to live in this one.
- Lots of action and plenty of fight scenes.
Many thanks to Titan Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Quotes are taken from an unfinished product and may differ from the final version.
“Exile. Mercenary. Lover. Monster. Pennyblade.“ That’s really all I needed to read to know this book was for me. Here’s the thing about books where the protagonist is both a monster and a mercenary: they’re unapologetically filled with violence, banter, sarcasm, and despicable characters. In other words, they’re great. So of course I was going to need to give this one a try!
Pennyblade is a rough and rude book filled with horrible people and horrible situations . . . which is what makes it so great! There’s plot twists galore, a reluctant squad, and more trouble than you can shake a rapier at.
This book is not for the faint of heart. It’s filled to the brim with sex, violence, cussing, and bad people. It’s not the sort of book I would’ve recommended for my grandmother. Mostly because my grandmother was lame and read inspirational romance books. But you get my point. Fans of dark fantasy will find plenty to enjoy in this book, though. If you like dark, violent books filled with adventure and plot twists, this is the book for you.
The world of Pennyblade is one you likely won’t want to visit. It’s divided between humans and Commrach (cat-like elves), and neither group is exactly having a good time of it.
The Commrach, of course, think they’re better than humans, much more advanced. It’s clear in Kyra’s bias and the way she regards human exactly where they stand in her eye. Of course, the story is told through a split timeline, one where she lives among Commrach and one in the future where she lives as a Pennyblade among humans. So the real question is . . . are Commrach the superior race?
Commrach are basically cat-like elves who live in a society where everything is based on the concept of producing the perfect race. Every Commrach exists as a means to further the Blood, and their ultimate goal is basically blood purity. They also happen to be very cat-like as a species: growling, purring, and biting. They also go into heat once a year, which makes them dangerous and feral and almost grinds their community to a halt until the season passes.
The most interesting part of this is where Kyra comes in and seeing her bias in action but also seeing her change. I love the way she regards humans and their strange customs. Which is fair. We humans can be absolutely bonkers sometimes. It was such an interesting study to compare the two different societies and seeing Kyra grow and change.
‘And good fortune to you all,’ I said. ‘Whereas I shall return to Hoxham now this is all done with. My purse heavier for doing so.’
‘Oh, but, Cal’Adra,’ Benadetta said. ‘How can we possibly cope without you? We’ve more commrach to infiltrate.’
‘Wear false ears and beat servants,’ I suggested.
Kyra is one of a set of Commrach twins. Her and her brother, Kyran, are utterly adorable together, and the sibling chemistry is *chef’s kiss*.
The dynamic here was so interesting. Commrachs are traditionally bisexual. However, when male/female twins are born, they are only interested in members of the same sex, which is the case for Kyra and Kyran. Being twins, of course, they’re ridiculously close. Which means sibling bonds! But also sibling teasing, because they’re still siblings and that’s just how siblings work. I very much enjoyed their dynamic.
‘You want me to stab a panther so you can have a new coat?’
‘And try not to damage the pattern, dear.’
‘What’s in it for me?’
He opened his eyes and shrugged. ‘You may walk beside me when I wear it.’
‘I’d rather point and jeer with everyone else.’
This book is filled with sarcasm and banter, as one might expect from a bunch of swords for hire. But it’s also got a somewhat unexpected little squad.
Also, probably about 500% more sex than you expect. It’s not necessarily graphic sex (generally filled with euphemism and, at times, “fade to black” scenes), but there’s a lot of it. But it’s not gratuitous, either. It serves a purpose, especially related to Commrach society.
Everyone in this world, basically, is a villain. So it’s maybe no surprise that they’re incredibly sarcastic and unable to communicate without banter. But let’s be honest, we wouldn’t have them any other way, right?! Kyra, especially, is a loner, and while it’s not exactly clear why based on what we know of her history at the start, it’s a bit surprising that she finds herself with a little squad. Or maybe it’s surprising who she finds in her squad. They’re all rather unique personality-wise and background-wise, but they’re all easy to root for. Even if they’re terrible human beings. It almost makes them more charming that way.
‘We’re not crossing the mountains,’ Benadetta said. ‘We’re crossing between them. The Great Southern Pass. There’s n-no mountains a mile either side of us.’
‘There’s this hill. Hill with pretensions of . . . pinnacleness.’
Nobody is safe or sacred in this book . . . or this world. It’s the sort of place that chews people up and spits them out. So expect betrayal and backstabbing and plenty of plot twists!
When you have a book full of villains, you shouldn’t be surprised to find a knife in your back. That’s just how things work. There are so many surprises and plot twists in this book! One-upmanship, underhandedness, downright betrayal. If you enjoy not being able to guess the plot and being surprised, this book is for you. Plus, add to that all the fight scenes and action, and while there are some slower scenes, this is a pretty fast-paced read that grabs your attention early on and holds on for dear life.
‘In the herbalist’s tent,’ you replied. You smiled at the fire. ‘Clutching a bucket and cursing the wrold. Something she ate.’ You looked at me. ‘She’ll be fine.’
‘We ate what she ate,’ the lad mumbled.
,br> ‘It’s fine,’ you told him. ‘We’d know if we were ill by now.’
‘You see very sure, Shen,’ I said.
‘I picked the mushrooms. It was hard to see in the increasing gloom.’ You watched a spark rise from the fire and up into the night. ‘I’ve seen her illness before. Loamcap. Far from fatal.’
‘But incapacitating,’ Kyran said.
He looked at me and gave a knowing smile.
‘I should have been more careful, my lords,’ you said. You shrugged, stroked your loose red hair.
‘Doubtless,’ I replied. ‘But what’s done is done, eh?’
Favorite Quotes
I didn’t have room to fit these above in my review, but I also couldn’t leave them out, now could I? Because Kyra is a freaking treasure, and these quotes just absolutely cracked me up. So here are just a couple more quotes that I just couldn’t leave out of this.
I thumped the table. ‘Well why didn’t you tell me that?’ I relaxed and sighed with disappointment. ‘Honestly now . . .’
‘What?‘ I said. ‘A bloody sword.’
Trepidation caught flame in his wet eyes. ‘Where’s its edge?’
‘Dun’t have an edge,’ Shortleg said beside me. ‘All about the point. Like a big needle, right?’
‘Right,’ the innkeep said. He gulped.
‘It does have an edge,’ I said to them both. ‘Eight inches’ worth either side of the point, see?’ I indicated. ‘The emphasis is on the point, granted, but it’s not without edge. Common misconception.’
‘Yer couldn’t slice an arm off or owt,’ Shortlet countered.
‘Maybe I don’t want to slice arms off. You humans and your fucking dismemberment.’
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This sounds interesting dark fantasy. Great review!
Thanks!