A magic sword. A fated quest. When the world is on the brink, one woman dares to defy destiny…

Is the Living Blade real or just a legend?

With it… Prince Bashan could win back his kingdom.

Master Telen Diaz can free himself of the burden from his past.

Owen Smith sees a once-in-a-lifetime chance to gain untold knowledge.

… but for Noraya Smith, the Living Blade will bring nothing but suffering and sorrow. 

Touch of Iron is a self-published grimdark fantasy novel by Timandra Whitecastle, to whom I owe an apology for the length of time between her sending this book & me actually reading it! Sorry, Timandra!! 

This is the story of Noraya & Owen Smith, twins who are forced from their home, and thrust into a dangerous & unpredictable quest. The object of that quest is The Living Blade, a mythical weapon that has been lost for ages…maybe. 

Most of the focus is on Nora, who is foul-mouthed, sarcastic, and pretty badass overall, but the secondary characters are also quite interesting. Master Diaz is a half-wight…he’s sort of like a warrior monk who becomes bound to Nora, guiding and teaching her, however reluctantly. The progression of their relationship was fun to watch over the course of the novel! And the villain of the story, Suranna, is delightfully twisted & evil!

Unflinchingly violent & dark in places, Touch of Iron is incredibly well written, and Whitecastle is properly invested in developing these characters. One thing this book does quite well is leave you anxious to get tjo book two! Touch of Iron just keeps building & building in intensity, and the ending is fucking brutal! This is definitely worth checking out!