Warrior.
King’s confidant.
Avenging blade of the Goddess Ishtar.
Iltani asked to be none of these things. Yet fate does not ask permission when she weaves souls upon destiny’s loom.
On the day of Iltani’s birth, an assassin tried and nearly succeeded in ending the line of the gryphon kings. Out of that bloodshed, an unbreakable bond was forged between child-king and goddess-chosen infant, and … goddess-chosen infant, and from that pivotal moment forward, Iltani was never farther from King Ditanu than his shadow. Not until her training to become Ishtar’s Blade required her to leave.
After four brutal years of training, Iltani now returns to court as Ishtar’s Blade and takes up her role of king’s shadow—a dangerous position in a court where the threat of another assassination is but a blade’s width away. But for the chance to stand at the side of her beloved king, she will endure the dangers of court intrigues, assassins, and political maneuverings.
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I love when fantasy/mythology novels look to sources other than Greco-Roman or Judeo-Christian. That’s precisely what Lisa Blackwood had provided on Ishtar’s Blade, which loosely based on early Sumerian and Mesopotamian religion. That’s not enough, of course, as the book still needs to be good. This book more than satisfied that. It’s a totally fun fantasy with a plot full of adventure, thrills and, yes, even romance. The lead, Iltani, and King Ditanu and the remaining cast of characters – and the world they inhabit – are perfectly crafted. This is just a superbly enjoyable novel, and one that’s easy to strongly recommend. I can’t wait for the next book.
Highly recommended.
A painful reunion for Iltani as she returns after four years of training to become Ishtar’s Blade. Her childhood friend, Ditanu, has become king, married another, and has three children; her dreams of marriage to him are dust. But as Ishtar’s Blade, she is sworn to protect him and his family. When treachery and revolution threaten, she fights alongside her king and beloved, protecting his wife and children. With the goddess Ishtar’s help, they defeat the traitors. There is an unexpected (unless you’ve been paying close attention) twist that leads to a surprise ending. Lots of intense action, unrequited love, emotional scenes and interesting characters. Great storytelling.
Wow! I just loved this book! Gryphons, humans with magic, stone animals coming to live, and goddesses! Plus romance!
Lisa Blackwood is a great author and I’ve loved everything I’ve read by her.
Her “In Deception’s Shadow” and “Gargoyle and Sorceress” series are great too.
I can’t wait for the second book!
Extremely Unique Storyline
First and foremost: I loved this book. I first received it for free in one of those mass giveaways, but put it aside for later reading. I got to it several months after I downloaded it and proceeded to devour it in a very short time. For those who, like me, fell upon this from the paranormal romance genre that focuses pretty heavily on shifters, let me say that this is a very different ‘shifter romance’. Hands down it’s a romance, and hands down there are shifters, but she places the whole setting in Sumerian times complete with Sumerian/Mesopotamian gods and goddesses. In this world magic and myth are very much real and present in every day life and that alone makes for an interesting backdrop.
Iltani is a pretty amazing girl: she’s strong, steady, and loyal to a fault. This actually causes her some heartache. She loves her friend and the one she’s charged with guarding, the orphaned gryphon king Ditanu to the point she will literally do and withstand anything. So while loyalty is a great strength, she actually managed to make it into something of a weakness. Luckily, she prevailed regardless.
Ditanu is an interesting character. He grew up knowing he’d become king and learning all of the things he needed to be a king, but still managed to keep his will without becoming a pretentious ass. Good on him! He proves to be extremely loyal, if not as forthright as he probably ought to have been.
I think I managed that without spoilers. There are some moments that I cried, and a few that I laughed. Now, the reason it has four stars instead of five is because the characters aren’t quite as 3 dimensional as they should be and there are a few holes. That being said, it still managed to be wonderful and enjoyable. Don’t let this dissuade you, however! As Mrs. Blackwood writes she is becoming better and better! The second book in this series is even better than the first. I am excited for the third and fourth books (all are standalones, so don’t fret having to read any to get a good tale).