Book Review - Frail Human Heart

I've had this book, the third and final book of the Name of the Blade trilogy by Zoe Marriott since last summer. Yes, since last June-ish time. And I love this trilogy. If you have read my reviews of The Night Itself and Darkness Hidden, you know how much I love this trilogy. I adore it and compare it to Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series.

So why, I hear you ask, did I not read it when I got the book (and got Zoe to sign it and begged her to tell me if there were any deaths so I can brace my soul - yes, I did. I also told her that I trust authors when I read books. I just don't trust the book. [I'm weird. I know this and I accept this]) back in June 2015?

Because, I didn't want to. I love this series and I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to say goodbye to these characters or this world. Plus, what happens if something awful happens to a character I love? Will it be like when I meet Cassandra Clare when City of Glass has just come out and I said to her "If Alec and Magnus don't get together, I don't know if I can forgive you"?

Enough of my panic, let's talk Frail Human Heart. After the devastating events in Darkness Hidden, Mio doesn't want to carry on. How can she is that means putting the people she loves at risk? But she must. With the final battle between gods coming to a head and London being their battlefield, Mio is the only one who can end it. But how far is she willing to go to end this war? What sacrifice is she willing to make?

I am going to say this now: I do love this series. I think this is one of the coolest urban fantasy series I have read in recent years. And because I love this series, I had to numb myself to Frail Human Heart hence my reactions might not be as OTT as you all might be expecting.

It's a strong finale. The world building and the events leading up to the final dramatic conclusion are wonderful. Zoe knows how to write action and keep the pacing strong, while writing small, private moments. There isn't a dull or boring moment in any books within this trilogy. You will keep turning those pages, needing to know what happens next. And because I loved the previous two books, I returned to this world really easily, as if returning to an old friend.

Maybe because I took a long break away from this world, but there was one or two times I think that some people might not like how Zoe wrapped everything up and left things hanging. I fear some of you guys might find this a little too clean compared to other final books in series out there.

But this is a strong satisfying end to a series I love. Fans of Cassandra Clare need to get this series in their lives and I will be reading the two Zoe Marriott's I have on my TBR shelves (The Swan Kingdom and Daughter of the Flames) before the release of Zoe's Beauty and the Beast retelling, Barefoot on the Wind and her rumoured Mulan retelling (which I am VERY excited to read!).

Zoe Marriott Blog Tour - Day 1

I am breaking my blog holiday (again) to take part in this very exciting tour to celebrate the release of the third and final book in the The Name of the Blade trilogy, Frail Human Heart. Now, I am very excited over this trilogy (am putting off reading Frail Human Heart because I'm not sure how heart will be able to cope!) so when Walker Books asked if I wanted to show off an extract from the book, I jumped out the chance! This extract isn't very spoilery, so you guys who haven't read the series, do not fear from me! 

And I'm the first stop on the tour! ... oh heck! Anyway, thank you Walker for asking me to take part in the tour and thank you Zoe for writing this amazing trilogy! And now, off we go! 

I couldn’t see her.

The pearly white flames sheathing the katana illuminated dark streaks of fungus on the concrete walls of the storm drain, the fleeting red gleam of a rat’s eyes further down the tunnel and the murky black water swirling and splashing at my toes. It also lit up a few things floating in the water that I didn’t want to look at closely. But it didn’t show me the one thing I had wanted and expected to see.

Rachel.

“Everything OK down there?” my dad shouted into the manhole over my head.

“I’m fine – hang on!” I yelled back.

I walked along the narrow edge of brick that ran down one side of the tunnel, trying to avoid the splashing water as I moved deeper into the darkness. I lifted the flickering light of the sword higher, squinting against the dark.

“You’re very quiet,” I whispered to the blade. “Nothing to say?”

The sword’s energy jumped against my palm like an uneasy heartbeat, but the familiar, metallic voice remained silent.

I still felt the compulsion – a magnetic, physical attraction to the blade – twinned with a deep-down sense of responsibility to protect him, keep him safe. That was apparently hardwired into everyone in my family. It sat alongside my own rational awareness that allowing the sword’s destructive power to fall into the wrong hands would be disastrous for the whole world. But the influence that the katana had exerted on my emotions, the silvery, persuasive whispering that had put such pressure on my mind that I sometimes thought I was going mad? It was gone. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was really and truly alone in my head.

I hated it.

“Rachel!” I called out. My voice bounced around the drain eerily. “It’s me! You can come out!”

There were tiny skittering noises in the shadows as vermin fled from the noise and light, but nothing else.

I strained my ears for any giveaway sounds: a splash, a footstep on the bricks, even a weak cry for help. This was where I’d sensed her, almost seen her, during my vision.

I knew I hadn’t been mistaken. She’d been in this drain.

But not any more. I was too late, again.

Next Stop for Zoë is KitKatsCanRead! Go check it out tomorrow or, if you haven’t already, pick up your copy of Zoë’s The Name of the Blade series at your local bookshop or online at Amazon, Book Depository, Waterstones.com and WHSmith.

Zoë Marriott is the author of many critically acclaimed and beloved books, including The Swan Kingdom, which was long-listed for the Branford Boase award, and Shadows on the Moon, which won the prestigious Sasakawa Prize and was an American Junior Library Guild Selection. Zoë lives in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. Visit Zoë’s blog at thezoe-trope.blogspot.co.uk or her website at ZoeMarriott.com.  Follow her on Twitter (@ZMarriott).

d be disastrous for the whole world. But the

influence that the katana had exerted on my emotion

s, the silvery, persuasive whispering that had

put such pressure on my mind that I sometimes thoug

ht I was going mad? It was gone. For the

first time in what felt like forever, I was really

and truly alone in my head.

I hated it.

“Rachel!” I called out. My voice bounced around the

drain eerily. “It’s me! You can come out!”

There were tiny skittering noises in the shadows as

vermin fled from the noise and light, but

nothing else.

I strained my ears for any giveaway sounds: a splas

h, a footstep on the bricks, even a weak cry

for help. This was where I’d sensed her, almost

seen

her, during my vision.

I knew I hadn’t been mistaken. She’d been in this d

rain.

But not any more. I was too late, again.

Next Stop for Zoë is

[MENTION TOMORROW’S BLOG SITE].

Click here to check it out and, if you

haven’t already, pick up your copy of Zoë’s The Nam

e of the Blade series at your local bookshop or

online at Amazon, Book Depository, Waterstones.com

and WHSmith.

[INCLUDE IMAGES OF BOOK JACKETS]

Zoë Marriott is the author of many critically accla

imed and beloved books, including

The Swan

Kingdom

, which was long-listed for the Branford Base awar

d, and

Shadows on the Moon

, which

won the prestigious Sasakawa Prize and was an Ameri

can Junior Library Guild Selection. Zoë lives in

Grimsby, Lincolnshire. Visit Zoë’s blog at thezoe-t

rope.blogspot.co.uk or her website at

ZoeMarriott.com. Follow her on Twitter (@ZMarriott

).