An interesting, but sometimes confusing story

-Big thanks to Netgalley for the eARC-

Shade Nox is a witch...in a land of wizards. And she's a wanted criminal. Despite that, she wears her magical tatoos and obisdian blade with pride. Veils of protection haven't ben raised in centuries, but she vows to raise one of her own to protect her people nonetheless, even if it will expose her every secrets. The Brotherhood swears to destroy her before she can, endangering her life. But Shade is determined to see her quest through, no matter the cost.

I enjoyed this book, but I was confused at times. I don't know if it's because of me or the story, but I sometimes had trouble understanding exactly what was going on. However, it didn't prevent me from really liking the main character, Shade. She is a very strong and determined woman, with a somewhat troublesome past. She is quite fascinating and following her on this journey was really fun. There were a lot of twists and turns, several points of views and many plot twists that surprised and confused me both sometimes. I really enjoyed the story as a whole, a good fantasy story with magic, friendship, love and betrayals. The world was interesting as well, but maybe a bit too complex and big to easily understand everything. The side characters were fun though, I liked how they stood by Shade's side no matter what, how they trusted and respected her. There are some strong female characters in this book, which is probably what I enjoyed the most. I didn't expect the story to take the turn it did and it was a very pleasant surprise. The ending was really intense and I was rushing to read what would happen.

I'd say I recommend to fantasy fans who aren't afraid of a somewhat complex story.

"I said the price was too high. I never said I wouldn't pay it."

I enjoyed reading this. I loved Shade. She's such a badass. The plot was fast and intense.
Great world-building. The magic system is interesting. The display of magic is amazing.

This is was a really great read.

I ended up DNFing this one 26% in.

The synopsis had a lot of things that intrigued me: an all-powerful sorceress, blood magic, arcane powers, etc. But it took me MONTHS to even get to the 26% mark. The potential that this world could have had was bogged down by writing that just wasn't engaging. The character of Shade Nox, the main character, suffered from, rather than embodied, "main character syndrome". We were supposed to believe that she was super powerful without any real proof of that. I think that by the 25% mark, the reader should have a good feel for the character, but I didn't get that with Shade's characterization. She was badass but with no substance.

I also took issue with the worldbuilding (or lack thereof). I was just so confused with the mechanics of the world. The blood magic was explained, roughly, but there was no explanation about the different types of gems the blood magician's blades were made of. Could that have come after I put the book down? Sure, but spending 26% of the book mildly confused about everything was offputting. I don't need the worldbuilding to be spoonfed to me, but a little something would be nice.

All in all, this book just didn't grab me, and I felt removed from both the story and the characters.

I was ready to give this book a 4-star rating pretty soon after I started reading it just for the worldbuilding alone. I'm not sure what this says about the kind of reads I've been completing recently but I do have to say that having an interesting and immersive world is always one of the best ways to get me into a book. However, that's never enough. By the time I got to the end of the book and started thinking more about what I read, the cracks started to show.

Right from the get-go, I think that labelling this book as an adult fantasy is what causes the disconnect for me as a reader. For one thing, the main character acts very much like a teenager despite the crimes that have been pinned on her and the burdens she carries. The violence is quite graphic, so perhaps that's why. However, I think it's still quite reasonable considering that the magic is based on power coming from one's own blood. There are depictions of sex but those seemed so forced and came out of left field for me. The romances she gets entangled in are so extraneous to me, especially because much of the feelings there were developed off the page.

In fact, the same can be said for many other things, such as part of the action, why Shade was so feared as the Black Witch, everything of her past that seemed to have made her who she was. The pacing of the book is middling, with things happening to push things along, but it's all to make the plot progress, not due to any conscious choice of the characters. There's even a part where Shade says the sacrifice she needs to make to raise her Veil is too great that she can't pay it. But she'll still do it. And I hated that, thanks.

The characters in the book are so one-dimensional, often taking one aspect and turning it extreme. This aspect makes it much harder to relate to the characters and you need to invest yourself into the overall point of the book, the raising of a new Veil, to push through to the conclusion. The story also makes it seem like we're being set up for a full and expansive series, yet Obsidian is meant to be a standalone. Even the worldbuilding reflects this, as well as the ending of the book.

Definitely read the book if you want to discover a new world and be swept away from your problems by reading about someone else's. This is an entertaining and adventurous book that will give you some fun. There are so many aspects to the world that you can learn about and it never really feels enough. It's really hard to put down the book once you pick it up because there are so many things that keep you coming back for more. Still, I wish we did get more--more plot, more action, more nuance--because the worldbuilding really deserves it.

First off, Thanks to Netgalley and the Angry Robot publishing for hooking me up with this book. Nothing is this review was prompted and I was not paid to write it.

Obsidian was quite enjoyable. The story is about a young witch that is tasked to raise a veil to protect her people. There are, obviously, many obstacles throughout her journey. The book starts off in a pub, That is where we meet two of the main characters, Shade and Raiden. The story unfolds from there including, Dante, a city prince and some other fun characters. Let the adventure begin!
The story bring you though the reasons why she should and should not raise the new Veil. Despite the warnings she is determined to protect her people.
Shade draws the attentions of Raiden and Dante. The first part of the book was was actioned packed with a vaguely described romantic scene. Later in the book, there are several more romantic scenes one is pretty explicit. Not as bad as it could be but more than needed.
The character building could have been better and feel like the story jumped around a little bit and there were a couple holes that needed to be filled.

Besides that, I really enjoyed the book. It did drag me in pretty quickly and I did have a hard time putting it down. I do recommend the book and look forward to future books by this author.

I was drawn to Obsidian because of the cover and the premise of the world. I love magic and beasts plus when you throw in magical shields I found this really interesting.

The pace moves fast from the very first page as we are dropped into the action very early on. This reminded me of The Maleficent Seven, another AR book that I really liked. I don't mind politics in fantasy if they are done well and I especially liked the mix of elemental and blood magic with different gemstones determining the level of power. The fact each person used them differently made this even more interesting.

The main character was fun because she had her own personality. She is arrogant and doesn't care who knows it. It made a change to other books I read where we follow the main character who has white qualities.

With all this being said however, I struggled to get into this one and remain focused for any length of time. The problem is that its such a plot focused book that it never really delves that far into the characters themselves or their motivations. Everything seemed like it was being glossed over and this made it difficult to get fully invested. I think more dialogue between large groups of characters would have helped alleviate this plus gave us more character interaction.

DNF at 30%
The premise of the book sounds amazing! The only female bloodmage has the ability to raise a veil to protect people from the ravenous waste. Her goal? To show the brotherhood that they’re not the only ones that can do that.

I applaud Sarah J. Daley for a creative idea, for a non-typical Fantasy setting, and for writing a standalone (which is what Fantasy readers need more of).

So, why am I then saying that this should have been a Duology or trilogy? Because her idea would deserve it. Sarah created a vast world with lots of details about the history, cultures, etc. unfortunately they feel rather lackluster. I think, if Sarah would have had more time to develop everything properly as part of a series, it could have been so much better.

Now, it feels like there’s a lot going on, some things come out of nowhere, and are a bit all over the place.

The magic system is brilliant! I love that the magic here has a price. But again, it felt a bit all over the place. The tattoos, the blades, the cutting… maybe just two of the things instead of all cramped into less than 400 pages? Also, why the blades if they are not even used for the fights?

And then, I didn’t like the main character. That’s more a personal preference, I think. I don’t mind unlikable characters, but Shade’s arrogance just didn’t work for me. I’m simply not a fan of the “I’m great and I know it” type character (like Joe Burrow’s „of course it’s real jewelry. I earn too much for it not to be…”). Ugh. And why are so many character descriptions just focused on their hair color and style?

The writing overall is great. Sarah is great with words. She definitely knows how to show a characters strength. Again, I think with a bit more work and making it into a series, it would have worked better for me.
Side note, her writing style reminds me of Sarah J Mass, just better.

3.5* upped to 4
I had high expectations for this story as the blurb was fascinating and loved the description of Shade.
That said I think my expectations were too high and I didn't like Shade.
It's quite fast pace, entertaining, but the characters are somehow lacking personality and Shade was quite unlikeable.
I liked the world building but it seemed a mix of romantic fantasy and grim-dark. Lot of potential but some more character development would have helped.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Obsidian is a really good first book by Daley.

PLOT: There is great world-building, as what the world has become is a major element in Obsidian. Shade's motives are clear and what she plans to do it's for the greater good. Although Shades intentions are clear it's the other people intentions that create the drama, and the way Shade deals with them. The issue with the Brotherhood and who wields magic is an aspect I have seen before.

CHARACTER: Shade Nox is a great character. I love that she dresses like a men and people fear her as she isn't someone you would mess with.



WRITING STYLE: I liked Daley writing especially with some of the action/fighting sections.

Overall: It is an enjoyable story with a world of potential.

My rating for Obsidian is 3.7 out of 5.

Actual rating: 3.5/5

Obsidian by Sarah J. Daley tells the story of an outcast ready to sacrifice it all to protect her people.

When Raiden first lays his eyes on Shade Nox, he thinks she’s an angel, though that couldn’t be further from her character. Shade is a firecracker of a character doing everything she can to protect her people, including raising a protective veil for the first time in a century. Her tough exterior persona hides a deeply vulnerable, kind yet hurt interior which she learns to embrace throughout Obsidian. Because of this arc, she’s an easily lovable character, and one at the heart of the group.

Raiden, on the other hand, takes some more time to get used to. When he disembarks in Malavita, he scorns the island and its ways, something that remains with him for much of the book. As the Empire’s envoy, he spends a sizeable chunk of the book considering himself above the islanders, and only learns to respect them in the second half. Despite his banter with Shade and Dante, and his mysterious talent with magic, it takes far more on his part to prove himself, both to the other characters and the reader. The most interesting aspects about him were the way he behaved in battle. As a trained assassin and human shield, his actions are almost instinctive, yet Daley leaves enough breadcrumbs to wonder whether it’s more than that.

Dante was the least developed of the trio. A prince who has spent his life regaining the prestige and riches his family lost to tragedy, he immediately supported Shade’s plan. As a character, he is often arrogant and quick to anger, though Shade can bring out his lighter side. He is also fiercely loyal to everyone in his household, even putting himself in harms way to protect them.

Focusing on Shade, Daley brings up some interesting questions when it comes to the romance. Rather than having a love conquers all approach, she allows her characters to consider how a romance would impact their goals and future, then decide on whether to pursue it. One arises out of grief, whereas another amicably dissolved. It was even more interesting to see different characters reach the same conclusion about their relationship. I haven’t often come across romance used like this outside the romance genre and it definitely added depth to an already engaging story.

Daley’s biggest strength, however, is her world-building. The Empire is a land ravaged by a blight that was unleashed long ago stemming from the island of Malavita. Now, parcels of land are protected through ancient Veils and a sect of priests called the Brotherhood are the only ones who know how to create one — until Shade Nox arrives. Daley also attempts to give each group their own culture, though she doesn’t elaborate enough is certain cases. The people living outside the Veils are the most distinct and I would have liked to see more of the Empire’s culture through Raiden.

Even her magic system strays from the usual, combining blood and elemental magic that can only be wielded safely through gemstone blades and tattoos. Daley goes into detail the most on her magic users. Separated into factions and skill level, their garb, blade and tattoos set them apart from the general populace. Unfortunately, she doesn’t elaborate as much on the types of gemstones and what they mean, especially outside the Brotherhood, so I couldn’t form a complete image of the magic system.

There were aspects of the book that felt rushed. One of the romances came out of nowhere as did a final antagonist. The worldbuilding, while impressive, could have been less grand in order to focus on the aspects that really mattered, such as the pacing, which wasn’t consistent.

While I enjoyed Obsidian by Sarah J. Daley, it didn’t leave much of a lasting impression on its own. However, the author has tremendous potential, I would like to see what she can do with a series of books under her pen.

This was well-written and the world-building was expansive and far-reaching as well as very well thought out. However, I found the characters one-dimensional and a little flat. I couldn't connect with them and the plot just couldn't hold my interest. It was an okay read I guess but I didn't really find any joy in it, unfortunately.

Obsidian est une sortie récente en VO de chez Angry Robot, j’avais pas spécialement noté sa sortie mais le livre a attiré mon attention quand je l’ai croisé sur NetGalley et j’ai pu recevoir un exemplaire numérique via cette plateforme. La quatrième de couv’ nous laisse entrevoir une fantasy dark badaboum et la couverture est très chouette, il n’en fallait pas plus.

L’île de Malavita est vaguement sous la coupe de l’empire, de loin, mais elle est a aussi été dévastée par une guerre contre des forces surnaturelles. Aujourd’hui la terre est souillée, et les humains doivent vivre sous la protection de voiles magiques. Mais la Confrérie seule détient le secret de la création de ces voiles, et elle n’hésite pas à user de ce monopole pour jouer des coudes en politique et garder la population sous son contrôle. Shade est une mage de sang, comme ses petits camarades elle peut contrôler certains éléments en se tailladant elle-même à l’aide de lames magiques et en puisant dans son sang. C’est une femme, aussi, et ça ça passe pas très bien, mais surtout, Shade a appris le secret de la fabrication des voiles, et compte bien en élever un sans le contrôle de la Confrérie.

Obsidian a des petits airs de fantasy post-apocalyptique qui rappelleront Blackwing avec ses terres désolées où rôdent des trucs pas frais. On a une atmosphère particulière, très chouette, dans cet univers dévasté dont on va découvrir les secrets au fur et à mesure. On a des tempêtes de ténèbres qu’il faut à tout prix éviter, des chemins magiques qui permettent à certaines tribus de survivre et de se guider dans cette bouillasse, des cités corrompues sous le contrôle de la Confrérie, et tout ça qui menace de s’effondrer car les voiles faiblissent. Tout ça est solide et bien ficelé, j’ai beaucoup aimé le monde proposé par Sarah J. Daley.


On suivra principalement deux points de vue dans le bouquin. Shade, évidemment, qui commence l’histoire en s’alliant à un noble et en prenant contact avec l’Empire pour avoir du soutien dans sa quête. Mais nous avons aussi la perspective du jeune Raiden, émissaire de l’empire qui doit donc rencontrer Shade et évaluer sa proposition. Shade est une mage de sang dans un univers où (bien sûr) les femmes ne le sont habituellement pas, elle est méprisée par tous et n’a de soutien que par sa famille adoptive de nomades qui l’accompagnent. Elle est assez bourrine dans son genre, et parfois un peu caricaturale, mais j’ai fini par m’y attacher grâce à sa détermination et son background. Raiden est le septième fils de l’empereur, pas du tout voué à lui succéder, il a été élevé comme un garde du corps d’élite mais il est envoyé sur cette mission plus ou moins en exil après être tombé en disgrâce. Il y a une dualité assez marrante entre son apparente naïveté et sa férocité au combat, ça en fait un personnage extrêmement classe. J’ai aimé le duo classe formé par ces deux lascars, et avec quelques autres personnages secondaires, on a un casting tout à fait satisfaisant.

Ils vont donc se lancer dans l’érection d’un nouveau voile magique, en essayant d’échapper au contrôle des différentes factions qui voudraient en tirer partie. Ce mélange entre la magie et la politique est bien intégré à l’histoire, on arrive à saisir les implications de la quête de Shade, et les conséquences que ça aurait si elle faisait ça sans avoir préparé le terrain politiquement. Mais à côté de ça on doit quand même se bastonner de temps en temps, et l’autrice nous livre quelques grandes scènes bien épiques où Shade déchaine ses pouvoirs tandis que Raiden saute partout pour découper du méchant autour d’elle. Sortant de la saison 1 de La roue du temps, ce duo en combat fait beaucoup penser à Moiraine et Lan dans l’aspect chorégraphique.

Le bouquin arrive à tenir le lecteur dans son rythme soutenu et par une succession de révélations et retournement de situations, cachant des secrets sous les secrets, ce qui fait d’Obsidian une lecture rapide et très agréable, ça défile tout seul. On n’atteint pas non plus le statut d’incontournable, à cause de quelques petits défauts minimes dont une fin un peu « badaboum magique » qui manque finalement d’enjeu. Mais j’ai trouvé que les personnages perdaient un peu à cause de l’aspect romance, léger mais qui plombe les relations jusque-là très chouette. Shade est à peu près la seule femme du bouquin, et elle se la joue beaucoup, mais avant la fin de l’histoire on se rend compte que quasiment tout le monde l’aime. On a trois personnages importants apparemment amoureux d’elle, et un triangle amoureux dont on se serait bien passé. J’ai trouvé ça dommage, ça a plombé la dynamique des relations entre tous les personnages pour moi, en remplaçant amitié, loyauté, soutien, par des histoires d’amour (ou de cul) pas super bien amenées. C’est anecdotique, ça prend pas beaucoup de place et arrive très tard, mais ça « tord » un équilibre dans les relations qui était assez chouette jusque là.

Finalement, Obsidian reste une bonne lecture, une belle aventure de fantasy sombre avec pas mal d’action, un univers solide et des personnages chouettes. Pas parfait, pas incontournable mais très plaisant, je recommande sa lecture si vous souhaitez un petit tour de manège côté fantasy bourrino-apocalyptique.

An epic fantasy with a dash of dystopia, a brilliant combination.

It took me a few tries to get into this, but once I was in I was hooked.

The world is complex yet well explained and the magic systems are fascinating whilst also being easy to follow.

I love that it’s from multiple perspectives and really enjoyed getting to see into the minds and actions of each of our protagonists.

Romance seemed slightly thrown in, but this book is not one that needs to be marketed for its romance as the fantasy stands for itself.

Brilliant world building and one I am sure I will reread and enjoy again!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled reading this, it just wasn't capturing my interest, but I pushed through. While I enjoyed the world, even the magic system, I found these characters, well, not very interesting. The best part of it was the politics! So for politics, I stayed. Ended up being a decent read, but just for the fact I stopped and started like 4 times, I will say maybe it just wasn't for me.

I loved this book!!!

This story follows Shade Nox; an extremely powerful blood wizard who is known to most as the Black Witch. Her home is being overrun by the “Unseen” and she must protect it! At whatever cost.

The world building in this book was amazing, I was really immersed in the story from start to finish.

Highly recommend this to fans of fantasy like myself, you will not be disappointed.

I tried and tried to get into this one. It sounded like it was right up my alley. But the characters just don't hold the readers attention, and the pacing is slow. There's nothing necessarily wrong with it. It just wasn't entertaining for me, so I'm giving it three stars. Right down the middle.

The world-building is pretty great in this and the writing seems solid but I just didn't like the characters at all and it just seemed too forced and grandiose. I tried to push on with this but sadly ended up DNFing at about 37%. I wish I had liked this more but it just wasn't for me.

I enjoyed this foray into this setting. The way new concepts were teased and then explained later kept my interest hooked to get detail and discover more. Complicated interpersonal relationships were handled maturely, and I APPRECIATE that in the year 2022.

And just cutting off a wizard's head before they can do some magic is just smart.

Readers interested in a new setting (possibly series?) would enjoy this story of magic, revenge, and sacrafice.

Obsidian is just WOW! There, I’ve said it. Now I have to attempt to be articulate – and it’s not going to be easy.

Think of this as a post-apocalyptic story, but this is NOT our world, so this wasn’t our apocalypse. Just that there’s a point in the past that’s distant enough that civilization has regrouped while still present enough that effects are still being felt.

Or felt again.

While the story opens with a somewhat disgraced former Captain of an Imperial Army, Raiden Mad is not our main character. That position is reserved for Shade Nox, who cuts her way into this story with her obsidian knives and holds onto the center of the narrative with hands dripping with blood – not all of it her own.

But some of it is, because the magic of this world is blood magic – blood magic that Shade, as a woman is not supposed to have or be able to wield. And doesn’t that sound all too familiar?

Especially since Shade seems to be much better at it than the blood wizards of either the corrupt church known as ‘The Brotherhood’ or the criminal ‘Capomaji’ who read like a protection racket run by Mafiosi – with magical enforcers along with the usual legbreakers.

Those traditional mages are losing their power – and, as the powerful often do – refusing to admit that loss while covering it up with even more repression of anyone of whom they do not approve.

Shade Nox is number one on all those lists.

But Shade has a secret. Of course, she has several, but one is big. HUGE. The size of an entire city. Or at least it will be IF she can manage to pull it off. And that’s where Raiden Mad and his Emperor come in – and why the Brotherhood is so desperate to take them all out.

Because at the same time the magic seems to be dying, the reason for that magic is becoming that much more of a threat.

Whatever the apocalypse was – it killed the ecology of the planet. The Brotherhood gained their power and their near-monopoly on so much more because their bloodmagic was the only thing that could carve out a safe bit of territory where life could thrive.

But power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The Brotherhood has been so invested in maintaining their power that they’ve corrupted the way it is used for their own ends. Now it’s destroying them, the cities their power made possible, and the land that surrounds them.

Mother Nature bats last, and in this world she has a very big bat studded with thorns. So to speak.

Shade Nox has the power, most of the knowledge and all of the will to create a new, safe territory that won’t owe a damn thing to the Brotherhood. Who are bound and determined to stop her at all costs.

But not nearly so determined as Shade Nox is to beat them.

Escape Rating A+: If you’ve ever wondered what Dune would have looked like if someone took that climate catastrophe combined with precious resource planet and re-wrote the thing so that planet-native Chani was the protagonist instead of “white” imperial savior Paul you’d get something like Obsidian – although it probably wouldn’t be nearly as good. (I’m saying this and I loved Dune – at least the book versions.)

I think this is also going to remind readers more than a bit of the “Sapphic Saffron Trifecta” of 2021, The Jasmine Throne, She Who Became the Sun and The Unbroken, with their female-centered epic stories although Obsidian does not include much romance at all, queer or otherwise, until the very end.

There’s actually a bit of the Mage Winds of Valdemar series, in that the chaos magic that has wrecked most of this world seems to sweep in and alter everything it touches – people, plants and animals alike, with dangerous and deadly results. And it’s getting worse.

There’s also a bit of the blood magic of the Dragon Age series, although sideways a bit. Shade, and the magic she controls with her obsidian knives, is powered by her own blood willingly sacrificed. It does sound a bit bonzo when you read it, but it is self-limiting and those limits are dealt with. She can’t go too far or she’ll lose control, consciousness and die. She’s also not sacrificing anyone else to achieve her ends – which is one of the places where that Brotherhood has gone off the rails more than a bit.

The story here is about power, as epic fantasy so often is. The Brotherhood wants to keep the power they have. The Empire that Raiden Mad represents isn’t really a threat to local power, although they could be in the future. They just want to deal with some reasonable people – which the Brotherhood most certainly is not.

The empire could be a threat to local power later, but at this point, they’re at “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” stage of things. The Brotherhood has made itself the empire’s enemy. The Brotherhood is most definitely Shade’s enemy. So they are friends of expediency. The future may be different, but first they have to get there.

The heart of this story is Shade’s quest for the hidden knowledge that she needs to raise a protected territory of her own, and then making the sacrifices necessary to raise it. It’s a journey that takes her through a lot of dark places and even darker hearts – including her own.

And it’s not over when Obsidian ends. This feels like the start of a truly epic saga. I certainly hope so and am looking forward VERY MUCH to where the author takes us next!

I thought this started off really good. I enjoyed the magic and the world. The characters were great.

Sadly, it just kept going downhill from there. The lust everyone felt for Shade, and her wishy-washy feelings just ruined the story for me. If all of that garbage had been left out, it would've gotten a high rating. Honestly, had this not been a review copy, I would have added it to the dnf pile. I'm really disappointed, because it started off so good!