Rebel Blade brings to a close probably one of the most enjoyable fantasy series of recent years. Every book in the Burnished City series is an exciting thrillride of a story, with characters that you’ll love from the very first page. Having just read a couple of books where the characters don’t register at all, this is the kind of series that I can highly appreciate. To be honest, there’s not much more I can say about this one that I didn’t say about the previous two. Everything that I loved about them was the same here, and I think it was a very satisfying conclusion to an excellent series.

This was such a good final book in the Burnished City Trilogy. I really enjoy Evans' writing style in general, it's beautiful and detailed but also just very easy to read. There is considerably less humour in this third book then especially the first one of the series, but it's understandable because the stakes have never been higher. All our main characters - sorcerer Siyon and the sisters Zagiri and Anahid - get satisfying conclusions to their arcs that felt truly earned. Anahid remains my favourite of the three and I felt like she had the strongest arc overall, but I really enjoyed Zagiri this time around. Siyon, really, was the only one that I felt a little meh about for most parts of the book, because he barely moves the plot at all. While all the other characters move along their arcs, he seems to stagnate for most of the story, struggling with his new powers. I really did enjoy where he ends up though, and the romantic at me was especially happy.
I did feel like some of the relationships built up in the first and second book were kind of swept to the side, which felt jarring at times. But still, all in all, definitely a fun, creative and utterly charming fantasy trilogy that sticks its landing with this final book.

Rebel Blade is the final book in the Burnished City Trilogy and is a suitably satisfying conclusion to an excellent series.
We return to Bezim which is still protected by Siyon's barrier formed of the Mundane however this has issues for him and the other magic practitioners in the city. Whilst Siyon is busy avoiding capture, Anahid or Lady Sable is consolidating the reputation of her house whilst attempting to elude discovery of her connection with the Flower district from her Azantani peers. Zigiri is still looking for a way for the government of Bezim to be more inclusive - however she is still straying down a rebellious, seditious and dangerous path.
All three of our key players have struggles to overcome, actions to own and guilt to bear as the path to change is never smooth. In this book Siyon, although vital, takes a step back in the narrative. His struggle to come to terms with becoming a Power and how to manipulate the Mundane energy without losing himself is all consuming. Anahid and Zigiri's storylines rise to the top, particularly Anahid who owns her actions and affects change on her terms whilst navigating the political waters of Bezim with ease.
This has been one of my top series over the past few years and now complete I will be on a reread, I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy but want something a little different.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC. All views are my own.

I didn't like Rebel Blade as much as the first two books. In fact, it felt like a step down.

Not in world building or voice, those remained and felt consistent for the most part, but the characters. My god. All of them were so doom and gloom and stupid.

Zagiri made idiotic decisions that cost people their lives.
Our beloved Sorcerer whined in a hovel and did sweet nothing for months.
And Anahid, well, she chose boring morality when I would've loved her to go knife first into murder.

There were some things I liked. Anahid's romantic entanglement with a certain former demonic lady. Big fan. Even though there was a distinct lack of romance elsewhere despite that notebook which I really didn't vibe with.

I liked the dragon. I liked Balian even though there wasn't nearly enough of him.

But overall, we a conclusion to a trilogy I've quit enjoyed, Rebel Blade wasn't what I wanted

The Burnished City trilogy wraps up with an explosive finale in Rebel Blade, delivering a satisfying mix of revolution, magic, and personal growth. Davinia Evans masterfully pulls together the threads from the previous books, balancing the chaos of Bezim’s unraveling society with the deeply personal struggles of its three protagonists.

Zagiri takes center stage this time, and while her impetuousness and bold ideals are believable, they’re also frustratingly reckless at times. Her arc, however, is undeniably compelling, showcasing the messy reality of rebellion and the cost of ambition. Meanwhile, Anahid settles into her new role as Lady Sable, navigating privilege and secrets with her signature poise. And Siyon—oh, Siyon. He’s still my favorite, though his arc feels quieter here, more about tying up loose ends than creating new ones.

The pacing is as quick and dynamic as ever, though parts of the political intrigue felt heavier than the magical elements I initially fell in love with. Still, the tension and stakes are well-maintained, and Evans doesn’t shy away from the bittersweet consequences of her characters’ choices.

The ending hit all the right notes—hopeful, bittersweet, and beautifully earned. While I wish a few minor characters had been given more closure and the magic system had been explored further, the trilogy’s resolution is deeply satisfying.

Overall, Rebel Blade is a strong conclusion to an inventive series that deftly blends revolution, identity, and magic. If you’ve been following Siyon, Anahid, and Zagiri’s journey, this finale won’t disappoint—and it’ll leave you itching to revisit Bezim from the beginning.

In this city, money might be power, but true legitimacy comes from public spectacle.[loc. 2521]
Finale of the Burnished City trilogy, following Notorious Sorcerer and Shadow Baron. After the changes that swept through Bezim at the climax of Shadow Baron, Siyon Velo -- the Sorcerer, the Alchemist, the Power of the Mundane -- is lying low, blamed for the turmoil and upheaval ... and for the monsters converging on the City, drawn by the power he's unleashed. Meanwhile, Anahid is settling into her role as Lady Sable, and watching her little sister Zagiri attempt to overthrow the azatani, the ruling class, from her position of privilege.

If the first novel focussed on Siyon and the second on Anahid, this is very much Zagiri's story. She's not always a great judge of character, and wanting more power for the common folk of Bezim is an admirable goal that nevertheless attracts some shady individuals. Zagiri's impetuous nature and her bravi love of risk bring her, via tribulations major and minor, to a public duel at the Hippodrome. But even Zagiri can be upstaged...

Rebel Blade catches up all the threads of the previous novels and weaves them into epic. (Nearly all the threads: a couple of minor characters vanished without trace.) There are treacheries great and small, surprise reveals of identity, and Establishment figures rejecting their roles. And there is happiness, sometimes in surprising forms, for our three protagonists. I loved the revolutionary vibes, the notebooks, the determination to maintain masks literal and metaphorical: I loved the varied careers open to women, and the resolutions of old pain.

And of course I now want to reread the whole series, from Siyon's first impossible act...

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy, in exchange for this full honest review. UK Publication Date is 03 December 2024.

Absolutely loved every page, I loved the first two books and was scared that I would be disappointed in some way, but I shouldn’t have worried at all, this was everything I could have hoped for and more, the perfect ending , fabulous

I've waiting for this book for months, no a year ! I loved the first book, filled with love, actions and a great sense of presence from the world. The second book was great too, though I struggled abit because the narrative shifted from being mainly about Siyon's adventure to following more heavily on Zagiri and Anahid.

This is the case in this third book too, as was to be expected. If I like Anahid, or learned to love her throughout the second book (I liked her in book one but nothing more), Zagiri is still a character I struggle with. She is a great character, acting as she should for her personality, but I tend to get annoyed with very adolescent and revolutionnary's behavior when it has so much impulsiveness in it. Zagiri is filled with impulsivity. She wants to change things, struggle against the constraints of her society and acts rashly, with big consequences for people around her. It is believable, it is well done, but I can't love her. Her narrative arc was the strrongest in this book, I think, like book two was more about Anahid, while book one was mainly focused on Siyon.

To get back to out primary main character (who shares a few traits with Zagiri, let's face it) I still love him, though I was less enthralled this time. Maybe because the plot on his side is stagnating a bit, as he struggles with his powers and the weight bearing down on him. There are very nice moments with him, and he is the character I am the most invested in, if we forget about another character that doesn't have that much presence on page (but who is permeating the story in his own way). In fact, I would say Siyon's narrative is a bit like a farewell, tying up lose ends in his life as he tries to resolve the planes issues.

Plot wise, 'Rebel Blade' pursue the previous books' quick pace, with lagging moments with a few characters at times, but overall working correctly. The world is less present for me in this tome, maybe because we have less intervention from other planes and a bigger focus on the political rouages (a good thing, but not my thing). There aren't big explanations about how things work on the magic side, even if we have clues helping to piece it all together. I quite liked it, but it might annoy other people.
We have quite tense moments from the three point of views, nothing very surprising since the story prepares it well. I would have liked that the notesbooks and something they can do would have been exploited better, showing more on page, but it is only a little complain.

The ending is fitting as well, quite satisfying for me, especially the last few pages.

Overall, a good ending to a series with a strong start, where I would have liked to have more one characters even if the two other storylines were great too !