“On a desert plain, in the coursing winds, death approached from the south like a ghost…”
Doble takes his exquisitely epic Blood and Steel Saga to new heights and darker depths in The Knife of Sorrows, a brand-new companion sequel full of horrors both supernatural and terrifyingly human.
Now, when I say that the shell-shocking twist that Doble pulled at the end of The Horns of Grief left me reeling, I mean that I was just about ready to sell my soul to get answers. And in The Knife of Sorrows, all my wishes were granted; this bridge novel narrows its scope and tells the story of one intriguing enigma of a character who has mystifyingly returned from the ashes, taking us along on their path of grief and vengeance.
And as if that wasn’t enough, we are also introduced to Xafiri, a brand-new POV character who provides our first ever solid look into the Tarrazi culture and their side of the conflict. Doble executes the dual POV narration in The Knife of Sorrows to absolute perfection, especially when it becomes clear how these characters’ fates are intertwined; in a way, it almost feels like they are on a tragic collision course, which creates a sense of anticipatory dread that kept me in a chokehold from start to finish.
Initially, the familiar character (who I will just refer to as Deathbringer for the sake of avoiding spoilers) captured all my interest, and I loved diving deep into the darkest realms of their mind after the absolutely harrowing events that they have had to endure. The way that Doble plays around with the ‘meddling gods’ and ‘gods walking among us’ tropes is so morbidly fascinating, and I love how the fantastical aspects of this series bring forth such poignant themes of mental illness, grief, vengeance, and second chances; one specific pivotal scene in the Deathbringer’s story resonated with me and my own mental health journey on such a deep emotional level that it gave me chills all over, and if that isn’t powerful writing, then I don’t know what is.
With one of the perspectives being so emotionally impactful, it’s hard to deliver a second perspective that doesn’t completely pale in comparison, but Doble nailed it in The Knife of Sorrows. I loved how Xafiri’s journey is just drenched in culture and lore, which fleshed out the Tarrazi nation in a way that added staggering layers of depth and nuance to this world and story. The alienation that he feels from his own country and culture due to his forced education by the Provenci invaders was so harrowing yet emotionally impactful to read, especially in how that manifested in his complicated yet strong relationship with his mother. The realistic culture clashing and language barrier in his perspective were just pure dopamine shots for me as an anthropology and linguist nerd, making this world feel only more immersive and lived-in.
And then add to that Doble’s trademark entrancingly visceral prose, which is somehow both a balm to the soul and a knife to the gut. In a way, this storytelling feels like a magnificently brutal mix of Joe Abercrombie’s and Anna Smith Spark’s styles, while also being completely and utterly unique. Especially in the Deathbringer’s storyline, some of the more ethereal and emotionally-charged moments were delivered with a certain level of frenzied madness that just gripped me by the throat and filled me with both awe and terror.
After writing my tongue-in-cheek ‘E.J. Doble Must be Stopped’ gush fest, I honestly didn’t think I could end up loving this series even more, but here we are. With my only little quibble about the lack of a Tarrazi perspective made null here, I guess there is no denying the straight facts anymore: Doble has truly crafted the perfect grimdark series for my dark and twisted heart. The Knife of Sorrows might be the smallest instalment in the series so far, outside of the novellas, but it delivers everything I have come to expect from Doble’s exceptional storytelling, including all the heavy emotional gut punches that just hurt so good.
As expected, the intriguingly unexpected ending of The Knife of Sorrows left me hungering for more in the best way possible, and I can’t wait to see the ripple effects of the crazy events in this instalment play out over the rest of the series. Equal parts disturbingly dark and inspiringly hopeful, The Blood and Steel Saga is simply the epitome of grimdark with heart, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Knife of Sorrows is scheduled for release on August 1st, 2024.
