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The Knife of Sorrows
"On a desert plain, in the coursing winds, death approached from the south like a ghost..."
A MAN.
Taken by death, returned in ashes, with a tale of revenge on his lips.
A BOY.
Cast out by his people for wrongs he never committed, longing for a chance at redemption.
THEIR FATES.
Intertwined by chance; forged by the gods.
Into the depths of Tarraz, they go.
Behold, the Knife of Sorrows...
A MAN.
Taken by death, returned in ashes, with a tale of revenge on his lips.
A BOY.
Cast out by his people for wrongs he never committed, longing for a chance at redemption.
THEIR FATES.
Intertwined by chance; forged by the gods.
Into the depths of Tarraz, they go.
Behold, the Knife of Sorrows...
- GenresFantasy
280 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2024
About the author
E.J. Doble
9 books94 followersE J Doble is 23 years old from Bath, UK. A self-published author of philosophical and Grimdark fantasy, his first novel, THE FANGS OF WAR, was released in January 2022. He works in a cheese factory by profession, and also reads broadly in history and politics.
When not writing, he is most often found drinking excess amounts of coffee and tending to a variety of houseplants with odd and entirely pointless names.
When not writing, he is most often found drinking excess amounts of coffee and tending to a variety of houseplants with odd and entirely pointless names.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 1, 2024
For the Tarrazi, it is a time of immeasurable terror. The most feared of gods walks. Bringing lightning. Bringing death. Courage must rise.
Doble’s perfect blend of grimdark & horror continues to engross! His rich prose vividly creates an ominous feel while eliciting strong emotions through his captivating characters.
In The Knife of Sorrows we embark on a journey of two destinies about to collide. Both POVs are incredibly compelling, full of anguish and pain.
EJ Doble’s Blood and Steel saga has been nothing short of fantastic. When this guy writes action and magic the descriptive narrative is pulse pounding. Throughout two novels and two more novellas it is the same. I have found myself eagerly devouring every installment of this dark epic.
Honestly just look at that book cover. Wow! 🔥
Five ⭐️ for me!
A big thank you to the author for sending me this ARC. I am incredibly honoured to have been among the selected for his book tour.
Doble’s perfect blend of grimdark & horror continues to engross! His rich prose vividly creates an ominous feel while eliciting strong emotions through his captivating characters.
In The Knife of Sorrows we embark on a journey of two destinies about to collide. Both POVs are incredibly compelling, full of anguish and pain.
EJ Doble’s Blood and Steel saga has been nothing short of fantastic. When this guy writes action and magic the descriptive narrative is pulse pounding. Throughout two novels and two more novellas it is the same. I have found myself eagerly devouring every installment of this dark epic.
Honestly just look at that book cover. Wow! 🔥
Five ⭐️ for me!
A big thank you to the author for sending me this ARC. I am incredibly honoured to have been among the selected for his book tour.
July 27, 2024
Review originally on JamReads
The Knife of Sorrows is the new brilliant instalment in the Blood and Steel Saga, the grimdark fantasy series created by E.J. Doble. A novella that brings us more insight of the Tarrazi traditions with a new point of view, while giving us the best of his prose in the second POV of this dual narrative.
The first of the POV is the already known as Deathbringer; already known by the fans of the saga, Doble will continue his deep dive into the darker sides of the mind, while playing with concepts such as "the gods walking among us"; probably is what we could call the fantastical side of this novella, which also brings the opportunity to show Doble's ability to play with prose in a style that remembers to Anna Smith Spark.
With the second POV, Doble introduces a totally new character, Xafiri, a young that was forced to be cultured by the Provenci invaders, a reason of why he's not accepted as part of the Tarrazi; he will fight against wind and tide, in unfair conditions, to become part of the culture he belongs by birth. Xafiri's journey brings us an excellent exploration of the rather shadowed Tarrazi's side.
And let me tell you, how both characters' fates are intertwined is simply delicious.
I found two elements of this novella to shine over the rest: how the carefully crafted prose is used to convey emotions, sometimes raw and sometimes more elaborated, and how it brings more light over the Tarrazi culture and traditions, especially when we are following Xafiri. With a great pacing, Doble uses this piece to continue expanding his world.
The Blood and Steel Saga was already a must read for any fan of military grimdark fantasy; but I feel the intensity of the novellas is where Doble's ability shines more, so you can trust me when I say you should read The Knife of Sorrows, and submerge into a brutal and dark world.
The Knife of Sorrows is the new brilliant instalment in the Blood and Steel Saga, the grimdark fantasy series created by E.J. Doble. A novella that brings us more insight of the Tarrazi traditions with a new point of view, while giving us the best of his prose in the second POV of this dual narrative.
The first of the POV is the already known as Deathbringer; already known by the fans of the saga, Doble will continue his deep dive into the darker sides of the mind, while playing with concepts such as "the gods walking among us"; probably is what we could call the fantastical side of this novella, which also brings the opportunity to show Doble's ability to play with prose in a style that remembers to Anna Smith Spark.
With the second POV, Doble introduces a totally new character, Xafiri, a young that was forced to be cultured by the Provenci invaders, a reason of why he's not accepted as part of the Tarrazi; he will fight against wind and tide, in unfair conditions, to become part of the culture he belongs by birth. Xafiri's journey brings us an excellent exploration of the rather shadowed Tarrazi's side.
And let me tell you, how both characters' fates are intertwined is simply delicious.
I found two elements of this novella to shine over the rest: how the carefully crafted prose is used to convey emotions, sometimes raw and sometimes more elaborated, and how it brings more light over the Tarrazi culture and traditions, especially when we are following Xafiri. With a great pacing, Doble uses this piece to continue expanding his world.
The Blood and Steel Saga was already a must read for any fan of military grimdark fantasy; but I feel the intensity of the novellas is where Doble's ability shines more, so you can trust me when I say you should read The Knife of Sorrows, and submerge into a brutal and dark world.
July 26, 2024
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
4.5 stars (rounded up)
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.
4.5 stars (rounded up)
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.
Want to read
April 29, 2024Yes! One of the best hidden gem grimdark authors and series out there...
I cannot wait for this installment and book three. I loved the fast paced prequel novella to this series and this one sounds fairly similar in style and format. The Blood and Steel saga is turning into one of my favorite ongoing grimdark fantasy series. More people need to experience this young new author and amazing series:)
I cannot wait for this installment and book three. I loved the fast paced prequel novella to this series and this one sounds fairly similar in style and format. The Blood and Steel saga is turning into one of my favorite ongoing grimdark fantasy series. More people need to experience this young new author and amazing series:)
October 18, 2024
The Knife of Sorrows is TOP TIER GRIMDARK STORYTELLING. EJ Doble has quickly become one of my favorite fantasy authors of all time. The Blood and Steel Saga continuously blows my expectations.
When coming into any EJ Doble book, there are a few things I now expect.
Beautiful and descriptive prose.
Intense and brutally fun action.
Riveting and distinct characters.
Let me be clear, this “novella” has everything I expected and MORE. A jaw-dropping and electrifying returning character. A new character that pulled my heartstrings. Blood pumping intense and visceral action. And oooh boy… WHAT AN ENDING!
Book 3, please.
(I’m not including this in my 100-word review… I say “novella” because this book is easily over 40K words coming at 280 pages… WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING. GIVE ME MORE MR.DOBLE 🫴)
When coming into any EJ Doble book, there are a few things I now expect.
Beautiful and descriptive prose.
Intense and brutally fun action.
Riveting and distinct characters.
Let me be clear, this “novella” has everything I expected and MORE. A jaw-dropping and electrifying returning character. A new character that pulled my heartstrings. Blood pumping intense and visceral action. And oooh boy… WHAT AN ENDING!
Book 3, please.
(I’m not including this in my 100-word review… I say “novella” because this book is easily over 40K words coming at 280 pages… WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING. GIVE ME MORE MR.DOBLE 🫴)
July 30, 2024
Bloody marvelous!!!!
Man, taken by death, returned in ashes with revenge on his lips
Boy, cast out for wrongs he never did on his way to redemption
New novella from the Blood and Steel world that follows two characters, one from the previous installments and one new.
I think that Man and Boy are an excellent contrast to each other and give the novela its dynamic, which makes it exciting from beginning to end.
As i said, really damn great continuation into the world of darkness and brutality, another crazy journey as we explore more of what Doble has in his head.
Its fast pace and extreme brutality make it so fun to read, of course if you're into that stuff
Man, taken by death, returned in ashes with revenge on his lips
Boy, cast out for wrongs he never did on his way to redemption
New novella from the Blood and Steel world that follows two characters, one from the previous installments and one new.
I think that Man and Boy are an excellent contrast to each other and give the novela its dynamic, which makes it exciting from beginning to end.
As i said, really damn great continuation into the world of darkness and brutality, another crazy journey as we explore more of what Doble has in his head.
Its fast pace and extreme brutality make it so fun to read, of course if you're into that stuff
July 31, 2024
Great interlude to the series! Can’t wait to see what this new duo gets up to.
Want to read
June 19, 2024Yes! One of the best hidden gem grimdark authors and series out there...
I cannot wait for this installment and book three. I loved the fast paced prequel novella to this series and this one sounds fairly similar in style and format. The Blood and Steel saga is turning into one of my favorite ongoing grimdark fantasy series. More people need to experience this young new author and amazing series:)
I cannot wait for this installment and book three. I loved the fast paced prequel novella to this series and this one sounds fairly similar in style and format. The Blood and Steel saga is turning into one of my favorite ongoing grimdark fantasy series. More people need to experience this young new author and amazing series:)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews