Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Black Blade Blues (Sarah Beauhall #1)

by J.A. Pitts (Goodreads Author)

3.39 of 5 stars 3.39 · rating details · 709 ratings · 132 reviews

Sarah Beauhall has more on her plate than most twenty-somethings: day job as a blacksmith, night job as a props manager for low-budget movies, and her free time is spent fighting in a medieval re-enactment group.

The lead actor breaks Sarah’s favorite one-of-a-kind sword, and to avoid reshooting scenes, Sarah agrees to repair the blade. One of the extras, who claims to be a...more

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 400 pages

Published April 27th 2010 by Tor Books (first published April 22nd 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

F/F Paranormal and Urban Fantasy

8th out of 126 books — 109 voters

LGBT sci-fi and fantasy

38th out of 368 books — 328 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,646)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Nov 15, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Just came in from the library...moved to the top of the pile with several other library books.

Well, not for me. For one thing it's in many ways more a romance than a fantasy adventure and that's not something I'm into. There are some odd moments and some "why did you make that decision" moments. I sort of wanted to enjoy this one but by 50 pages in I could tell I wasn't going to get into it.

I think if your into romance especially the the "my life's been hard" and "I haven't been understood till...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2012 Lolly's rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, urban-fantasy, part-of-a-series, heroic-fantasy

2.5 out of 5 stars

Oy. I have had the hardest time trying to review this book. It was such a mixed-bag: Parts of it were good, parts were merely okay, yet none of it elicited any strong emotions in me. So I'm going to make this a bare-bones, flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants review (and for those of you clapping and cheering at being spared reading another one of my long-winded reviews, well, that's just rude).

The Good:
-This was only the second book/series I've read featuring a female blacksmith (th...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in, 2010, urban, fantasy

There's a lot to like about this new urban fantasy title, and a few serious dislikes, too. Let's start with the likes and the general story.[return][return]Sarah Beauhall is a blacksmith by day, a B-movie props manager by night. When her favorite sword is broken on the set, one of the movie extras approaches her. That sword isn't some mere antique. It's Gram, an ancient magical sword, and she's supposed to kill a dragon with it. And the movie extra claims to be a dwarf (a six foot tall one at th...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 13, 2013 Nola Van rated it 1 of 5 stars

Ugh. Just ugh. I like some urban fantasy once in a while, just like I occasionally like junk food, but this was really awful. It was so patently a rip-off of Patricia Briggs' excellent Mercy Thompson series, except set in the Seattle suburbs instead of the Tri-cities area. But Patricia Briggs creates believable characters, even when they are shape-shifters, vampires, or werewolves. Pitss' characters aren't believable, nor are they interesting, or particularly likeable.

Maybe it's because I found...more

like · see review

Nov 23, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not sure why I picked this book up at the used book store, but I'm glad I did. This is an urban fantasy book with some primary elements that I hadn't encountered before. The fantasy is based on Norse mythology rather than the standard vampires and that sort. The main character is a blacksmith and a lesbian - unusual for a primary character. Also, dragons are the main antagonists. Also unusual in a modern setting. I've seen all these elements before, but only in minor characters.

Assuming, th...more

like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

For a debut novel, Pitts certainly didn't pick easy subject matter. The heroine, Sarah, is a self-hating lesbian blacksmith who is enthralled by a lovely school teacher named Katie. Sarah works two jobs - blacksmithing and movie props keeper - and spends her social time with the Society for Creative Anacronism as a heavy figher. That is, she does until she truly reforges the legendary black blade Grim, at which point a whole bunch of Norse mythology comes crashing down on Seattle. Two rival drag...more

like · see review

May 17, 2012 Vince Gotera rated it 4 of 5 stars

I gotta tell ya, at first I didn't expect much from Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts. I know we're not supposed to judge a book by it cover but (as my daughter pointed out to me) really, a blacksmith in a crop top? Seems like a recipe for burnt belly button. But the book was better than I thought it would be. Pitts, a man married to a woman and with kids, does a great job getting into the mind and body of a lesbian who's only recently out. (Yes, I know a man married to a woman can be gay, thank y...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2012 Keaio rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is the first of a series, but I won't be reading any further books (either in the series or by this author). I finished it just to get it over with. It had promise: a seemingly strong lesbian protagonist (a modern blacksmith no less) in a real-world-meets-fantasy setting. Unfortunately I found the setting of the book was too serious and would-be gritty for what it was, both detracting considerably from the believability of the book. Also several of the implied assumptions were offensive, in...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 John Carter McKnight rated it 4 of 5 stars

Investment bankers who're ageless dragons secretly running the world! An air-cavalry assault by orcs! The RenFaire strikes back! Kickass urban fantasy, but what makes this book great is the achingly real emotions of the protagonist's coming out/coming of age.

This first novel definitely has rough edges, which kept it from 5 stars for me, but is pretty awesome.

The "refusing the call" step in the Hero's Journey usually feels phony: who wouldn't want to give up their crappy ordinary life to be a he...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 10, 2011 Mike James rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think Mr. Pitts has constructed a very nice fantasy world for his new trilogy with a very interesting lead character. There is definitely a trend going around toward strong female leads - Sarah Beauhall is a blacksmith in the Pacific Northeast with a lot of issues to "hammer out" as it were.

She's in love with a schoolteacher named Katie, with the Society for Creative Anachronism, and with blacksmithing. Her issues run deep - a bible-thumping family and lots of baggage keep her hating her sexua...more

like · see review

Jul 11, 2011 Roxanne Skelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I picked up this book after I sat in on a norwescon session on gender in speculative fiction. J.A. Pitts was the sole male representative on that panel, and after hearing the discussion on the challenges of stepping outside ones gender in writing characters, I decided to give his book a try.

I probably set the bar pretty high as far as the content of this book goes. I'm a Seattle native, and I am part of various alternative communities. I've also tended to read urban fantasy written by women, as...more

1 like · like · see review

May 04, 2011 Vanessa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-you-should-avoid, urban-fantasy

Sarah Beuhall is pretty sure she needs therapy. Her personal demons of doubt and self-identity keep her from being happy with her life, even though at first it appears to be going well. She's got a job she loves (blacksmithing; props for a local B movie director), beautiful girlfriend who loves her (Katie), and a chosen family in her Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) reenactor friends--so why does everything still seem to go wrong?

But none of those problems are nearly as bad as the ones tha...more Sarah Beuhall is pretty sure she needs therapy. Her personal demons of doubt and self-identity keep her from being happy with her life, even though at first it appears to be going well. She's got a job she loves (blacksmithing; props for a local B movie director), beautiful girlfriend who loves her (Katie), and a chosen family in her Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) reenactor friends--so why does everything still seem to go wrong?

But none of those problems are nearly as bad as the ones that revolve around her ownership of a black-bladed sword: these more immediate problems involve dwarves, Old Norse gods, and dragons. BLACK BLADE BLUES (no, I can't believe he named it that, either) by J.A. Pitts is your typical urban fantasy novel with some gettin-together by the main characters, the heroine learning that magic really exists, and swords--don't forget the swords.

The story takes places in modern-day Seattle, and even though Sarah likes fighting in skirmishes at the occasional Ren Fair, she's never believed that magic really exists. That is, until a movie extra claims he's a dwarf and that the black-bladed sword Sarah bought at an auction is magic. Then everything changes.

BLACK BLADE BLUES starts off slow. This is an urban fantasy novel, and UF is generally shorter, so a writer can't dilly dally with set-up and has got to start out at a dead run. He doesn't. Pitts probably thinks that the short chapters would solve the pace problems and choppy flow. They don't. Neither can they successfully hide awkward progression. You don't even really know what the 'story' is until well past page 100.

Sarah is the first-person PoV, but we occasionally see third-person via Katie, or a dragon (in human form) and a witch who consider the Northwest their territory, the people in it as chattel. Sometimes these switches help to advance plot and they're often more interesting than Sarah's part of the story; Katie's PoV scenes are used to advance the romance. However, it's Sarah's voice that will hook readers long before the plot, or before even liking her as a protagonist: it's full of attitude, sarcasm, and opinions. But readers will have a hard time liking Sarah since she spends so much time questioning Katie's attraction to her, she's got a dismal self body image, and she ruminates on an unpleasant childhood with a religious nut father--all of this was ham-handed and gloomy. On the plus side, while the F/F protagonist's relationship is an important part of the story, it doesn't feel like it's there for diversity's sake, and was for the most part believable.

Pitts' prose does get cliche. The conversations are vapid. The action scenes nothing to get too excited about. The climax is a SCAdian dream come true, and becomes over-the-top with trolls, dragons, and witches fighting reenactors on their horses and using homemade swords and mail. If you're looking for nerdy fun, then great, this is for you. Personally I thought it was a little silly.

What we end up with is a mixed bag, and a result I'm not really certain who the target audience is. Lesbian blacksmith protagonist who's uncomfortable with her sexual orientation, and becomes an important player in the fight against evil. Dragons and witches vying for control over humans, but we don't really understand why or how. SCAdian reenactors who on the outside seem really cool, but not much time is spent in that world other than the convenience of Sarah having friends who can call up an army to fight trolls. So, yeah, I'm going to have to say skip this one.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Stina Zombean rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Dec 31, 2011 Karen Ireland-Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the unexpected side effects of the acceptance of gay/lesbian/bi/trans relationships has been that it is no longer remarkable to find a gay character in a novel. [return]Except, how did I miss this one? The main character is a lesbian, in the process of coming out![return]I know I'd pigeon-holed this in my mind as just another urban fantasy, but it exceeded expectations. The story is fast paced, but not shallow. Sarah Beauhall is a journeyman smith, and prickly - at best - at her night job...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 19, 2012 K. Bird rated it 3 of 5 stars

*Gnashes teeth in frustration*

This was another book I sooooooooo wanted to like alot....and just didn't really get into.

Probably would have given it 3.5 stars, if that were possible. It was just very uneven.

The ideas here are totally kick-ass awesome.

Blacksmith protagonist dealing with sexual identity? Very cool. Underlying Norse mythology? Awesome.
Society for Creative Anachronism friends being used as a cover for people who are aware of magic in the world? No brainer-good idea.
Pacific Northwes...more *Gnashes teeth in frustration*

This was another book I sooooooooo wanted to like alot....and just didn't really get into.

Probably would have given it 3.5 stars, if that were possible. It was just very uneven.

The ideas here are totally kick-ass awesome.

Blacksmith protagonist dealing with sexual identity? Very cool. Underlying Norse mythology? Awesome.
Society for Creative Anachronism friends being used as a cover for people who are aware of magic in the world? No brainer-good idea.
Pacific Northwest Setting? Totally detailed and fun to read.

And yet...the execution leaves something to be desired. Sarah the Blacksmith is awesome, but some of the major plot points just didn't make sense to me in terms of her character, or the obvious mechanisms that allowed her to cope felt like a cop-out to me. So she allows her prized sword to be used as a prop by a jerk of an actor....didn't make sense. Loses many people she loves in a fight with a dragon...and a rune is used as an excuse not to let us experience the full effects of her emotional and human frailty? Cop-out. Sarah's descent into alcohol-fueled slutdom also seems forced...with all her internal struggle about her sexual identity and who she wants to be versus her father's puritan morals made that seem unreal and forced.

Sarah's sweetie, Katie, and the rest of the Black Briar SCA gang had the potential to by mighty awesome, and some hints they knew more than they let on at were sprinkled throughout the text...but they never acted on it until the big bad fight at the end, and that felt wrong. I kept yelling at Katie and her brother (Black Briar boss) that they should be tailing Sarah, or telling her about the magic, or preparing better for a fight.

I also felt the POV changes were uneccessary and distracting. The dragon POV unbalances the story by letting us get to know one dragon very well, and then Sarah ends up in the pivotal battle against a different one. Even if the first dragon is being set up as the big bad for the series, it lessened the impact for me that the villain I got to know had almost nothing to do with most of the last third of the book.

So, in short, very cool ideas, some interesting characters, and a plot that hinged on too much suspension of disbelief for those characters' actions. So I really agonized over the number of stars..hovering over 3, then 4, then 3.

This Book's Food Designation Rating: Pita chips with a bowl half filled with hummus and half filled with mango salsa...it looks and sounds really good, and for the first few bites the freshness of the taste is appealing, but as you go along you realize there's a kind of jarring aftertaste that keeps you from wanting to finish the whole portion.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 26, 2011 C rated it 4 of 5 stars

It really needs three-and-a-half stars, because the things I liked I LOVED, and the parts I was less enthused about unfortunately were all toward the end, leaving me feeling dissatisfied over all.

It started SO WELL. I loved the introduction of Sarah, I loved her insecurities and her relationship with Katie. I loved Katie, I wish we could have seen more of her. I thought Sarah was well drawn and found her issues about her sexuality and self-esteem really believable.

I did not like the weird POV sh...more

like · see review

Nov 21, 2010 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Sarah Beauhall is a blacksmith who is asked to re-forge an ancient sword. It turns out that the sword is a magic blade capable of slaying dragons. Through it, she gets dragged into a norse-themed conflict with dragons, gods and dwarves. All the while, she's coming to terms with her Christian background and her budding lesbian relationship.

The fantasy part of this book started off really well. I like characters who gradually become aware of the supernatural (especially when they're given time to...more

like · see review

Oct 10, 2011 Lianne Burwell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, library

I really enjoyed this one, but I did have some quibbles.

Sarah is a blacksmith, rebelling from her very religious family. She's also a lesbian in her first relationship. When an antique sword she'd bought at an estate sale gets broken on the set of a movie she's working as prop director, she reforges it, only to have one of the extras tell her that 1) he's a dwarf, 2) the sword is a magical one, and 3) by reforging it, she's committed herself to killing a dragon. Oh yeah, and that dragon is an in...more

like · see review

Jan 06, 2011 Jeffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, library-copy, urban-fantasy

For a debut book for a new author this one comes out strong. I had no trouble developing an affinity for the primary characters, and the bonds of emotional investment in those characters formed quite quickly. There were some spots where things felt a touch contrived, but that is really something that you can expect from a first book. The ever so obvious setup for a follow-up book was perhaps the worst example of this.

The humanity of the characters was a refreshing change, and seeing an honest re...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Blood Rose Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

In his debut novel, J. A. Pitts reintroduces the reader the world of dragons and these are still the fire breathing type from the Norse mythical stories.

Sarah Beauhall is a black smith by trade and by passion. She loves the feel of the hammer in her hand as she mold and shapes metal into new objects. While working as a props manager on a movie, one of her beloved swords that she is broken and she feels the need to re-forge it if she wants to keep her job. However, re-forging the sword is about t...more In his debut novel, J. A. Pitts reintroduces the reader the world of dragons and these are still the fire breathing type from the Norse mythical stories.

Sarah Beauhall is a black smith by trade and by passion. She loves the feel of the hammer in her hand as she mold and shapes metal into new objects. While working as a props manager on a movie, one of her beloved swords that she is broken and she feels the need to re-forge it if she wants to keep her job. However, re-forging the sword is about to change Sarah's life, as it causes a chain of events that will change the world as a Dragon that has long slept has felt the power of the sword and knows that is could disrupt the dragons happy existence. It now becomes a race for the sword as well as a race for Sarah to figure out what is happening in her life, and whether she able to be everything that she needs to be to survive and protect those around her.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it has been awhile since I have a read an urban fantasy book that featured dragons, and really who does not like Dragons? This book was a little bit of a slow starter as Pitts takes the time to set up the story, Sarah's background and struggle of trying to be okay with who she is. Once Pitts has set the stage, the book begins to move fairly fast that you do not want to put the book down as it turns into a fairly dark gritty urban fantasy a with medieval flare. It was interesting giving the dragons the ability to be shape shifters and take the form of humans, and as much as many of them have adapted to the modern times, the dragons are still the same at heart. Wanting to possess everything, wanting to have a fast amount of riches, and when you piss them off be prepared to be eaten or burned (and this happens even if they like you). It was also interesting how each Dragon had different territory and I thought that it was interesting that how Pitt used real news events that were attached to the dragons. For example the Dragon whose territory includes Vancouver, BC, was commented to have lost another pig farmer, who he used to cover up his kills. I think that this was a clever way to have the dragons included in modern times.

I really enjoyed that Pitts allowed many of his characters to get hurt both physically and mentally, he was not scared to have some of the characters that you begin to love get in the way of the evil in his novel. I think that Sarah was a very believable character. You could feel her struggle with trying to accept herself after coming from a very religious background that condemns homosexuality and that she herself was part of the individuals who spoke out against it even though that was who she was you can see how there would be a struggle for her when she meets the girl of her dreams, Katie. I like the progression of Katie and Sarah's relationship and the hardships that they have to endure, mainly because of Sarah's internal feeling of shame. I think the way she acts in several of the situations is very real or someone who is having this internal struggle. Yes, there are some sex scenes between Katie and Sarah but they are short, not drawn out or too descriptive. Additionally, I liked how Pitts portrayed Sarah as a "hero", or not wanting to be one and being scared of this fate that seems to have come her way. The way that Pitts had Sarah's first interaction with a dragon was awesome, and very true to how I think the majority of people would act (including myself, I mean it's a freaking Dragon, how would you react).

I like the "powers" or abilities that the sword gives Sarah, but there is a struggle for her to develop and get used to what the sword wants her to do. The sword speaks to her, but at times she does not want to do what the sword does. However, based upon a few events within the novel, you can tell that Sarah does not even have a grasp of what her abilities is or will be. You know that Pitts will be exploring these in the future novels.

My one complaint was the dream event at the end was kind of different/weird and I was not too sure where Pitts is planning on taking the events of that dream. I do not know how else to put it, just weird and a little bit confusing, therefore, I hope that Pitts is able to explain it further in the second book, as there are some very big foreshadowing going on in this moment and I did not know how to take the events that it is showing could come. I will say that some of the foreshadowing showed events that I did not picture this novel taking

This was a great urban fantasy debut, that was more than just Dragons in modern times, and I think it is sure to appeal to those who like their urban fantasy with a darker more gritty edge. Pitts and his Sarah Beauhall series is one to watch out for.

Enjoy!!!(less)

like · see review

Nov 18, 2011 Aster rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nerdy-funny-modern-fantasy

Geektastic modern fantasy with smart mythological references and sensitive characters. The 'urban fantasy' set may not love this; it's less about slick, dark, sexy action than it is about average geeks dealing with extraordinary problems (and ordinary but still tough ones).

I said geek twice in the first paragraph, because this feels like a book with a definite target audience: mainstream modern geeks. Renn faire lovers, DIYers, sword enthusiasts, techies, con-goers, queer-friendly folk, star wa...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Monica! rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: meh, read-in-2011, the-sparkles-mean-its-magic, what-is-this-feeling, swash-swash-buckle-buckle, but-wait-theres-more, paul-is-definitely-gay, city-sparkles

I’ve been trying to articulate, for about ten minutes now, exactly why I didn’t super-love Black Blade Blues, but I can’t find a good way to do it, so y’all will just have to put up with my stream-of-consciousness thought process instead.

If I had read this as a fanfiction – like, if Sarah had been replaced with Hermione – I would have spent the entire time sighing about how she was a total Mary Sue. Angsty childhood? Check! Suffering from emotional abuse? Check! Doesn’t think she’s pretty althou...more I’ve been trying to articulate, for about ten minutes now, exactly why I didn’t super-love Black Blade Blues, but I can’t find a good way to do it, so y’all will just have to put up with my stream-of-consciousness thought process instead.

If I had read this as a fanfiction – like, if Sarah had been replaced with Hermione – I would have spent the entire time sighing about how she was a total Mary Sue. Angsty childhood? Check! Suffering from emotional abuse? Check! Doesn’t think she’s pretty although clearly those around her do? Check! Additionally, the situations in which she found herself didn’t ring true to me. I don’t know if JA Pitts is actually a SCAdian, or enjoys forging his own swords, or dreamed as a little boy of being a blacksmith, or wishes he could work on B-movie sets, but the story read like all of those were true—as though he had said to himself, “Self, I like such and such and such. I shall write them into my story so everyone can see how awesome they are.” If that makes sense. Does that make sense? Am I overly critical?

Certainly it wasn’t all bad! The addition of the various gods was nifty (although seriously Sarah, wake up and realize who Homeless Joe is already. One-eyed dude with ravens? And you’re dreaming about him stuck up on a tree? Didn’t you ever read American Gods?) and while I may not read the subsequent books in the series, I’m vaguely interested to see where the author’ll take that aspect of the story. The charge of the light brigade at the end of the book, complete with giants jumping out of helicopters and various homemade-chainmail-clad SCAdians on horseback, was pure fun, and I really did like Sarah’s relationship with Katie. But when you stand back and look at the whole thing (even if you choose to ignore my own feelings on the main character) it’s sort of a jumble of short little chapters and iffy plot progression.

So, in a desperate attempt to coherently sum this up, I give it a solid “Eh?” and recommend it for anyone who wishes they could hang out with a Valkyrie in their free time....(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 14, 2011 Deborah Ross rated it 5 of 5 stars

I admit it, I love a gutsy, smart, competent heroine. I'm even more a sucker when she's battling inner as well as outer demons. The back cover copy piqued my interest with a woman protagonist who is a blacksmith moonlighting as a props manager for a movie company. What the blurb didn't tell me, what I got to discover to my unfolding delight, is that she hangs out with Society for Creative Anachronism players (who are much more then weekend warriors), that she's a lesbian in a tender and loving r...more

like · see review

May 14, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sarah Beauhall, heroine of Black Blade Blues, was a woman after my own heart from the very beginning. Not only is she a lesbian and a blacksmith — traits that set her apart from the Standard Urban Fantasy Heroine — she also attends sci-fi conventions and hangs out with Ren Faire and SCA enthusiasts. This isn’t just a character I’d like to have a beer with. This is a character I feel like I’ve already had a beer with! Like lots of her compatriots in urban fantasy, she does have anger-management i...more Sarah Beauhall, heroine of Black Blade Blues, was a woman after my own heart from the very beginning. Not only is she a lesbian and a blacksmith — traits that set her apart from the Standard Urban Fantasy Heroine — she also attends sci-fi conventions and hangs out with Ren Faire and SCA enthusiasts. This isn’t just a character I’d like to have a beer with. This is a character I feel like I’ve already had a beer with! Like lots of her compatriots in urban fantasy, she does have anger-management issues, but there are reasons for this.

I have to admit, though, that I didn’t quite understand Sarah’s decision, at the beginning of the book, to let her prized antique sword be used in a friend’s B-movie shoot. Other characters said she was crazy to do it, and I actually kind of agreed with them. She’s a blacksmith, after all; why not make a convincing fake and keep her prized possession out of harm’s way? The plot requires that the sword be broken, and the movie shoot does achieve this aim, but it just doesn’t seem like the most realistic way of getting it broken.

Sarah decides to reforge the sword, and in doing so, attracts all sorts of supernatural attention. Turns out it’s a magical sword linked to the god Odin. Now Sarah has a stubborn dwarf trying to convince her to use the sword for heroic purposes, a couple of dragons (disguised as humans) who will stop at nothing to keep her from using it, and all sorts of mythical nasties threatening her friends.

And as if this weren’t enough trouble for one woman, her girlfriend Katie wants to take their relationship to the next level. But Sarah, who was raised by a Fred-Phelps-esque father, has lots of lingering angst about her sexuality and isn’t quite comfortable with who she is.

I really enjoyed the blacksmithing scenes. J.A. Pitts shows us how much Sarah loves the work, and how much work it really is. The battle scenes are also excellent, in a horrific sort of way. Sarah teams up with a group of SCA fighters to combat the villain, and the violence is rendered incredibly gritty by the fact that the heroes are all just humans, with no magical powers, pitting their courage and skill against dragons, trolls, ogres, and giants. People die; people suffer ghastly injuries. If Sarah and her friends were superpowered, these scenes wouldn’t be nearly as wrenching.

The climax comes earlier in the book than one might expect, followed by a rather long denouement. I kept thinking I was about to reach the ending, only to find another chapter of conversation. But Pitts ties up all the necessary ends, gives Sarah some great character development, and sets up a tantalizing plot hook for book two. I’ll be looking forward to it!(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 Joseph Adair rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's another modern fantasy novel. It's really not bad, but I'm kinda getting tired of "Oh hey look, it's Oden, over there! Totally Oden, even though he's hiding as a hobo. LOOK, one eye, two birds! Lightning strikes and he disappears! . As the reader, you can totally tell it's Oden, but the protagonist catches on...half way through the book, or in this case, towards the end.. " It's kinda irksome.

Dragons rule the earth from hiding, Blacksmith re-forges a mythic sword given to someone in her di...more

like · see review

Jun 07, 2012 Brandy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Ya decía yo que había tenido mucha suerte ultimamente y no me había encontrado ningún bodrio hasta el momento (en fantasía urbana) pero tuve que elegir este título para que cayeran las estadísticas.

Cuando me enfrento a estas situaciones, o primero que pienso es que el libro es una mieLda, así de simple. Después me retracto y pienso que el libro no me ha aportado lo que yo buscaba y al final acabo echándole la culpa a la editorial por engañarme.

Y es que este libro que etiquetan de fantasía urbana...more Ya decía yo que había tenido mucha suerte ultimamente y no me había encontrado ningún bodrio hasta el momento (en fantasía urbana) pero tuve que elegir este título para que cayeran las estadísticas.

Cuando me enfrento a estas situaciones, o primero que pienso es que el libro es una mieLda, así de simple. Después me retracto y pienso que el libro no me ha aportado lo que yo buscaba y al final acabo echándole la culpa a la editorial por engañarme.

Y es que este libro que etiquetan de fantasía urbana, pfffffffff, todavía no sé por donde cogerlo. Quizás si lo hubiese acabado... Pero no voy a perder el tiempo en esta novela que desbarra por todos los lados.

La trama radica en una joven de veintitantos que se dedica a la forja de armas, como en los tiempos medievales, a base de fuego y martillo, que a mi parecer era algo muy curioso. Claro, que esa profesión, salidas económicas más bien pocas, yo casi lo pondría de hobby, pero la prota, Sarah, ha decidido todo lo contrario asi que malvive de las ventas que hace en las convenciones frikis o de eventuales trabajos en el mundo del cine.
Lo peor de la novela son los detallitos.
Si ya no era suficiente frikería la profesión de la prota, llega el autor y la mete en un club de recreaciones históricas de esos en los que la gente se disfraza (hace cosplay) y se pegan con espadas de gomaespuma. Llegados a este punto lo flipaba en colores. ¿No era demasiado obvio?.
Para colmo, el malo maloso es el típico "tiburón" político y financiero con éxito. Amos, un dragón de esos con escamas, que escupen fuego y te hacen jueguecitos mentales metidos en un cuerpo humano (no llegué a saber exactamente cómo) y otro más viejo todavía que cuando tiene hambre se dedica a comerse a los niños a los que tiene secuestrados y usa como sirvientes. Pffffffffff

Todo eso lo hubiera pasado y hubiera sido algo más caritativa con la puntuación, pero es que lo que realmente mata a esta novela es que el autor se dedica a llenar páginas y páginas de "pajas mentales" de la prota por ser LESBI!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yo alucinaba. Para rematar la faena resulta que su padre era un predicador con una esposa de lo más sumisa y claro, años y años de educación ultracatólica hacen estragos cada vez que Sarah piensa en bajarse los pantalones para tirarse a su chica. Eso sí, durante el acto es lo mejor más maravilloso, los problemas surgen antes y después. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
¿Y la acción? Desaparece al tercer capítulo..
Me ha parecido una novela de lo más plomazo y un desacierto del autor tirar por el camino del medio en vez de enfrascarse en una novela de aventuras que es lo que pronosticaba portada y sinopsis.
Que churrrOOOooo!!!(less)

like · see review

Jul 27, 2012 Wayne Spiceland rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To be fair, maybe 2 1/2 stars

The good: Pretty unique world-building. From a technical standpoint, the writing is adequate, though hardly outstanding. Several of the characters are engaging and enjoyable to read about. (Alas, not the protagonist.) The lesbian element, not common enough in the UF genre, is nice to see, if a bit mangled in its treatment.

The not so good: The author can't seem to decide if this is an action-driven urban fantasy or a character-driven coming-of-age novel, and, as a res...more

like · see review

Jan 05, 2013 Eva Mostraum rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, lesbian-gay

I'm conflicted about this book.

The good: I like the language, to learn a little about how blacksmiths work and that they author uses norse mythology. It has a lesbian protagonist, always a good thing in my book. I also like many of the supporting characters, there's a lot of good people there.

The bad: Sarah annoys me no end. All the angst about being lesbian is to me just too much. Specially when she clearly has the support of everyone she cares about who's in the know. For me this is too much...more

like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 bookczuk rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: maria

Shelves: urban-fantasy, nordic-break-out-the-herring, i-liked-it, first-novel-or-book

When javaczuk asked me what I was reading, I mumbled something about urban fantasy, blacksmiths, lesbians, Seattle/Portland, and a dragon who was a shape-shifter and currently in the form of an investment banker. That caught his attention. And the book caught mine, too. I can see it that it is the start for what may be a really interesting series. Loved that it was set in an area of the country where we long to go, dragons or not, and really like that the author stepped outside of his gender com...more

like · see review

Jul 31, 2011 MB Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished reading Black Blade Blues a couple of weeks ago. It’s a fun romp. I’m a bit of a Norse Mythology fan (after discovering Thor comic books in the mid-sixties) and this had just enough Norse gods undertone. (Norse Code (2009) by Greg Van Eekhout is especially fun if you’re into that sort of thing.) The main character in Black Blade Blues, Sarah Beauhall, is a part time blacksmith and part time movie props manager in the Pacific Northwest. She’s also one angry and confused young woman.

Giv...more I finished reading Black Blade Blues a couple of weeks ago. It’s a fun romp. I’m a bit of a Norse Mythology fan (after discovering Thor comic books in the mid-sixties) and this had just enough Norse gods undertone. (Norse Code (2009) by Greg Van Eekhout is especially fun if you’re into that sort of thing.) The main character in Black Blade Blues, Sarah Beauhall, is a part time blacksmith and part time movie props manager in the Pacific Northwest. She’s also one angry and confused young woman.

Given the author’s initially name and the female lead, I assumed (sexistly?) when I bought the book that it was by a female author. Apparently I’ve been unduly influenced by author names like C.L. Moore, C.J. Cherryh & J.A. Jance, and not enough by names like H.G. Wells, H.P. Lovecraft & J.R.R. Tolkein.

Anyway, Black Blade Blues is urban fantasy, but unlike a lot of the urban fantasy I’ve read (Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere (1996) and Kraken (2010) notwithstanding), Sarah is not a believer. She has to be dragged kicking and screaming into a world she not only doesn’t believe in, but a world she doesn’t want to believe in.

Before reading Black Blade Blues the sequel, Honeyed Words (2011), was released. I bought it with mixed feelings; as always I’m unsure I’m interested in starting another series. Now that I’ve read Black Blade Blues, I still have mixed feelings. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Black Blade Blues a lot, and I thought Sarah was a very entertaining lead character. But part of her charm was her stubborn unbelief in what was happening around her. And part of the charm of the book was watching her slowly being forced to accept it.

Presumably the sequel will forgo a lot of that. Hopefully Sarah’s new knowledge (and acceptance?) won’t totally change her and she’ll still be an interestingly flawed human being in the sequel.

Black Blade Blues is a good read and it works pretty well as a standalone novel. After having read just it, I don’t feel like I’ve only read part of the story.
(less)

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 54 55 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

93 users

Fantasy

60 users

Fantasy > Dragons

16 users

Glbt

11 users

Fantasy > Magic

10 users

Romance

10 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

7 users

Glbt > Lesbian

6 users

Glbt > Queer

4 users

Contemporary

3 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About J.A. Pitts

(from author's website) I learned to love science fiction at the knee of my grandmother, listening to her read authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard during my childhood in rural Kentucky. My life has always been heavily influenced by strong women. My mother first among them: raising three boys after the death of my father, with grace and wit. There were always women coming and goi...more (from author's website) I learned to love science fiction at the knee of my grandmother, listening to her read authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard during my childhood in rural Kentucky. My life has always been heavily influenced by strong women. My mother first among them: raising three boys after the death of my father, with grace and wit. There were always women coming and going in our house, friends, family, folks who needed a hand, and folks who had one to lend. All of my life has been steeped in the stories of average people doing extraordinary things — and most of them were women. That is why I was drawn to the character Sarah in my new novel. She embodies all the strength of the women who have influenced me over the years.

I can’t remember a time I wasn’t absorbing and creating story. I read early, and became a regular at my local library. There for a while, I thought the coolest thing in the world would be to grow up and be a librarian. I even got the degree. Once I hit the workforce, I discovered how poorly most librarians are paid, and I ended up in high tech instead.

But I live my life surrounded by books and story. Selling my own tales still comes as a surprise to me. The characters and worlds I build have been given loving care by some pretty spectacular editors. I’ve been very lucky. I continue to launch my words into the world, for all to read if they have the mind. I just hope you are entertained in the process. The opportunities for you to read my work has just gotten even better.

Tor Publishing has agreed to purchase the first three books in my Black Blade series. The first — BLACK BLADE BLUES — comes out in trade paperback and hardback April 27th, 2010.

Of course, if you want a sneak peak on the novel, you can read the short story which launched it all in the DAW anthology Swordplay, edited by Denise Little. It was released June 2, 2009.

My other short fiction can be found in such fine magazines as Fortean Bureau, Talebones magazine (issue 36 and forthcoming in issue 39) as well as two additional DAW anthologies Zombie Raccoons and Killer Bunnies (Oct 2009), and The Trouble with Heroes (Nov 2009).

I have a BA in English and a Masters of Library Science from University of Kentucky. In addition, I am a graduate of the Oregon Coast Writers Workshops with Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith. When I’m not writing, you can find me practicing martial arts with my children or spending time with my lovely wife.

I am a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.(less)

More about J.A. Pitts...

Books by J.A. Pitts

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Black Blade Blues

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Black Blade Blues
avg rating	preview: Black Blade Blues Goodreads rating: 3.39 (709 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7062539-black-blade-blues?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316129809l/7062539.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7062539-black-blade-blues?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts[/url]

Black Blade Blues (Sarah Beauhall #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website