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Frail Human Heart

(The Name of the Blade #3)

Zoë Marriott (Goodreads Author)

4.05 · Rating details · 142 ratings · 29 reviews

In the thrilling final installment of Zoë Marriotts epic, Japanese-inspired urban fantasy trilogy, Mio has succeeded in banishing the Goddess of Deaths plague-spreading monsters by making the most terrible sacrifice. Now Mio's love Shinobu is lost forever, the Goddess is rising from the underworld, and hell is literally breaking loose in London.

To save the city from the ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published November 8th 2016 by Candlewick Press (first published June 18th 2015)

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Oct 28, 2014 Eilonwy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: beautifully-written, diverse-characters, fast-paced, good-mythology, heartbreaking, heartwarming, love-story, oh-the-feels

A perfect ending for this trilogy.

I promise to write reviews for Darkness Hidden and Frail Mortal Heart tomorrow!

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Mar 23, 2017 Sandy rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, own, fantasy, series

I was vested in this novel and I hadnt even read the first two books in the series! The author pushed me headfirst into this story as she briefly summarized the first two novels in this series before taking off on Frail Human Heart. There were also bits and pieces throughout the novel where the author reflected back to the first two novels in this series so I felt connected and comfortable as I read. I felt the urgency and the intensity that this novel was intended to project in this novel. I was vested in this novel and I hadn’t even read the first two books in the series! The author pushed me headfirst into this story as she briefly summarized the first two novels in this series before taking off on Frail Human Heart. There were also bits and pieces throughout the novel where the author reflected back to the first two novels in this series so I felt connected and comfortable as I read. I felt the urgency and the intensity that this novel was intended to project in this novel. Destruction was upon them and something had to be done, the two Gods were in for a battle and the mortals were in their line of fire. It’s realistic and part magical, as this story is woven with swords that have magical powers, they’re cast into a realm of dreams and they’re lead by a noble young girl, as they try to save their friends and themselves from devastation.

I was nervous about starting this series on book three. I liked how the author got me up-to-speed in the first couple pages, I knew I wouldn’t know everything but knowing the major points was a huge plus for me. There were a lot of strange and bizarre words in this novel, words I guess only individuals in this realm would know so I quickly started to write them down so I would know them when I came upon them again in my reading. This book moved along quickly, I mean quickly! I liked the Hikaru in this novel, they were foxes and they had an important relationship with the humans in this novel. The swords or blades as they came to be known also had an interesting history. I would like to go back and read the first two books in this series this summer and actually get the full account of what happened, I think I would really enjoy it. I received a free copy of this novel, so I read it before reading the previous two novels. The cover on this novel is beautiful, the jellyfish and the contrasting colors, very cool. Yes, the jellyfish do have something to do with the novel.
I received a free copy of this novel from Candlewick Press. This review is my own opinion of this novel. Thank you Candlewick for sending me this novel, it was greatly appreciated.
...more

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Sep 30, 2014 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: british-author, books-i-own-print, signed, read-in-2015, for-review-read, favorites

It's no secret that I love Zoe Marriott's writing, I've been a fan of hers ever since I picked up Shadows on the Moon (which is still my favourite of her books and one I would HIGHLY recommend if you haven't already read it!) and her Name of the Blade trilogy has been outstanding. I'm always a little wary of trilogies because more often than not at least one of the books ends up being a disappointment but I knew that wouldn't be the case here and I'm happy to report that Frail Human Heart ends ...more

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Jul 01, 2015 Luna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, weneeddiversebooks-ownvoices, publisher-review-copy-arc

Frail Human Heart is EVERYTHING!!!

Writing, world-building and the emotions! Dont get me started on the turmoil this book put me through. I mean it was wonderful but I feel like Walker Books should provide a survival kit with the last instalment of the trilogy.

Im not sure what else I can say about Zoë Marriott writing at this point, or the amazing stories she creates that I havent already said in previous reviews. The Name of The Blade Trilogy was truly perfect for me. Which is spectacular given ...more

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Jul 07, 2015 Isabel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Frail Human Heart has such a brilliant mix of Zoe's crazily vivid imagination and her characters' signature personalities and senses of humor. This book is so full of unexpected awesomeness from start to finish and was the perfect ending to the trilogy! Zoe is such a unique, talented, and dedicated author.

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Mar 12, 2018 Cecilia Rodriguez rated it liked it · review of another edition

In the final novel in the series the story is already in progress,
not even pausing for breath.
Narrated by Mio Yamato, Marriott fills her story with heart stopping action and a
final showdown between Mio and Izanagi.

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Apr 14, 2018 Emily rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

one heck of a finale

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Nov 14, 2017 Paul Tokarski rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

excellent

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Sep 22, 2017 Alexia Chen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a very good trilogy. Because i am totally into japanese folklore :)
And yes, i do love Shinobu lol

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Feb 27, 2018 Neptune Violin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: physical-copy, urban-fantasy, ya, mythology-folklore-and-fairytales

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was nervous throughout the entire trilogy about how the Jack/Hikaru relationship was going to go down. We're told early on (and explicitly) that Jack was gay. Great! Then Hikaru came along doing the things that my ace ass has learnt to pick up as signs for *he has a crush on her* and *a relationship is going to happen*. Jack even started doing things back that Ive learnt to mean *I'm probably going to reciprocate his feelings*. And I began screaming in my head just let my gay girls be gay, I was nervous throughout the entire trilogy about how the Jack/Hikaru relationship was going to go down. We're told early on (and explicitly) that Jack was gay. Great! Then Hikaru came along doing the things that my ace ass has learnt to pick up as signs for *he has a crush on her* and *a relationship is going to happen*. Jack even started doing things back that I’ve learnt to mean *I'm probably going to reciprocate his feelings*. And I began screaming in my head “just let my gay girls be gay”, because I don’t get to see that often. (To be fair I would have been okay if she actually got to say she was bi (but how many bi characters actually say bisexual?) because people change but we don’t really focus on Jack enough for us to really want to see that journey and it was very explicit in her introduction that she was gay.)
I couldn’t find a good way to resolve this. The options I could see were “oh look I’m actually straight haha whoopsie” *throws book against wall and looses faith in author* and the related “well I’m bi but won’t actually say anything about it” *disgruntled sigh*, neither of which I was going to be happy with. What I hoped would happen was for Hikaru to confess to Jack (thereby forcing her to come out to him, which still isn’t the best) and have this awkward scene before getting in with the rest of the book, where hopefully they stay friends. It not ideal but I tried not to think about it too much whilst preparing myself for the worst. (One of the things with this one would be the straight shippers complaining that the “gayness” ruined their ship and wouldn’t get over it, but fortunately or not, Marriott doesn’t have big fandom.)
What actually happened, I’m still not sure if it was better or worse. Hikaru makes a move on Jack (and I’m screaming “oh god why are you doing it like this?”) and Jack is forced to come out to him and defend that she’s not weird. Before Hikaru reveals that because he’s a Kitsune, he can change his body to either male or female.
Along with being a very binary understanding of sex and gender, which my enby ass isn’t happy about, it puts Hikaru's gender presentation on Jack. Hikaru spend the first two and a half books in a male body because he thought that’s what Jack would want, and presumably stayed female after because that’s what she did want. This... isn’t good. I don’t fully have the words to articulate why but... it left a bad feeling in my mouth.
I was intrigued by the king and their sudden, explanationless shift in appearance (and presumably gender) but I think I preferred being in the dark about it and assuming it was because she was hundreds of years old with loads of magic and could therefore do whatever the hell she wanted.
But otherwise I enjoyed the book. ...more

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Sep 08, 2017 Anne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, action-adventure, psc-reviews, young-adult, fantasy-sci-fi

Book 3 (and conclusion) to the Name of the Blade series.

As is true with most series books for me, I really enjoyed the first one but found them decreasingly interesting by the final one. With that said, however, this is a satisfying conclusion to the series and picks up right where book 2 left off.

Mio has had to imprison Shinobu back into the sword, but that has not solved all of the problems in their world. London is being overrun by creatures from hell as two gods continue their destructive ...more

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Jan 26, 2017 Amanda rated it liked it

This book was a satisfying end to the trilogy, even if it did fall into some of the tired YA tropes. How many times do we have to have a hero/heroine sacrifice him/herself to beat the bad guy and save the world? I was glad to have more of Hikaru, who is in my opinion the best character in the series, and everything wraps up very neatly at the end. This book (and the trilogy) was entertaining, however nothing groundbreaking and I am not likely to recommend it when there are so many similar series ...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Andrew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: given-from-book-publishers

Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf

I've had this book, the third and final book of the Name of the Blade trilogy by Zoë Marriott since last summer. Yes, since last June-ish time. And I love this trilogy. If you have read my reviews of The Night Itself and Darkness Hidden, you know how much I love this trilogy. I adore it and compare it to Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series.

So why, I hear you ask, did I not read it when I got the book (and got Zoe to sign it and begged her to tell me if there Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf

I've had this book, the third and final book of the Name of the Blade trilogy by Zoë Marriott since last summer. Yes, since last June-ish time. And I love this trilogy. If you have read my reviews of The Night Itself and Darkness Hidden, you know how much I love this trilogy. I adore it and compare it to Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series.

So why, I hear you ask, did I not read it when I got the book (and got Zoe to sign it and begged her to tell me if there were any deaths so I can brace my soul - yes, I did. I also told her that I trust authors when I read books. I just don't trust the book. [I'm weird. I know this and I accept this]) back in June 2015?

Because, I didn't want to. I love this series and I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to say goodbye to these characters or this world. Plus, what happens if something awful happens to a character I love? Will it be like when I meet Cassandra Clare when City of Glass has just come out and I said to her "If Alec and Magnus don't get together, I don't know if I can forgive you"?

Enough of my panic, let's talk Frail Human Heart. After the devastating events in Darkness Hidden, Mio doesn't want to carry on. How can she is that means putting the people she loves at risk? But she must. With the final battle between gods coming to a head and London being their battlefield, Mio is the only one who can end it. But how far is she willing to go to end this war? What sacrifice is she willing to make?

I am going to say this now: I do love this series. I think this is one of the coolest urban fantasy series I have read in recent years. And because I love this series, I had to numb myself to Frail Human Heart hence my reactions might not be as OTT as you all might be expecting.

It's a strong finale. The world building and the events leading up to the final dramatic conclusion are wonderful. Zoe knows how to write action and keep the pacing strong, while writing small, private moments. There isn't a dull or boring moment in any books within this trilogy. You will keep turning those pages, needing to know what happens next. And because I loved the previous two books, I returned to this world really easily, as if returning to an old friend.

Maybe because I took a long break away from this world, but there was one or two times I think that some people might not like how Zoe wrapped everything up and left things hanging. I fear some of you guys might find this a little too clean compared to other final books in series out there.

But this is a strong satisfying end to a series I love. Fans of Cassandra Clare need to get this series in their lives and I will be reading the two Zoe Marriott's I have on my TBR shelves (The Swan Kingdom and Daughter of the Flames) before the release of Zoe's Beauty and the Beast retelling, Barefoot on the Wind and her rumoured Mulan retelling (which I am VERY excited to read!). ...more

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Apr 06, 2017 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book brought about a perfect end to the trilogy - Im only sad that I put off reading it for so long. With a cast of loveable characters, The Name of the Blade books have been a rollercoaster of a journey and are the perfect teen adventure.

In this third book, Mio and her friends have no choice but to travel into the dream realm. Only there can they unlock the swords final name and gain the true power of the Katana, which they will need to face the dark goddess. But the dream realm is full ...more

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Dec 12, 2016 Ms. Yingling rated it really liked it

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

After The Name of the Blade and Darkness Hidden, Mio is back, and the threat to London is still dire. Monsters are roaming the streets, terrifying residents, and only Mio and her small group of friends know what's going on. Shinobu is gone, and Mio must rely on her father, Rachel, Jack, Hikaru and others to save London from the fight between Izanagi and Izanami. Along the way, Mio must travel under London into the sewer-like entrance to the land of Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

After The Name of the Blade and Darkness Hidden, Mio is back, and the threat to London is still dire. Monsters are roaming the streets, terrifying residents, and only Mio and her small group of friends know what's going on. Shinobu is gone, and Mio must rely on her father, Rachel, Jack, Hikaru and others to save London from the fight between Izanagi and Izanami. Along the way, Mio must travel under London into the sewer-like entrance to the land of dreams, and decide whether she wants to stay there in safety with Shinobu, or risk her own life to save her friends and family on their plane of existence. More of the history that she shares with Shinobu is revealed, explaining why the two warriors have such a strong bond.

This is a great urban paranormal romance choice for fans of Amy Plum's Revenant series, Aprilynne Pike's Wings books, and De La Cruz's Blue Bloods saga. It had fascinating bits of Japanese mythology, which is such a welcome change from the standard Anglo-Germanic basis for most mythologically rooted books.

The romance amidst the destruction will be appealing to readers. Mio's inexplicable connection to Shinobu is not treated lightly, and we do learn why it is such a compelling force in her life. There is an interesting interchange between Jack and Hikaru-- in his human for, the kitsune puts the moves on Jack, only to find out that she prefers women. This is not a problem for a shapeshifter, and Hikaru changes to a female form. The explanation of gender fluidity is matter-of-fact and handled well. There is a brief interlude when Mio and Shinobu share a moment that ends with Mio acquiring some grass stains, but there is nothing instructional that would prevent this from being appropriate for middle grade readers.

Mio is a strong but conflicted character who doubts her own strength but is ultimately able to summon it against the odds. I appreciated the fact that her parents both play a role in the book, and that she is both protective of them while wanting their approval and protection as well. Rachel gains power after her attack from a supernatural being in a previous book, and helps to save the day. Incidental characters like Mr. Ebisu add depth to both the mythology and the story in a satisfying way-- I want to hang out at Mr. Ebisu's book store!

Frail Human Heart is a brilliantly titled and satisfying conclusion to The Name of the Blade Trilogy that will have fans sighing with relieved contentment and waiting to see what Marriott will write next. ...more

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May 18, 2015 Chin-Ning Chong rated it liked it · review of another edition

Okay the book had a good ending. It would've been a better plot twist if they both died though. But anyway.
The story was okay, I'm not very fond of this series because it's too modern, and the people in it are too fickle and self-centered. They do get better as the series progresses, but they are still so small-minded. I can't take it. Other than the characters, the plot was fine, as fine as you can get with characters that are relatable to this strawberry generation. I like the dreamscape and ...more

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Apr 24, 2016 Denise rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2016

Mio is devastated by the choice she had to make at the end of Darkness Hidden to defeat the Shikome and heal all those affected by the plague. But she has little time to grieve, because the conflict between two gods she now knows is behind all that has been happening is about to escalate into the complete destruction of London and quite possibly the entirety of the human world. The only one who can stop it is Mio herself, and to do it she must acquire a second sword through a dangerous quest in ...more

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Nov 26, 2016 Mrs.Melaugh Melaugh rated it really liked it

This final volume in the Name of the Blade trilogy is the best of the three. The characters have matured; snarky dialog flows effortlessly, and favorite characters from the previous volumes reappear to help before the final showdown with the terrifying gods, Izanami and Izanagi. A side story features Mios lesbian best friend who may have finally found love in the form of Hiroku, a fox creature that can take on the characteristics of either gender at will. In all, this is a satisfying resolution ...more

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Sep 09, 2015 Beth Kemp rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy-sci-fi

I was nervous starting this, although I'd loved the first two in the series - or perhaps because I'd loved the first two in the series and held them as precious. I should have had more faith! This is a cracking conclusion to a brilliant trilogy. I'm finding it hard to say more at this point without spoilers, but if you enjoy Urban Fantasy (fantasy elements in a contemporary setting, rather than a complete fantasy world) and Japanese folklore appeals (even if, like me, you have no prior knowledge ...more

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Mar 04, 2016 Jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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

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Oct 14, 2015 Sharon rated it liked it · review of another edition

I wanted more sweet and funny interactions between Mio and Shinobu. And there definitely wasn't enough Hikaru the Kitsune fox spirit in this book. I liked that this trilogy featured Japanese mythology.

I had been anticipating this book for so long but the first 2 books were better.

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Dec 17, 2016 Summers rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Great fantasy story. Too bad author felt a need to throw in some bad language and other unnecessary modern morals. Storing is very strong and good without it.

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Oct 12, 2016 Suzanne added it · review of another edition

doneeeeeeeeeeeeee, and now i want more

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Nov 16, 2014 Charlie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I could not have imagined a more perfect conclusion for this high octane, arse kicking, nightmarishly magical, heroine elf book. Brilliant, brilliant.

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Mar 03, 2015 Cheshire rated it liked it · review of another edition

I absolutely loved the start of this series. The conclusion was a little bit predictable in terms of the direction that the main character was heading.

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Nov 27, 2015 Laura Jayne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-reads

What a fantastic end to such a innovative and action packed series. Every scary thing makes an appearance in this book;the final showdown between Mio and the gods!

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Jul 31, 2015 Emily rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, own

AWESOME!!!

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Kumyin rated it really liked it
May 08, 2016

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Sep 12, 2015

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May 12, 2015

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About Zoë Marriott

Zoë Marriott

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I've known that I wanted to be a writer since I finished reading my first book; 'The Magic Faraway Tree' by Enid Blyton. I think I was about eight, but I've never changed my mind in all the years since then.

I got my first publishing contract when I was twenty-two, but had to wait until I was twenty-four to see that book published (it was The Swan Kingdom).

I live in a little house in a town by the ...more