YA Fantasy - about a boy who joins the army creates a magic sword by mixing steel and silver so it can catch on fire. Love interest called Jenna. Read around 2004-2008. Possible Spoilers ahead.

[George]

YA/Fantasy/Fiction- This series is about a boy who leaves his home town to join up with the army. Whilst a cadet in the first book he has a local blacksmith craft a sword but while the blacksmith is working the boy has him stop so he can “pray/bless” the sword with silver, because the steel and silver mix the boy can carve runes onto the sword so that it produces flame. This makes him the subject of a prophecy. While a recruit he finds a love interest called Jenna and a best friend. The best friend ends the series as one of the best fighters in all the land using a dual wielding fighting style with one of the swords being “leaf-shaped”. The protagonist learns illusion magic after going to an enemy country. The protagonist is so good at this magic he fools an examiner during an exam to hide a staff. The examiner finds a hidden staff but the protagonist reveals the real staff to be on the table the whole time after the examiner is gone. At one point the best friend becomes a gladiator in an arena where he hones his sword fighting craft. At the end of his time in the arena he has to let himself get hurt so that he can defeat an opponent. At the end of the series the best friend becomes an immortal guardian of something.

I read the book between 2004-2008 and borrowed it from my local library in the midlands UK. The books art seemed dated but could have just been a style as the books themselves didn’t seem old. One of the books in the series’ cover art included Jenna fighting in short shorts and a waistcoat like grey top, and another included the best friend with his signature leaf shaped blade in one hand and another sword in the other in a one on one duel. The author I believe was Male and the book was in English.

[Becca]

The Darkweaver Legacy series by Mark Robson? The first book is The Forging of the Sword