Review: This series just keeps getting better!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 21, 2014
I really enjoyed the first book. It had all the hallmarks that I have come to expect from Lindsay Buroker: fun characters that develop interesting relationships, and lots of seat-of-their-pants action. But honestly she had me sold at sentient, magic sword and steampunk airplanes. The fact that the sword, Jaxi, provided plenty of snarky dialogue was a bonus.The second book didn't have the sword or many planes, but was somehow even better than book one. Ahn and Deathmaker are such a fascinating couple. In a lot of ways, she's colder and harder than he is. I like how they bring out the humanity in each other. Still, as I neared the end of the story, I kept wondering how she could love him. (Not how she had come to love him or that she really did love him, the author pulled all that off beautifully, but how she could let herself fall in love with a killer like him.) He wasn't nicknamed Deathmaker as a joke, after all. When we finally get the answer to that key question, it's absolutely perfect. It explains not only their relationship, but also Ahn herself. And it has airship pirates! Their base was worth doing without the snarky sword.This book brings the couples from books one and two together on an exciting adventure. Not surprisingly, it was the best yet. Since it was from Ridge and Sardelle's pov, we got to see Ahn and Deathmaker's relationship from the outside. We also got to see more of the pilots from Wolf Squadron. Duck and Apex were definitely characters worthy of both Lindsay's keyboard and Ridge's unit. The plot, however, took a new turn for the series and one I approve of.One thing I really like about Buroker's Emperor's Edge series is how each problem they solve, every mission they complete, all the answers they find are just the tip of the iceberg. They all lead to more problems, uncover more mysteries and riddles, raise more desperate questions. Blood Charged is definitely a launching point from which this series is poised to dive head first in to the unknown. And I, for one, am thrilled to be along for the ride.Book one convinced me to read book two. Book two made me hope there would be a book three. Book three has left me on pins and needles, eagerly anticipating not just book four, but as many stories in the Dragon Blood series as Lindsay Buroker is inclined to write.