A Hired Blade

I loved The Blood-Born Dragon, so I enjoyed getting a peek at Des's life prior to the events of book one in the trilogy. This novella gives us a taste of the great world-building and settings in the Everlands Cycle series. The writing is well done, gut-wrenching, and fast-paced, which lead me to read the book in a few hours. The plotline was easy to follow, and J.C. Rycroft interwove complex elements to give us a great introduction to Des. I loved that Des is a tough sellsword and the way she holds her own in a male-dominated field. The sapphic tension throughout the novella and the spice 3