A review by charles_rowland
The Lavender Blade: An Exorcist's Chronicle by E.L. Deards

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

Firstly, if you, like me, started reading, met Marbles and went "oh no" and rushed to look at reviews, don't worry. Marbles does survive the entire book!!!
Colton and Lucian immediately wedged their way into my heart and stayed their. Their banter and bond is something I love in media and books, similar to Charles and Edwin in Dead Boy Detectives. I loved seeing them bring out the best in each other while performing their silly little routines, I just adored each scene more and more. I do wish we got more of those scenes, and more detail as well. It was a lot of telling and not showing, which wasn't totally bad but at the least more detail would've been lovely. 

Now, the second part. I had initially thought I was ready for it, I've seen Supernatural, The Summer Hikaru Died, Jennifer's Body, and read worse, but I was completely wrong. It was hard to read despite knowing it was all fiction. It was uncomfortable to say the least, but in the end, what got me was the end of it all.
When Lucian had given up hope while still possessed, but then also when they ha finally defeated Lucere but Colton couldn't bring himself to trust that he was well and truly gone. Although these are all fictional characters, it destroyed me. While I can appreciate the realism of Colton's trauma not allowing him to trust Lucere was gone, I couldn't help but wish authenticity was disregarded so they could finally be happy.
It was brutal, reading Lucere and what he was doing in Lucian's body, and I do feel as if a bit more of a warning on this front as the only way I was slightly prepared was because of reviews. 

I truly adored the beginning of this book, and Lucian and Colton are easily two characters that I'll remember for a while. Even though the second half was a bit rough for me personally, the first half almost made it worth it. 
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