The Lavender Blade by E.L. Deards - ARC Review
The Lavender Blade Review Snapshot:
What mood is this right for: When you’re feeling like eating the rich.
Length: 344
Genre: Romantasy | Fantasy | LGTBQ+
Source: ARC provided by NetGalley
Where to Buy: Pre-order affiliate link
Release Date: 07-08-2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐(2.5)
1 Sentence Summary: Two exorcists; one skeptical, one spoiled, team up to fake it ‘til they make it, until demons (real ones) get in the way.
My Thoughts:
First off, huge thanks to She Writes Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Lavender Blade. This one had all the ingredients I normally love: queer romance, class tension, a little magic, and a whole lot of mess. And while the premise, definitely, had my hopes set high, the execution ended up feeling a bit uneven.
We meet Colton, a working-class exorcist in the gritty Iron District. He’s the reluctant heir to a long line of demon-fighters but, unlike his family, he doesn’t even believe demons are real. Still, he makes ends meet performing spiritual theatre for his neighbors, casting out their “demons” (read: personal trauma) with dramatic flair and zero actual conviction.
Enter Lucian. A fallen-from-grace political figure from the posh, untouchable Ivory District.. He offers Colton a deal: bring his street-side exorcism skills to the wealthiest part of the city and rake in more money than he’s ever seen.
Well, everything. Obviously.
As their grift turns into a real business (and maybe something more), the book sets up a rich-boy-meets-poor-boy-who-needs-a-glow-up trope that had me hooked. When the most surprise exorcism request comes in, Lucian and Colton take the job against thier better judgement. Cue chaos. Colton scrambles to save him, leaning on a found family of misfits and the skills he didn’t know he had.
Sounds like a perfect setup, right? Unfortunately...
The Romance
One of my biggest frustrations with The Lavender Blade is also what kept me reading: Colton & Lucian. I loved them. Earnest and a little chaotic—I was absolutely dying to see more of them on the page. The beginning does a fantastic job building up their chemistry: witty banter, slowly blooming trust, a stolen kiss, some amazing awkward tension. It had that friends-to-lovers vibe with enough class tension to make it interesting.
But just when I thought we were getting somewhere, the relationship skips ahead. Months pass off-page. Their emotional closeness is referenced more than shown. By the time Lucian is possessed and Colton is panicking to save him, we’re being told about their bond in hindsight, rather than experiencing it. Those key moments of growth between them are glossed over, and the romance loses its teeth.
The same issue crops up with side characters. Aside from Mai (whose romantic subplot felt rushed), we don’t spend enough time with anyone to truly connect. Lucian is the only character who gets depth—especially through his strained, emotional relationship with his father. Those scenes hit hard and gave Lucian complexity, but they also made the rest of the cast feel like shadows by comparison.
The Plot
“ “This story doesn’t have a good narrative flow, Lucian’ ”
The plot followed the same trend as the romance. Confusing pacing, a lot of time jumps, and while it was great at times; it was not consistent. The story starts strong, if a little awkward, but once the exorcism grift with Lucian kicks off, I was all in. Those scenes are fun, tense, and weirdly joyful. The Iron District meets Ivory wealth, and the absurdity of their scam lands perfectly. But then… the plot accelerates. We skip entire seasons. A few pages later, Lucian is possessed, the plot twists, and we’re at the climax.
There was one reveal toward the end that should’ve had impact, but it was pretty easy to spot ahead of time. That’s not a dealbreaker for me—I don’t mind predictable as long as it’s satisfying. And in fairness, the ending did wrap things up. It wasn't shocking, but it didn’t leave any threads dangling either.
THe Setting
The Iron and Ivory Districts are introduced as deeply divided: class-wise, politically, spiritually. The Ivory District is supposed to be off-limits to Iron citizens, but after the setup, that rule disappears entirely. Colton crosses into Ivory with zero tension or consequence. For a book that tries to explore class divide, that lack of stakes really took the wind out of its world-building.
The districts themselves feel more symbolic than real. The contrast is sharp—gritty Iron vs. pristine Ivory—but that visual divide exists mostly to reflect Colton and Lucian’s differences. I wanted more. Why are these districts the way they are? Was this a slow rot of capitalism? A post-collapse dystopia? Just a magic-fueled caste system? Even a paragraph or two of historical or political context would’ve grounded the world and made it feel lived in.
I’m not asking for a full map and glossary, but I need more than vague vibes to stay immersed.
What Worked (and What Could’ve Worked So Much Better)
💜 What Worked:
Colton & Lucian. I’ll say it again. I loved them.
Lucian’s backstory, especially his family dynamic was well developed.
The exorcism scam concept. Original, punchy, and fun.
The beginning of the romance. Banter? 10/10.
⚠️ What Didn’t:
Romance development off-page.
Rushed pacing—especially from middle to end.
Underbaked world-building.
Side characters without depth or stakes.
Final Thoughts on The LavendEr blade
The Lavender Blade had everything it needed to be a standout: a queer romance with tension, a demon-possession twist, class dynamics, and a darkly magical city divided by power and privilege. But while the concept crackled with potential, the execution dulled it. The pacing moves too fast to let the emotional beats land. The world feels more like a stage set than an ecosystem. And the romance—the emotional core of the story—flourishes briefly, then fades to the background.
Still, if you're into high-concept queer fantasy and don’t mind filling in the blanks yourself, this might hit the spot. It's not a bad read—just a frustrating one. And honestly, I’d still pick up a sequel if Colton & Lucian are leading it.
Final Rating: 2.5 stars
Here there be spoilers