The Knife of Sorrows is the new brilliant instalment in the Blood and Steel Saga, the grimdark fantasy series created by E.J. Doble. A novella that brings us more insight of the Tarrazi traditions with a new point of view, while giving us the best of his prose in the second POV of this dual narrative.

The first of the POV is the already known as Deathbringer; already known by the fans of the saga, Doble will continue his deep dive into the darker sides of the mind, while playing with concepts such as "the gods walking among us"; probably is what we could call the fantastical side of this novella, which also brings the opportunity to show Doble's ability to play with prose in a style that remembers to Anna Smith Spark.
With the second POV, Doble introduces a totally new character, Xafiri, a young that was forced to be cultured by the Provenci invaders, a reason of why he's not accepted as part of the Tarrazi; he will fight against wind and tide, in unfair conditions, to become part of the culture he belongs by birth. Xafiri's journey brings us an excellent exploration of the rather shadowed Tarrazi's side.
And let me tell you, how both characters' fates are intertwined is simply delicious.

I found two elements of this novella to shine over the rest: how the carefully crafted prose is used to convey emotions, sometimes raw and sometimes more elaborated, and how it brings more light over the Tarrazi culture and traditions, especially when we are following Xafiri. With a great pacing, Doble uses this piece to continue expanding his world.

The Blood and Steel Saga was already a must read for any fan of military grimdark fantasy; but I feel the intensity of the novellas is where Doble's ability shines more, so you can trust me when I say you should read The Knife of Sorrows, and submerge into a brutal and dark world.