My Experience with Blood Charged by Lindsay Buroker

After the events of Balanced on the Blade’s Edge collided with those of Deathmaker, the third book in the Dragon Blood series sees the two leading couples team up as they take on a covert mission to discover the source of power fueling advances of the Cofah military. And failure could mean the destruction of all of Iskandia.

Where the first two novels were Steampunk romances, this novel doesn’t attempt to introduce a new couple and instead functions as a bridge to the larger story. The first two novels of the series were comparatively intimate in scope, and in this story, we expand the world and branch more into epic storytelling.

The story’s greatest strength was its expansion and action-adventure fun. It leaned into the conventions of a blockbuster flick and continued to deliver on the snarky humor I’ve come to expect from Buroker. I preferred the first novel to the second because I liked the first couple better, and while Blood Charged addresses both couples, the focus is on Colonel Zirkander and Sardelle—exactly where I want it.

Currently, the first three novels are available as a box set. I highly recommend you buy them this way. While all three novels are complete stories in their own right, they function as the first act of a larger story and are likely best experienced when read back-to-back.

While this installment doesn’t have a traditional romance story arc, it continues the story of the two couples you come to know from the first two novels. I recommend reading this series if you’re looking for a steampunk adventure fantasy with a heavy dose of romance.