Rise of the Blademaster

Book One of the Swordsong Series by Brent Batla

When the dark tide spilled into the realm, it left a quiet elven village in ashes and a single survivor hiding among them: a small, frightened girl named Lauriel Valendril. Taken in by Adamar, a legendary swordsman of the secretive Vendëum Andúlari, she is forged by grief and unrelenting practice into his finest student. To her he entrusts a gift hidden from the realm for ages, the ancient blade of power Isilmwé, and with it the responsibility to awaken its true strength.

Rise of the Blademaster follows Lauriel and her unlikely companions, a wizard, a warlock, a healer, and a fighter, on a desperate quest to seal the ancient portal before the realm's defenses fall one by one. What begins as vengeance for her family becomes a battle for the survival of everything she loves, fought at a cost that will echo through all that comes after.

“You had me hooked from start to finish.”
Pauline Harris Editorial

Start the series here

Rise of the Blademaster is the first book of the Swordsong Series and the place to begin. It introduces the realm of Alynthi, the wood elf blade master Lauriel Valendril, and the companions who stand with her. The story continues in Wrath of the Warlock.

What you will find

A fully realized secondary world with its own elven cultures, gods, and history. A legendary blade, Isilmwé, and the ancient order that guarded it. An ancient evil pressing against the edges of the realm. A mismatched fellowship bound by loyalty, and a heroine whose path runs from grief to purpose.

Main characters

Lauriel Valendril, wood elf blade master · Jexi Áerimiril, half-elf warlock · Eldrin, high elf wizard · Dante, human barbarian · Nyx, halfling cleric

Book details

Author: Brent Batla · Series: Swordsong Series, Book One · Genre: Epic high fantasy · Publisher: Gatekeeper Press · First published 2021; revised edition 2026

Hardcover ISBN 978-0578926964 · Paperback ISBN 978-0578946498 · Kindle · Audiobook narrated by Phil Thron (13 hr 33 min)

Read and buy

Read Chapter One free · Buy on Amazon · Get the Audible audiobook · Series FAQ