missingvolume | #46 Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts

I've had this on my TBR pile for a long time but trade paperbacks always lose when it comes to trips for reading material. Not sure why I grabbed it this go around but I am glad that I did. Sarah is an apprentice blacksmith that works nights as a props master on a direct to video movie set. One of her swords breaks during filming and she has to reforge it. Before she can even do that she is approached by one of the extras claiming to be a dwarf and that he can help her fix it. She humors him and allows him to watch and eventually give advice when it turns out that he knows something about smithing. Once the sword is complete the dwarf tells her she needs to slay a dragon that takes the shape of an investment banker. Of course she thinks he is nuts but too many bad things happen to be coincidence and it is the dragons trying to get their hands on the sword. What I liked the most about this was there were lots of negative outcomes to people in her life. Her girlfriend and boss are kidnapped and held for ransom in exchange for the sword. The SCA group she is with helps her fight but they do not get off lightly. I think this is the first book I read in a long time that fighting monsters will result in death and not just one or two token deaths. The next two books are out and I don't think I'll be waiting years to read them.