Five Broken Blades

The Five Broken Blades of the title refers to five assassins, hence blades, that are collected together by an unknown nobleperson to kill an immortal God King.

If that sounds just a little improbable, you should also consider that the title is metaphorical in that each of the assassins is a deeply flawed character, hence broken, not the least of which is because they are all consummate liars and no one is quite whom they appear to be. Further confusing the issue is two of these assassins are women, one of which can kill you with a kiss and the other is not really an assassin: she’s a thief capable of stealing the crown from the king and placing it on someone else’s head without anyone seeing her do it while the King is attending a show more public spectacle, surrounded by his guards. And there are more than five people involved.

Confused? Welcome to the world Mai Corland has developed. In addition to being a wonderful Fantasy novel, it is also a very deep, and perplexing, mystery story that also has strong elements of romance despite the deadly consequences a kiss can have. Just one example of the level of mystery is the murder of a nobleman, part of a group that brought these misfits together, that is murdered, and yet all the assassins can be accounted for, each supporting the others alibi.
The author keeps you glued to the pages with a wonderful blend of Intrigue, Action, Misdirection, and some of the most developed characters I’ve read in quite a while. The last is helped along by each chapter being told by one of the main characters, and through their telling, we learn each person’s backstory. And yet, in classic mystery style, all is not revealed until the very end.

At the end of the book, I was sad that I was leaving this band behind. But then the final twist is thrown in: this is just Part One of their saga! Four Ruined Realms was released in January of this year (2025), and Three Shattered Souls is slated later this year (2025) in July. I wish I had the powers of their Mistress Thief to steal the entire set, right now! show less

I was drawn to this story like Gollum to his precious; I’m helpless when it comes to sprayed edges — and Five Broken Blades lured me in with rich reds and oranges like it knew I’d never resist. (Seriously, sprayed edges are my preciousss.) But once the shine wore off and I actually cracked it open... let’s just say it took a while before the magic started working.
This story is told in first person, but not just one person — six. Yep, six narrators. That’s five more than my ideal. Every chapter swaps point of view, and while I adore good character development, the constant switching made it tough to connect or even keep track sometimes. If you dare to set the book down mid-chapter (gasp), prepare for a minor identity crisis show more when you return.

And speaking of identity — the titular Five Broken Blades? There’s a sixth character. So… was one of them emotionally intact? Are they a secret blade? Are we counting metaphorical blades now? (Mystery!)

Each character carries some heavy baggage, and while the trauma is clearly there, it often felt like it was being summarized rather than explored. For example, Sora’s whole “I-went-to-poison-school-and-watched-children-die” storyline was mentioned but not really felt. The emotional stakes could’ve been much sharper.

The world itself had the bones of something epic — there’s magic (called etherum✨), a mysterious Dragon Lord, and a God king 👑who is possibly both terrifying and hot (unclear) — but the lore was light. It read like a feudal world, but the dialogue had modern flavor. I wanted to get lost in a richly built world, but instead I felt like I was standing just outside the fog, waiting for more detail to materialize.😶‍🌫️

Now let’s talk about the romance. As someone who’s fully onboard the romantasy 💕 train (I ship fictional couples and become emotionally attached to fictional characters with a serious intensity), I expected a little more sizzle 🔥. What we got was more... wistful glances and inner monologues about how dumb it is to have feelings. Except for Mikail and Euyn, who at least got a few sparks in 🌶️ — bless them.

The drama? It tried. The plot? Assassins and political intrigue, yes please. But with six voices, 474 pages didn’t quite feel like enough space to deliver on all the depth it promised. I wanted to be devastated, manipulated, schemed into tears... and instead I mostly felt like I was waiting for it to get going. ⌚️👀

That said — I didn’t hate it. I finished it, I was curious enough to stick around, and I do think there’s a ton of potential here. I’m hopeful that the sequels dig deeper into the lore, the heartbreak, the steamy betrayal-filled moments I crave. 🤞

Final thoughts?
Not bad. Not great.
Just… needs more spice, more bite, and a little less POV whiplash. 🌟🌟🌟(2.5)/5

🐍Poison school drop-out signing off.🧪

✨The Yarnicorn🦄💫 show less

I mean I don't even know where to start. I was on the fence with this one. I mean the summary intrigued me but I wasn't sure I wanted another series. I started this one and it didn't take long before I was hooked. It has a variety of characters and they all have such mysterious backstories. I love how the author gives us bits and pieces of their stories in such dramatic reveals. The chapters are short but the way most of them had me on the edge of my seat. It's a good thing I was alone while reading this one since I did a lot of out loud commentary. It's been a long time since I yelled at a book, but this one gave me so many beautiful reasons to do so. I've fallen in love with all of the characters and the different dynamics between show more them. I love the found family aspect with the band of misfits with some incredible skill sets.

I mean who doesn't love a good high stakes adventure that also may or may not have a touch of treason involved. The plotting, the high jinks, the sudden need to shift plans and all the things that can go oh so wrong and oh so right. I mean the book has it all not to mention it has romance, 3 to be exact. We get ex lovers, we get enemies to lovers and we get a bodyguard romance. I mean it's everything. We have characters with intense motivations to survive and to do whatever it takes. We have lives on the line. The secrets and lies that get uncovered and even the ones still to be uncovered. I just... I mean what can I say. It's perfect. It's exactly what I didn't know I needed. I'm hooked and I don't know that I can wait for the next one much longer. show less

The story immerses you into the dangerous waters of Yusan, where a group of cunning characters are determined to overthrow the tyrant God King Joon. Each character's quest for revenge is intricately portrayed, making their uneasy alliances even more captivating. This is the first book in the Broken Blades trilogy, and it lays the foundation for a promising series full of deception, political intrigue, and unforeseen twists. It's a stunning beginning to what promises to be an exhilarating series!

Well, the King of Yusan must die. And who better to do the deed than a bunch of people from across Yusan, all affected by the choices the King has made? Six people set out in pairs and eventually come together to from a group. What they don't count on is becoming a sort of found family in the process.

This first book in The Broken Blades series was enjoyable. Admittedly, it took me about 100 pages to actually get invested in the characters. It was slow going at first. But once it picked up, it held my interest, no question.

I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here. That ending!!!!

Trust me, no one is as disappointed in my 2 star rating than me. I wanted to love this one but I think I just have to admit that, for now, I'm just not feeling these romantacy reads. It's the second one that I've read that I thought I'd love. But no, I found myself bored and frustrated. I didn't feel the romance that was supposed to be sparkling along every perspective. I liked all the POV but I found them also repetitive.

I found the world interesting but I didn't feel like it came alive. I found the birds frightening and that night shocking but I still feel like we know little of the jewelry and crown nor why certain people have certain skills. But I wish I cared enough about the characters and plot to dig into the next one, but it show more will definitely be a pass for me.

If you love YA Romantasy, you just might love this one. It just wasn't for me. show less

All of the characters were so good and fully fleshed out. I really liked Aeri and Royo their dialogue was so good and entertaining.

The politics and magic in this is so interesting and original. There were so many twists I did not see coming. The ending really shocked me. I can’t wait to read the next book.