Review: Blade Breaker

Title: Blade Breaker

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Publisher: 28th June 2022 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 578 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre:  young adult, fantasy, adventure

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

The fate of the world rests on a blade's edge.

Fighting beside her band of unlikely companions, Corayne is learning to embrace her ancient lineage and wield her father's powerful sword.

But while she successfully closed one of the Spindles, her journey is far from over.

Queen Erida's army marches across Allward with her consort, Taristan, right beside them, opening more portals into nightmarish worlds, razing kingdoms to the ground.

Corayne has no choice but to assemble an army of her own if she's to save the realm as she knows it. But perilous lands await her and the companions, and they face assassins, otherworldly beasts, and tempestuous seas all as they rally a divided Ward to fight behind them.

But Taristan has unleashed an evil far more wicked than his corpse armies. Something deadly waits in the shadows; something that might consume the world before there's any hope for victory.

My Thoughts

Last year Victoria presented her fans with, Realm Breaker the first book in her new trilogy - an unlikely band of misfits who came together in their quest to save the world from impending doom and destruction. The second instalment, Blade Breaker has just come out and is the perfect next instalment. 

‘Your world is lost ….' The shadow rippled with His voice. "You do not know it yet. How can you? That wretched hope won't let you accept defeat. Oh, how I despise

that flame inside you, that restless heart of yours. She took another step, this one

a bit easier. The sword grew heavy in her hand.’

The epic adventure continues on right where the first book ended with unsung heroes and vile villains aplenty and intrigue that will have you impatiently awaiting the final reckoning. If you enjoyed the first, then you will happily continue the journey with the fight to control What Waits -  the demonic force that wants to enter the Realm. With Victoria providing a range of POV, there are twists and turns aplenty as the fate of the world rests delicately on the point of a blade. This book is rich and inviting and highlights how far some characters will go to either save or destroy the realm. 

Admittedly, some parts are slow but the ending is worth it. It still has the Lord of the Rings vibe, this time with an added Game of Thrones politicking element. I believe this is all setting up for an interesting book 3 and I look forward to seeing where Victoria eventually takes readers. This is a big book with many characters and a complex world. I will say that the main characters eg. Corayne is still not as appealing as Sorasa or Dom whom I was much more invested in. 

‘Now there is nowhere to go, and yet I keep walking forward. Into what, I do not know. And neither does anyone else.’

 

The humour is still there, the world building is huge, the plot involved and although slow in spots this is an enjoyable read for lovers of this genre. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.