You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Self harm, Violence, Blood, and Colonisation
tmw1122's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Violence
bookish_afrolatina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
4.0
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: depression
You know those incredibly hyped books that you are so worried to start because you're not sure if you will like it? Well that was how I felt before embarking on A Broken Blade, but I shouldn't have worried. I was instantly intrigued not only by Keera who is a fascinating character struggling with addition, but also guilt. It's a world full of prejudice and injustice, disdain and cruelty. Of spies, assassins and propped up stories. And Keera has become a weapon for the crown, for an unjust system.
There's a disconnect between what the king wants and what makes sense when he wants more and more shades - and more power - but wants to also rush their training which will result in their deaths. These are the issues that face Keera and as a halfling herself she mourns the deaths she is forced to enact on other halflings. And that brings me to one of my favorite elements of A Broken Blade - the world.
TW: depression
You know those incredibly hyped books that you are so worried to start because you're not sure if you will like it? Well that was how I felt before embarking on A Broken Blade, but I shouldn't have worried. I was instantly intrigued not only by Keera who is a fascinating character struggling with addition, but also guilt. It's a world full of prejudice and injustice, disdain and cruelty. Of spies, assassins and propped up stories. And Keera has become a weapon for the crown, for an unjust system.
There's a disconnect between what the king wants and what makes sense when he wants more and more shades - and more power - but wants to also rush their training which will result in their deaths. These are the issues that face Keera and as a halfling herself she mourns the deaths she is forced to enact on other halflings. And that brings me to one of my favorite elements of A Broken Blade - the world.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Self harm
stephbakerbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Special orphan girl kills people in service to an evil king/tyrant because she has no choice but she feels *really bad* about it. She's also really good at it. Everyone judges her for being as evil as the king until they learn just how bad she actually feels, and then they fall in (romantic or platonic) love with her instead. She joins the war effort to overthrow said evil king, and then discovers she is actually uber special because of her secret heritage.
Sound familiar? I am describing A Broken Blade...but also countless other YA fantasy books. And that's what this whole story felt like—like I'd read it before. Nothing new, the plot points were all predictable, and the characters weren't unique or interesting enough to be memorable.
But it did entertain me, in the same way I'm guessing that people are entertained by Hallmark movies. It was comforting in its familiarity and predictability, rather than boring. The audio was also excellent, and that always helps.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for my ALC.
Sound familiar? I am describing A Broken Blade...but also countless other YA fantasy books. And that's what this whole story felt like—like I'd read it before. Nothing new, the plot points were all predictable, and the characters weren't unique or interesting enough to be memorable.
But it did entertain me, in the same way I'm guessing that people are entertained by Hallmark movies. It was comforting in its familiarity and predictability, rather than boring. The audio was also excellent, and that always helps.
Thanks to Libro.fm, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for my ALC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
bibookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Genocide, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
lettuce_read's review against another edition
dark
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
catnaps's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Colonisation
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
Solid inclusion in the ladies who are assassins in fantasy worlds genre with a lot of cool characters. World building can be confusing.
About
Keera is the King's Blade, his favorite assassin. She's killed many in his name, including her own people. Her latest mission is to hunt down the Shadow, a mysterious fighter who's been causing trouble for the crown. But when she chases the Shadow into the faelands, she discovers that everything she's learned about the kingdom and her history may be a lie.
Thoughts
Are YOU a person who likes a YA/NA fantasy novel centered on a female who carries a ton of blades? Because if so, I've got great news for you. "Lady has a lot of sharp objects" is one of my favorite genres, and I was happy to discover that this one is genuinely lethal, and not simply lethal by lip service. (Her kill count in this book alone is well over a dozen.) There are actual several ladies with sharp objects in here, and several fight scenes where they get to show off. This book also features quite a bit of magic, a masquerade ball, political shenanigans, and a sparse amount of lovemaking (spice level: middle?). While there's a clear enemies-to-lovers slow burn going on, it largely takes a back seat to story, so don't expect too much on that front.
World building is sometimes difficult to follow. Terms like fae, elf, mage, and halfling all hold specific meanings that don't always line up with the widely accepted definitions, and then we find out later in the book that some of those definitions were misconceptions anyway. It's a lot to try to keep sorted.
As for the plot, it takes a while to get started. The actual conflict between Keera and the Shadow is postponed quite a bit, and there's a lot of time spend setting up the pieces on the metaphorical game board. I don't think genre savvy readers will find a lot of surprises, but it's still a mostly satisfying series of events, with acliffhanger ending that puzzled me a little bit in terms of its execution .
As a final note, Keera's alcoholism plays a major role in the story and her arc, and might be a difficult read for some.
Solid inclusion in the ladies who are assassins in fantasy worlds genre with a lot of cool characters. World building can be confusing.
About
Keera is the King's Blade, his favorite assassin. She's killed many in his name, including her own people. Her latest mission is to hunt down the Shadow, a mysterious fighter who's been causing trouble for the crown. But when she chases the Shadow into the faelands, she discovers that everything she's learned about the kingdom and her history may be a lie.
Thoughts
Are YOU a person who likes a YA/NA fantasy novel centered on a female who carries a ton of blades? Because if so, I've got great news for you. "Lady has a lot of sharp objects" is one of my favorite genres, and I was happy to discover that this one is genuinely lethal, and not simply lethal by lip service. (Her kill count in this book alone is well over a dozen.) There are actual several ladies with sharp objects in here, and several fight scenes where they get to show off. This book also features quite a bit of magic, a masquerade ball, political shenanigans, and a sparse amount of lovemaking (spice level: middle?). While there's a clear enemies-to-lovers slow burn going on, it largely takes a back seat to story, so don't expect too much on that front.
World building is sometimes difficult to follow. Terms like fae, elf, mage, and halfling all hold specific meanings that don't always line up with the widely accepted definitions, and then we find out later in the book that some of those definitions were misconceptions anyway. It's a lot to try to keep sorted.
As for the plot, it takes a while to get started. The actual conflict between Keera and the Shadow is postponed quite a bit, and there's a lot of time spend setting up the pieces on the metaphorical game board. I don't think genre savvy readers will find a lot of surprises, but it's still a mostly satisfying series of events, with a
As a final note, Keera's alcoholism plays a major role in the story and her arc, and might be a difficult read for some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Vomit and Kidnapping
k_eje's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Self harm, and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment