Reviews with content warning for Self harm - A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga Book 1)

Thank you for netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this and here's my honest review.
This book started well I was liking the vibes and getting to know our main character but as I got through I found that the story was so predictable just the average fantasy without any new things and as an avid fantasy reader I didn't like this at all. This book didn't have anything you look for in a fantasy at all the characters didn't have any depth at all I honestly didn't care about any of them at all even the main characters,the romance was so plain and ridiculous at times, the plot was predictable as I said and didn't give me any twists and lastly the writing style which was really simple for a fantasy. So in conclusion this could be good for an amateur reader but if you wanna reach higher audience the author needs alot to work on.

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pagepixie's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense 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

4.0

Okay so I read that people were comparing this book to Throne of Glass so I had to check it out. And I found that… they’re not wrong. In fact his book has most popular fantasy romance tropes, then I read the acknowledgments and it all made sense. The author SAYS that they took inspiration from all the books popular on BookTok and combined the best parts. I can tell and yet I can’t help but think it’s smart. They say write what you want to read, right?

I found the writing itself to be easy and simple, but I’m pretty sure this is a debut so I won’t nitpick. I also know that this is probably a first of many in the series so I’m letting giving this one some legroom (Although I wanted to count how many times the words wine and scars was used).

The main character, Keera, is an orphan Halfling (mortal and elf?) who is the King’s head assassin and spy. Her backstory made her character as well as her desire to help those like her, other Halflings who are considered less than human under the current king, find freedom.

Riven was honestly not that interesting to me. A tall, dark, and handsome love interest. However, I think his relationship with Keera will get more interesting. I really liked the bonus chapter in his POV it made me like him more.

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starrysteph's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

3.75

A Broken Blade was a playful yet powerful start to a fantasy series! I love the Booktok love. :)

Keera is an assassin working for the crown; and as the Blade she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. When a mysterious figure called the Shadow starts making moves against the King, he becomes Keera’s next target. But things aren’t as they seem, and Keera starts to question her loyalty and who her enemy truly is.

This is a first person narration, and Keera is a very compelling, morally gray protagonist. As an orphaned Halfling (half elf and half human), she has no rights and is “owned” by the Crown. She’s constantly torn between her own survival, trying to help her fellow oppressed people, and bitter self loathing. Keera struggles with alcoholism, and I thought this aspect of the story was written with care.

I enjoyed Keera’s journey and her character development. Without sharing spoilers, she learns how to let others in and stand up for her people - something she was unable to do before, without the support of a community. She grapples with her ethics and with her copic mechanisms. She makes tough decisions, but is ultimately quite likable.

This is a story about oppression. The leaders of this world hold all the privilege and all the power, and those beneath them are struggling to adapt and survive in any way they can. A good chunk of A Broken Blade is slower-paced worldbuilding and setup which lingers on this abuse and trauma, but this is the first in a series - a reshaping of the world is in order (starting with book 2?!). The content can be heavy at times, and Blair (who is an Anishinaabekwe author) doesn’t shy away from her themes of colonialism and systemic violence.

At the same time - this book was dedicated to Booktok, and it playfully engages with many of the tropes that Booktok tends to favor. You’ll see a slowburn enemies to lovers romance, an “only one bed” scene, Fae, etc. There are lots of classic fantasy elements, but also some unique storytelling and great representation (many - most? - of the characters are POC and queer).

The ending was a pretty big cliffhanger, and there were also some interesting plot points with unanswered questions. I’m looking forward to the next book!

CW: murder, racism, violence, gore, alcoholism, sexual content (18+), assault, colonialism, slavery, war, depression, grief, suicidal thoughts, self harm, vomit

(I received a free review copy of this book; this is my honest review.)

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mmehl23's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious 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

4.25

This was a really great book. It had some familiar elements to some other big name books for sure (an unwilling kings assassin with a secret motive being the biggest one for me) but it was still unique enough that I didn’t feel like I was reading the same story. I thought the world itself was fairly unique, and though I found myself predicting some plot points, others caught me quite off guard.

There was huge character development through the story, and I went from being so frustrated with the MC for constantly drinking and not standing up for her beliefs, to rooting for her and being so proud of her progress. Her going from being alone and hating the world to having a small group of friends she genuinely cared about was really special.

It definitely ended on a slight cliffhanger, but nothing too dramatic. Just enough to keep me enticed and looking forward to the next book.

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themoonphoenix's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A few centuries ago, in the Kingdom of Elverath King Aemon decreed that there are only two species, mortals and dark fae. Halflings and elves were either destroyed or owned by the crown.

A Broken Blade is the first book of a new high fantasy saga, some of the tropes are:
• Morally grey characters
• The Evil Overlord
• Political Intrigue
• Enemies to lovers

Keera is the blade of the kingdom and has been for the last few decades, her work is to find Halflings and kill them, she is a complex character that feels guilty about her work and resorts to drinking to mitigate the guilt. You will root for Keera, even if you haven't lived her experiences, you will understand her and want to support her cause, I enjoy her character development.

There is a lot of action, and blade scenes (love it) Keera will join a group of diverse characters for the fall of the king and his horrible government. They are great characters, morally grey too, sarcastic, and loyal.
There is romance too, specifically Enemies to lovers, the tension here is 🔥, my favorite part is the communication part, the trust in each other.

Is a good debut, I was hooked, it’s fast-paced, the world-building is interesting, and I want to know more about the differences between the species and their magic. Also, the story touches on many topics like alcoholism, self-harm, violence, and colonialism.

I don't know how many books there will be but this ends in a cliffhanger, I need info about the second book ASAP. If you like books like a throne of glass or six crowns I think you will enjoy this.

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oracle_of_madness's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense

5.0

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

I was cautious going into this one because of all the hype on social media but I found this to be absolutely deserving of some hype!

This story has everything. A broody assassin who is drowning her pain in alcohol. She is not as heartless as she seems. Her job may be to kill as the king's Blade, but she can't let go of any death she causes. Mix this in with another broody persona, known as the Shadow, who has a price on his head and we have an amazing book ya'll!!!

There is deception. There is suspence. And, throughout it all, romance!! I highly recommend this to fans of fantasy!

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readsbymoonlight's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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