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adventurous
dark
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
I saw ‘Cari can reads’ show this as one of her favorite books of the year so far and new I wanted to read it. So once I saw it in Barnes & Noble in the most beautiful edition I had to read it immediately. The book was very engaging and fast paced, since it’s compared to six of crows so much I have to check that one out
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Death of parent, War, Classism
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Five Broken Blades was a really good assassin book! It switched several characters POV’s. I loved that it had found family, but I didn't know who I could really trust. I have troubled getting into the story on the first few chapters but it gets better and better as the actions start. Wonderfully developed characters, each with their own unique voices and stakes, each completely badass and believable in their roles, and just a lot of fun. It can get dark and violent at times (not a complaint) and some of the backstories are truly disturbing in a world where indentured servitude, misogyny, and slaughter are the norm, but there are also lighter moments of humor, comradery, and romance as well. But all the characters have their own agendas and everyone's keeping secrets and somebody (more than one somebody) is definitely lying.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A jumpscare of a why choose, to wit, “if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance (sprayed edges, gorgeous end pages, stamped foil covers), baffle them with bullshit (almost no world building, scant magic system, rampant anachronism, a major twist that isn’t telegraphed really AT ALL despite first person POV, & FADE TO BLACK/OPAQUE SEX SCENES).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Animal death, Trafficking
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
that ending had me gasping aloud on public transport, obsessed, can't wait for the next book. I loved the Korean inspired setting and how it was kind of like SoC but the action plot here made more sense and the character dynamics were different in their pairings. It lost .25 in rating because the pacing was a little slow for 75% and then speed up in the last 30 pages too much, and I think the characters needed to be more fleshed out to make their pairings realistic and not insta
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland is a fabulous romantasy with a medium spice level. It's dark and wonderful and has everything you want. There's found family, court intrigue, spicy times (although not a ton), diverse characters, and so many secrets. I loved it so much. The first edition also has absolutely gorgeous sprayed edges, so order it soon if you want the pretty. It's coming May 7th. There is a bit of a cliffhanger, but the main plot in this one is definitely resolved at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence
Minor: Child abuse