Reviews with content warning for Racism - A Broken Blade

This was a great book! I loved Keera and her struggles throughout the story. I found her relationships alright, but somewhat stale at times. Wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but I'll have to wait for the sequel to really decide! Loved the diversity and queer representation in this book. I really couldn't fault the world, premise, or character concepts if I tried!

A Broken Blade was a brilliant debut novel with wonderful world building and memorable characters. I have many unanswered questions in the best and worst ways, and I can't wait for the series to continue! :D

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atthelibrarywithmegan's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This was such an incredible story. There is so much mystery in the beginning and you think you’ve figured it out by the end. Then, BAM! I’m pretty sure my eyes almost popped out of my head with that cliffhanger. I love the slow burn, the enemies to lovers, secret underground network, and the bringing down the monarchy themes/tropes. I also really love that Keera isn’t a 16-20 year old FMC. She feels much more relatable. I cannot wait for book two!

TW: Alcoholism, self harm, murder, blood, colonization, racism.

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k_eje's review

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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

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starrysteph's review

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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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queergoth_reads's review

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adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

This was a really wonderful book. I was glued to it as soon as I picked it up.

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noellelovesbooks's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

5.0

Content Warnings: Blood/gore, alcohol abuse/addiction, self-harm, suicidal ideations, depression, loss of a loved one, genocide, forced servitude/slavery, racism, and colonialism. Mention of assault, torture, and abuse.

6/3/2023
Did I stay up, when I have to work in 6 hours, to finish this book...even though I've already read it? Yes, yes I did. A fantastic book that was even better the second time around! I'm so excited I reread this so when I jump into book 2 [most likely tomorrow after work lol] I'm ready with all the info.

4/25/2022
If you’ve been on Booktok since at least last fall, you know that Melissa Blair had a chokehold on us, as everyone was desperate to read, and find out who wrote, this fantasy. From the moment the first video dropped we were all hooked on solving the mystery.

When the final reveal was announced Booktok was thrilled!

The way Melissa crafted Keera has me in awe. Keera is complex and feels broken, weighed down by the guilt of every innocent she’s been forced to kill. For years, as the King’s “Blade”, she’s been forced to hunt down countless Halflings, like herself, in order to appease the King’s quest to maintain power and control of the kingdom. A task she’s always hated but tries to use the little power she has to help, other halflings when she can.

Having had rebellious thoughts in her youth countless years of being forced to do the King’s bidding have led to Keera feeling hopeless and no longer holding regard for her own life. Every time she closes her eyes she sees visions of the countless people she’s murdered in the name of the King.

This book is so beautifully crafted I cannot wait to find out what happens next. I’m so excited to see that Melissa was given a 3 book contract with a publisher so she’ll be able to continue to craft this amazing story. I’m only sad because with the re-release of this book in August, through Union Square publishing, I’m not sure how long I’ll have to wait until we’re able to devour book two.

If you’re looking for a well-crafted Fantasy with a complex main character, of unknown origin, who will do whatever it takes to protect those under her care…I highly recommend picking this book up. This book was written, and dedicated, to Booktok and has so many tropes that we know and love along with a beautiful story that I can’t wait to delve deeper into!

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