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Realm Breaker #2
Lame brisée
Revendique l'épée ou brise-la.
Le destin du monde repose sur le fil d'une lame.
Se battant aux côtés de son groupe de compagnons improbables, Corayne apprend à embrasser son ancienne lignée et à manier la puissante épée de son père. Mais si elle a réussi à fermer l'un des Fuseaux, son voyage est loin d'être terminé.
L'armée de la reine Erida et de son mari Taristan continue sa progression à travers Terravast, rasant les villes et ouvrant de nouveaux portails vers des mondes cauchemardesques.
Afin de sauver le royaume, Corayne n'a d'autre choix que de rassembler sa propre armée. Bravant des assassins, des chasseurs de primes et des créatures monstrueuses, elle tente de convaincre des alliés de joindre leurs forces à celles des Compagnons.
Cependant, Taristan a libéré quelque chose de mortel qui attend dans l'ombre, quelque chose qui pourrait consumer le monde avant qu'il n'y ait le moindre espoir de victoire...
Le destin du monde repose sur le fil d'une lame.
Se battant aux côtés de son groupe de compagnons improbables, Corayne apprend à embrasser son ancienne lignée et à manier la puissante épée de son père. Mais si elle a réussi à fermer l'un des Fuseaux, son voyage est loin d'être terminé.
L'armée de la reine Erida et de son mari Taristan continue sa progression à travers Terravast, rasant les villes et ouvrant de nouveaux portails vers des mondes cauchemardesques.
Afin de sauver le royaume, Corayne n'a d'autre choix que de rassembler sa propre armée. Bravant des assassins, des chasseurs de primes et des créatures monstrueuses, elle tente de convaincre des alliés de joindre leurs forces à celles des Compagnons.
Cependant, Taristan a libéré quelque chose de mortel qui attend dans l'ombre, quelque chose qui pourrait consumer le monde avant qu'il n'y ait le moindre espoir de victoire...
First published June 28, 2022
About the author
Victoria Aveyard
29 books74.4k followersI'm an author/screenwriter who likes books and lists. This site is the nexus of my universe.
I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN the #1 NYT bestselling REALM BREAKER trilogy. Next up, my adult fantasy debut, TEMPEST, coming 2026.
The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.
I wrote the #1 NYT bestselling series RED QUEEN the #1 NYT bestselling REALM BREAKER trilogy. Next up, my adult fantasy debut, TEMPEST, coming 2026.
The genres I'm into include YA, Fantasy, Historical, Adventure, Apocalyptic - if people are dying, I'm buying.
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August 19, 2021[09/05/21] - i'm here for erida and taristan ending the world. but i'm also here for corayne and her crew saving it. what a conflict of interest. someone send help.
July 1, 2022
oh wow. im not quite sure how it happened, but my feelings for this series have done nearly a 180 after reading this sequel. the first book was a 5 star read for me, but this… rounding up to 3 stars is because im feeling generous.
the only way i can describe it is this feels too much like ‘game of thrones’ to me. which obviously might please several readers, but its way too much court politicking and war planning for my liking. the characters i enjoyed getting to know totally feel like their personalities are sacrificed for the plot. which is crazy to say because honestly, this is nearly 500 pages of filler. nothing substantial to move the plot forward actually happens until the very end.
overall, not sure if im going to continue the series, tbh. BUT! i will say, if you enjoy rooting for the villains, then this book is for you!
↠ 2.5 stars
the only way i can describe it is this feels too much like ‘game of thrones’ to me. which obviously might please several readers, but its way too much court politicking and war planning for my liking. the characters i enjoyed getting to know totally feel like their personalities are sacrificed for the plot. which is crazy to say because honestly, this is nearly 500 pages of filler. nothing substantial to move the plot forward actually happens until the very end.
overall, not sure if im going to continue the series, tbh. BUT! i will say, if you enjoy rooting for the villains, then this book is for you!
↠ 2.5 stars
July 29, 2022
(4.5 ★’s)
Before I say anything about what this book is or how I wanted to pull its fabric apart and drown in its strings of layered characters and delicious world, I just have to say: Why is this series Young Adult?
I’ve always found Aveyard’s tendency toward detailed exploration of intricate politics, plot movements, and character motivations to be misplaced in YA, weighing down what her audience would expect to be a more breezy, fun read. And honestly, even the 3 teens in the cast of 9 MCs and the occasional YA-ish plot clarifications can’t stop me from saying this should just be Adult. Bc this is an adult world that rarely forgets to remind our few teens how young they are, and that is the opposite of what YA is. BB still has YA elements, and I wish Aveyard had abandoned the genre, but I feel the need to note the more mature tone of this series bred by the depth and complexity of its themes and characters, which leads it away from what one would expect from a “YA Fantasy Adventure.”
Moving on from the ridiculousness of boxes we use to categorise ourselves, Blade Breaker is a sequel that perfectly follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, carrying the magic and madness of rising myths with the same subtlety and attention to the human complexities involved, while adding a grander scale as chaos spreads across the land, politics march to the front, and every prince and king we meet decides if they will war to main peace and seek a hero’s glory.
We have our Companions, the Ward’s last hope, saviours only because—being the merry band of criminals and betrayers that they are—they’re the only ones willing to go against the realm to save it; in BB, we see their characterisation expand with the true weight of fear and grief and their bonds fall into its place vibrantly. We also have our villains, hungry and angry, scorned pair that they are, warring and politicking as they understand each other in their mutual plays for power; through them and their court drama, Aveyard explores the themes of power, conquest, and never-ending greed, the fickleness—or value—of our constructed social boundaries, or the moments of clarity after realising you are taking what is not yours, and seeing if your righteousness outweighs the hate you earn. And let’s not forget our side soldiers and clan leaders and vain royals, their presence and choices a testament to the allure of glory or the power of belief, giving us strength to fight another day. All these characters and their respective themes are so well written that I stopped trying to pick a side and simply drank them all in.
But mostly, I think this series’ lesson is the best reflection of its entire progression. Bc this is not an exhilarating run into battle or constant action; this is a tale of caution, of watchfulness, written with the same calculating pen. They say fear is paralytic, tell you to ignore it in a message of reckless bravery. Aveyard disagrees—she thinks fear is foolish to ignore, that one should listen to it and take control of it in a message of cautious consideration. In BB, she writes the same way, too.
Characters: Haunted Heroes & Hungry Villains
✦ Corayne: To me, this refreshingly realistic chosen one is foremost a resourceful nerd; a girl whose power lies in her sharp, level-headed wisdom and observant, unyielding mind; a girl who operates on knowledge, trading it and wielding it even as she struggles to wield steel with the hotheaded bravery of renowned warriors. But she is not a coward, and it’s so rewarding to watch her try to channel her mother’s commanding action-taking and sturdy boldness to expand her own steel-spined, in-control nature beyond just her words and thoughts.
Still, Corayne is but a teenager, and Aveyard never forgets that. She might be a thoughtful quick-learner rising from quietly leading her mother to becoming a leader with more presence, but she’s ultimately a child from the end of the world who only wants to see the rest, and she’s always learning from the adults around her and slowly growing.
I find the most exquisite part of her arc, though, to be her struggles to adapt to this new heritage, this responsibility and looming threat. A struggle that is beautifully symbolised in her feelings about her inherited sword—sometimes a comfort holding her up, sometimes a weight dragging her down. Nothing reflects her youth as much as her journey of finding her own path even as she goes through the motions of following the path in front of her. What is it? Is it the pirate path of her mother’s, the path she was told she was not strong enough for? Is it this unasked-for destiny, a destiny so heavy and full of death she finds herself too small in its face and seeks to escape? Or is it the life of a curious wanderer, someone who wants to find a place, or people, she belongs with? Her character’s struggle with these questions is woven quietly through all these pages and I can’t wait to see who she comes out as by the end.
✦ Erida: Anyone who knows me knows I love a well-written villain, and I think Erida being just that is one of the main reasons this series captured my attention. Her greed, her rage, her ruthlessness—they are so understandable.
Erida is every woman’s suffocated dreams and silenced strength and caged potential—prisoner to more rules than the boy beside her—given form. A creature of rage and control and jealousy, born high enough to think she has a right to everything, but female enough to be underestimated in her arrogance, cunning, resourcefulness, and hunger. In many things she reminds me of GRRM’s Cersei, grown cold to survive, burying her care and pain, “wrestled back into the box where she kept her useless things.” But where Cersei’s forwardness allowed her anger to explode and command everything, Erida is more of a contained performer, wanting and failing to unleash her festering fury and only just learning to stop hiding and let go.
I think Erida’s greatest weakness is how lost she is in her self-righteousness and rage. She does not feel the weight of the crowns she seeks, or understand the people she rules. Too lost in what she was denied and thinks she deserves, so desperate for being unchallenged that she doubts and alienates everyone as power bleeds paranoia. She is smart, smarter than her co-villains, but she is still fooled as easily as the rest of them. Because power is a treacherous thing—it haunts and it blinds, and she is haunted by its slippery nature just as she is blinded by its alluring rush that fools one into thinking you can cross any line without consequences. She is reaching too far, destabilising too much, and with how well the reality of her situation is written, I can’t help but feel her castle shaking.
✦ Sorasa: It’s rare to read an assassin and have them feel like one the way Sorasa does, and even more rare to simultaneously have them feel like a complex person as she does. And she does, bc the contrast of her bitter irrelevance and selfish lack of mercy with her hidden values and steadfast loyalty is one of the most precious things in this entire series.
She might have been taken and indoctrinated to become an obedient weapon, but she is still so vibrantly a person—someone behind whose unrelenting guard is a patient, exasperated mother and an unexpectedly understanding, devoted friend. And it’s so painful to see how unseen this part of her is, how afraid and distrusted. Aveyard shows perfectly how estranged Sorasa feels as she tries to hold on to the comfort of company but also denies it. How she believes her life is worth nothing to no one but herself, and has to survive alone using whatever and whoever she can. It makes me simultaneously want to punch her and give her a hug.
✦ Dom: This bloodstained nursemaid, this brooding, sympathetic immortal, surprises me every time he digs a little deeper into my heart. I don’t even know if I have a thing for cold warriors, but I definitely have a thing for Dom. It’s the way his removal from emotions makes him cluelessly naive despite his age, so adorably honest despite his silence. The way his off-beat view of the world makes for unexpected humour and clearly establishes how out of touch he is with this fickle life. He feels like something other than human and yet is so humane in his guilt and grief, haunted by the death he’s now become familiar with. I can never stop praising the way this balance is written in him.
✦ Andry: The fugitive squire’s tale in this book is, in a way, what remains when pain stays and guilt spirals. Like all those this honourable and righteous, he tortures himself with every life lost, only adding to the already drowning pain of his uprooted life. And it changes him. Noble, caring Andry might be too strong to let his back break from the memories tainted by betrayal, but festering pain builds anger—an explosive desire to fight and not lose anything else. It erodes his gentleness, honing his bravery into something sharper. And it’s both tragic to watch, and undeniably sobering.
✦ And then there is Valtik, so unassuming and jaunty yet viciously clever in her attempts to spread herself and help as much as she can. Or Sigil, the proud, untamable, casually fierce warrior who is unabashed in confronting anyone with her thoughts or steel. And Taristan, a man of sharp edges, born of suffering, all brute force and vengeance and honed rage, contained and ready to explode in service of a single path. And oh, my messy yet precise Charlie with a weird sense of honour for a man with none, his irreverent teasing and genius cheating so at odds with his prayers, wisdom, and skeptical faith. And many, many other side characters who carved a place in my memory and make me want to turn this into an even more long-winded character study that will lul you to sleep. But I will stop.
Relationships: Lonely Souls Seeking to Belong
✦ Friendship, But More: The Companions have become one of my fave groups of MCs, and I think the main reason is that we saw their natural bonding, going from strangers filled with suspicion while mutual trust creeps up on them as they survive and plot together in book one, to something more than friends, sharing an easy camaraderie with a deep understanding and even appreciation of their quirks. Their inside jokes, the rhythm in their teamwork, how they know to comfort each other in their own ways—be it teasing or pushing or busying—they all take form right on the page, written with the subtle flow of a master.
I’m especially grateful that Aveyard gives each their own role and dynamics. In a way, they are a stiched together family of 7, the adults taking care of the children as romance blooms between some: Dom, the overprotective dad keeping the children decent and ignoring his brewing attraction to the teasing assassin. Sorasa, the exasperated, tough mum teaching the girl how to survive. Corayne, the quick-witted daughter that brought them together. Andry, the tortured knight in muddied armour smitten with her. Charlie, the round uncle with the fun secrets. Sigil, the boastful aunt looking for trouble. And ofc, Valtik, the badass grandma with her head in the clouds. They’re all so tangible, so lonely. But now, despite all the mess, they do not feel alone.
✦ Blood Family: When you put aside the more evident theme of found families, you find undertones of the meaning and complexity of the family you’re born with—family that is only shared history blood, and family that is the surface of the drowning sea of life. In her uncle, in her father, and most importantly in her mother. Cause parents...they shape us and haunt us, they make us into children no matter how far we go. And to Corayne, her mother will always be a shadow she cannot escape and still mean the world. She will always look to her for strength as her mother looks to her for a path. Yes, we might have so few scenes of them together, but their bond is already living and breathing, full of history and pain, and I’m astounded by it.
✦ Villain Romance: I won’t even try to deny that this is the reason I fell into this series’ thrall, bc their chemistry and the depth of their interactions is decadent. Erida and Taristan are two sides of the same coin of anger, ambition, jealousy, and self-righteousness, understanding each other despite their opposite upbringings. Neither of them is a hollow puppet of evil; both are filled with pain and suppressed longing, surprised to find one other.
Theirs is a war of a relationship, constantly testing the other’s strength in small battles of will and choosing each other as they meet the challenge and prove to be equals in all—be it power or desire to rewrite the world to their whims. And in that war, they come to know who the other really is, to connect and, to their surprise, care. She is the brain and he is the blade, she is the cunning politician and he is the unstoppable storm, both impressed by the other but held back by their reservations even as they comfort and worry for each other. I just wonder if they will dig their graves together too, or betray one another before the end.
Writing: Storytelling, World-Building, and Pacing
Coming down to what I think can make or break a book, have it feel truly a fantastical tale or a washed out attempt, I find Aveyard’s writing continues to perfectly hit the mark. Her storytelling technique and subtle metaphors summon colour that flows as a thread between a skilled weaver’s hands; beautiful enough to be worthy of an old epic yet simple enough to not overwhelm.
The way she pinpoints the right details to set the scene atmospherically; how she jumps between characters, playing on contrasts and similarities, or is so well thought-out in painting behaviours that every gesture is telling of who the character is and how they move in the world; the customs and cultures, elevating every event with grand, rich history; the kingdoms with personalities of their own (my faves being the witchy, savage raiders of Jyd and the peaceful, aesthetic artists of Madrence); all this is why I find Blade Breaker so immersive, so alive.
My only complaint? I think entire paragraphs of this book can be replaced with a sentence. I don’t mean descriptions—they were never too much—and I don’t mean explanations—Aveyard has a great tendency to urge you to think on implications by yourself. I mean the overthinking; I know it shows the pain haunting Dom and Andry and serves characterisation, but after a point it becomes repetitive enough that it feels like filler. If a character is going to keep falling into the same spiral of trauma, you can imply it with an emotional sentence instead of writing every thought. Yes, it doesn’t do the trauma justice, but if you’re writing a fantasy adventure on the road, already bogged down by the wait for the next destination, and are doing your best to make the journey itself captivating, cutting down on repetition can go a long way.
But this is one criticism in a sea of praise, so we can safely say I’m still in love.
Companions: Playlist & Related Reviews
Book series playlist: Spotify URL
Books in series:
➳ Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker, #1) ★★★★★
➳ Blade Breaker (Realm Breaker, #2) ★★★★✯
➳ Untitled (Realm Breaker, #3) ☆☆☆☆☆
“Is it monstrous to want what is owed you?”
Before I say anything about what this book is or how I wanted to pull its fabric apart and drown in its strings of layered characters and delicious world, I just have to say: Why is this series Young Adult?
I’ve always found Aveyard’s tendency toward detailed exploration of intricate politics, plot movements, and character motivations to be misplaced in YA, weighing down what her audience would expect to be a more breezy, fun read. And honestly, even the 3 teens in the cast of 9 MCs and the occasional YA-ish plot clarifications can’t stop me from saying this should just be Adult. Bc this is an adult world that rarely forgets to remind our few teens how young they are, and that is the opposite of what YA is. BB still has YA elements, and I wish Aveyard had abandoned the genre, but I feel the need to note the more mature tone of this series bred by the depth and complexity of its themes and characters, which leads it away from what one would expect from a “YA Fantasy Adventure.”
“Men are so unsuited to power.”
Corayne laughed darkly. “Women aren’t terribly good at it either.”
Moving on from the ridiculousness of boxes we use to categorise ourselves, Blade Breaker is a sequel that perfectly follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, carrying the magic and madness of rising myths with the same subtlety and attention to the human complexities involved, while adding a grander scale as chaos spreads across the land, politics march to the front, and every prince and king we meet decides if they will war to main peace and seek a hero’s glory.
We have our Companions, the Ward’s last hope, saviours only because—being the merry band of criminals and betrayers that they are—they’re the only ones willing to go against the realm to save it; in BB, we see their characterisation expand with the true weight of fear and grief and their bonds fall into its place vibrantly. We also have our villains, hungry and angry, scorned pair that they are, warring and politicking as they understand each other in their mutual plays for power; through them and their court drama, Aveyard explores the themes of power, conquest, and never-ending greed, the fickleness—or value—of our constructed social boundaries, or the moments of clarity after realising you are taking what is not yours, and seeing if your righteousness outweighs the hate you earn. And let’s not forget our side soldiers and clan leaders and vain royals, their presence and choices a testament to the allure of glory or the power of belief, giving us strength to fight another day. All these characters and their respective themes are so well written that I stopped trying to pick a side and simply drank them all in.
Let your fear guide you.
But mostly, I think this series’ lesson is the best reflection of its entire progression. Bc this is not an exhilarating run into battle or constant action; this is a tale of caution, of watchfulness, written with the same calculating pen. They say fear is paralytic, tell you to ignore it in a message of reckless bravery. Aveyard disagrees—she thinks fear is foolish to ignore, that one should listen to it and take control of it in a message of cautious consideration. In BB, she writes the same way, too.
Characters: Haunted Heroes & Hungry Villains
“A girl, barely more than a child. Too small for the sword, too small for the task put in front of me.”
✦ Corayne: To me, this refreshingly realistic chosen one is foremost a resourceful nerd; a girl whose power lies in her sharp, level-headed wisdom and observant, unyielding mind; a girl who operates on knowledge, trading it and wielding it even as she struggles to wield steel with the hotheaded bravery of renowned warriors. But she is not a coward, and it’s so rewarding to watch her try to channel her mother’s commanding action-taking and sturdy boldness to expand her own steel-spined, in-control nature beyond just her words and thoughts.
Still, Corayne is but a teenager, and Aveyard never forgets that. She might be a thoughtful quick-learner rising from quietly leading her mother to becoming a leader with more presence, but she’s ultimately a child from the end of the world who only wants to see the rest, and she’s always learning from the adults around her and slowly growing.
I find the most exquisite part of her arc, though, to be her struggles to adapt to this new heritage, this responsibility and looming threat. A struggle that is beautifully symbolised in her feelings about her inherited sword—sometimes a comfort holding her up, sometimes a weight dragging her down. Nothing reflects her youth as much as her journey of finding her own path even as she goes through the motions of following the path in front of her. What is it? Is it the pirate path of her mother’s, the path she was told she was not strong enough for? Is it this unasked-for destiny, a destiny so heavy and full of death she finds herself too small in its face and seeks to escape? Or is it the life of a curious wanderer, someone who wants to find a place, or people, she belongs with? Her character’s struggle with these questions is woven quietly through all these pages and I can’t wait to see who she comes out as by the end.
“Remember this moment, Marguerite. Remember that tear.” Erida watched the single drop fall. “It is the last one you will ever shed as a girl. You are a woman now, the last of your childish hopes and dreams bleeding to death before your own eyes. [...] There are no fairy tales in this world,” Erida said, her eyes going soft. “No charming prince will come to save you. No god hears your prayers.”
✦ Erida: Anyone who knows me knows I love a well-written villain, and I think Erida being just that is one of the main reasons this series captured my attention. Her greed, her rage, her ruthlessness—they are so understandable.
Erida is every woman’s suffocated dreams and silenced strength and caged potential—prisoner to more rules than the boy beside her—given form. A creature of rage and control and jealousy, born high enough to think she has a right to everything, but female enough to be underestimated in her arrogance, cunning, resourcefulness, and hunger. In many things she reminds me of GRRM’s Cersei, grown cold to survive, burying her care and pain, “wrestled back into the box where she kept her useless things.” But where Cersei’s forwardness allowed her anger to explode and command everything, Erida is more of a contained performer, wanting and failing to unleash her festering fury and only just learning to stop hiding and let go.
He had no skill in hiding his emotions, and Erida knew exactly why. He is a man. His emotions are not considered a burden or a weakness. Not like mine, which I must keep hidden, so men might feel a little less threatened and a little more strong.
I think Erida’s greatest weakness is how lost she is in her self-righteousness and rage. She does not feel the weight of the crowns she seeks, or understand the people she rules. Too lost in what she was denied and thinks she deserves, so desperate for being unchallenged that she doubts and alienates everyone as power bleeds paranoia. She is smart, smarter than her co-villains, but she is still fooled as easily as the rest of them. Because power is a treacherous thing—it haunts and it blinds, and she is haunted by its slippery nature just as she is blinded by its alluring rush that fools one into thinking you can cross any line without consequences. She is reaching too far, destabilising too much, and with how well the reality of her situation is written, I can’t help but feel her castle shaking.
“You have steel in your spine, Your Majesty. Hold on to it. But bend when you must, lest you—and your crown—break.”
✦ Sorasa: It’s rare to read an assassin and have them feel like one the way Sorasa does, and even more rare to simultaneously have them feel like a complex person as she does. And she does, bc the contrast of her bitter irrelevance and selfish lack of mercy with her hidden values and steadfast loyalty is one of the most precious things in this entire series.
She might have been taken and indoctrinated to become an obedient weapon, but she is still so vibrantly a person—someone behind whose unrelenting guard is a patient, exasperated mother and an unexpectedly understanding, devoted friend. And it’s so painful to see how unseen this part of her is, how afraid and distrusted. Aveyard shows perfectly how estranged Sorasa feels as she tries to hold on to the comfort of company but also denies it. How she believes her life is worth nothing to no one but herself, and has to survive alone using whatever and whoever she can. It makes me simultaneously want to punch her and give her a hug.
“Perhaps you should stop worrying about their hearts, and tend to your own instead.”
✦ Dom: This bloodstained nursemaid, this brooding, sympathetic immortal, surprises me every time he digs a little deeper into my heart. I don’t even know if I have a thing for cold warriors, but I definitely have a thing for Dom. It’s the way his removal from emotions makes him cluelessly naive despite his age, so adorably honest despite his silence. The way his off-beat view of the world makes for unexpected humour and clearly establishes how out of touch he is with this fickle life. He feels like something other than human and yet is so humane in his guilt and grief, haunted by the death he’s now become familiar with. I can never stop praising the way this balance is written in him.
“You’d think I’d be used to this by now.”
“Sorasa?”
“Death,” Dom clipped. “Though I suppose they are interchangeable.”
Andry tried to smile, if only for Dom’s sake.
“There’s no getting used to it,” he said quietly. “Not even for us mortals.”
✦ Andry: The fugitive squire’s tale in this book is, in a way, what remains when pain stays and guilt spirals. Like all those this honourable and righteous, he tortures himself with every life lost, only adding to the already drowning pain of his uprooted life. And it changes him. Noble, caring Andry might be too strong to let his back break from the memories tainted by betrayal, but festering pain builds anger—an explosive desire to fight and not lose anything else. It erodes his gentleness, honing his bravery into something sharper. And it’s both tragic to watch, and undeniably sobering.
“Let the fires wash us clean. Blessed are the burned.”
✦ And then there is Valtik, so unassuming and jaunty yet viciously clever in her attempts to spread herself and help as much as she can. Or Sigil, the proud, untamable, casually fierce warrior who is unabashed in confronting anyone with her thoughts or steel. And Taristan, a man of sharp edges, born of suffering, all brute force and vengeance and honed rage, contained and ready to explode in service of a single path. And oh, my messy yet precise Charlie with a weird sense of honour for a man with none, his irreverent teasing and genius cheating so at odds with his prayers, wisdom, and skeptical faith. And many, many other side characters who carved a place in my memory and make me want to turn this into an even more long-winded character study that will lul you to sleep. But I will stop.
Relationships: Lonely Souls Seeking to Belong
“Maybe we belong to each other, we who belong nowhere.”
✦ Friendship, But More: The Companions have become one of my fave groups of MCs, and I think the main reason is that we saw their natural bonding, going from strangers filled with suspicion while mutual trust creeps up on them as they survive and plot together in book one, to something more than friends, sharing an easy camaraderie with a deep understanding and even appreciation of their quirks. Their inside jokes, the rhythm in their teamwork, how they know to comfort each other in their own ways—be it teasing or pushing or busying—they all take form right on the page, written with the subtle flow of a master.
I’m especially grateful that Aveyard gives each their own role and dynamics. In a way, they are a stiched together family of 7, the adults taking care of the children as romance blooms between some: Dom, the overprotective dad keeping the children decent and ignoring his brewing attraction to the teasing assassin. Sorasa, the exasperated, tough mum teaching the girl how to survive. Corayne, the quick-witted daughter that brought them together. Andry, the tortured knight in muddied armour smitten with her. Charlie, the round uncle with the fun secrets. Sigil, the boastful aunt looking for trouble. And ofc, Valtik, the badass grandma with her head in the clouds. They’re all so tangible, so lonely. But now, despite all the mess, they do not feel alone.
The tea was the hearth in their cottage. It was a cup of mulled wine back home in Lemarta, the winter sea gray in the harbor. The tea was Dom’s shadow and Sorasa’s sneer and Andry’s eyes. Her mother’s laugh. All things that held her up, even when the world tried its best to knock her down.
✦ Blood Family: When you put aside the more evident theme of found families, you find undertones of the meaning and complexity of the family you’re born with—family that is only shared history blood, and family that is the surface of the drowning sea of life. In her uncle, in her father, and most importantly in her mother. Cause parents...they shape us and haunt us, they make us into children no matter how far we go. And to Corayne, her mother will always be a shadow she cannot escape and still mean the world. She will always look to her for strength as her mother looks to her for a path. Yes, we might have so few scenes of them together, but their bond is already living and breathing, full of history and pain, and I’m astounded by it.
“Too much power. It rots, and we will rot with them.”
✦ Villain Romance: I won’t even try to deny that this is the reason I fell into this series’ thrall, bc their chemistry and the depth of their interactions is decadent. Erida and Taristan are two sides of the same coin of anger, ambition, jealousy, and self-righteousness, understanding each other despite their opposite upbringings. Neither of them is a hollow puppet of evil; both are filled with pain and suppressed longing, surprised to find one other.
Theirs is a war of a relationship, constantly testing the other’s strength in small battles of will and choosing each other as they meet the challenge and prove to be equals in all—be it power or desire to rewrite the world to their whims. And in that war, they come to know who the other really is, to connect and, to their surprise, care. She is the brain and he is the blade, she is the cunning politician and he is the unstoppable storm, both impressed by the other but held back by their reservations even as they comfort and worry for each other. I just wonder if they will dig their graves together too, or betray one another before the end.
Writing: Storytelling, World-Building, and Pacing
“This world will eat you if given the chance.”
Coming down to what I think can make or break a book, have it feel truly a fantastical tale or a washed out attempt, I find Aveyard’s writing continues to perfectly hit the mark. Her storytelling technique and subtle metaphors summon colour that flows as a thread between a skilled weaver’s hands; beautiful enough to be worthy of an old epic yet simple enough to not overwhelm.
The way she pinpoints the right details to set the scene atmospherically; how she jumps between characters, playing on contrasts and similarities, or is so well thought-out in painting behaviours that every gesture is telling of who the character is and how they move in the world; the customs and cultures, elevating every event with grand, rich history; the kingdoms with personalities of their own (my faves being the witchy, savage raiders of Jyd and the peaceful, aesthetic artists of Madrence); all this is why I find Blade Breaker so immersive, so alive.
“Very well, Corayne an-Amarat,” he said, and her smile flared like a sunbeam. Behind her, all but Sorasa smiled too. “I will sleep and dream of victory.”
Domacridhan slept and dreamed of death.
My only complaint? I think entire paragraphs of this book can be replaced with a sentence. I don’t mean descriptions—they were never too much—and I don’t mean explanations—Aveyard has a great tendency to urge you to think on implications by yourself. I mean the overthinking; I know it shows the pain haunting Dom and Andry and serves characterisation, but after a point it becomes repetitive enough that it feels like filler. If a character is going to keep falling into the same spiral of trauma, you can imply it with an emotional sentence instead of writing every thought. Yes, it doesn’t do the trauma justice, but if you’re writing a fantasy adventure on the road, already bogged down by the wait for the next destination, and are doing your best to make the journey itself captivating, cutting down on repetition can go a long way.
But this is one criticism in a sea of praise, so we can safely say I’m still in love.
Companions: Playlist & Related Reviews
Book series playlist: Spotify URL
Books in series:
➳ Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker, #1) ★★★★★
➳ Blade Breaker (Realm Breaker, #2) ★★★★✯
➳ Untitled (Realm Breaker, #3) ☆☆☆☆☆
June 29, 2022
The main character is and will forever be Sorasa Sarn, ugh <3.
I really love the story. The world building alone is rich and vast.
Some issues I had with the first book were still present when reading the sequel; I just do not find Corayne or Andry to be interesting main characters. I love POV chapters but found myself more disinterested than not when it came to theirs. I was way more invested in supporting characters like Sorasa and Dom and seeing their development.
There was one POV character that I could not remember for the life of me and I had to go back (to Realm Breaker) and figure out why the character was relevant. The map and fanart were super helpful to me here when remembering all the different characters and locations because it can be overwhelming at times.
Overall I find this to be a really fun, epic fantasy that might resonate more with the older side of YA. I look forward to reading the next installment.
I really love the story. The world building alone is rich and vast.
Some issues I had with the first book were still present when reading the sequel; I just do not find Corayne or Andry to be interesting main characters. I love POV chapters but found myself more disinterested than not when it came to theirs. I was way more invested in supporting characters like Sorasa and Dom and seeing their development.
There was one POV character that I could not remember for the life of me and I had to go back (to Realm Breaker) and figure out why the character was relevant. The map and fanart were super helpful to me here when remembering all the different characters and locations because it can be overwhelming at times.
Overall I find this to be a really fun, epic fantasy that might resonate more with the older side of YA. I look forward to reading the next installment.
September 10, 2022
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
“In a palace or the gutter, the rats are still the same.”
This is definitely the ‘middle book’. By which I mean there is a lot of travelling, a lot of moving forward without much being achieved.
However! I still loved being back with these characters and seeing how they interact with one another.
My faves are definitely Sorasa and Dom 😊 Corayne was a bit annoying at times but ultimately I’m enjoying the journey and look forward to book 3!
************************
Library copy available for pick up
Feel like I’ve forgotten everything from the first book tho 😂
“In a palace or the gutter, the rats are still the same.”
This is definitely the ‘middle book’. By which I mean there is a lot of travelling, a lot of moving forward without much being achieved.
However! I still loved being back with these characters and seeing how they interact with one another.
My faves are definitely Sorasa and Dom 😊 Corayne was a bit annoying at times but ultimately I’m enjoying the journey and look forward to book 3!
************************
Library copy available for pick up
Feel like I’ve forgotten everything from the first book tho 😂
July 15, 2022
"Is it monstrous to want what is owed you?"
°•*⁀➷
I love that this book has chapter titles. One star for getting through this. One star for chapter titles.
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
I love that this book has chapter titles. One star for getting through this. One star for chapter titles.
- Paige
July 15, 2022
I don't appreciate that cliffhanger...whatsoever. I am going to tear a freaking spindle open myself.
But this was utterly magnificent. full rtc.
But this was utterly magnificent. full rtc.
July 12, 2022
The way that I feel about this book is similar to the way that I feel about The Lord of The Rings series….. It’s a good story and I love the general concept and the world. But the writing is drawn out and a bit boring. The movies are better than the books (I almost never say that but with LOTR it’s the truth). There is no movie for this book (or book one), but I bet it would be great! And better than the book. Because the idea is good, but the execution is unnecessarily wordy and unexciting somehow. The action scenes would be badass though. That’s how I see this. A better movie. I hope that makes sense to someone out there!
Blade Breaker picks up exactly where Realm Breaker leaves us. I found that I unfortunately grew less attached to the characters as the book went on and I kind of liked the “bad guys” the best. The story was ok, but I feel like you could skip to the end and learn what happens at the end and basically be fine moving forward. You don’t necessarily need to know anything that happens from point A to point B. Ending was cool, however. It was a solid “ok”, but you know you’re disappointed in a book when you’re relieved it’s over so you can move onto something else. I feel bad saying that, I wanted to love it, but I didn’t. I didn’t hate it either, just not what it could’ve been. The potential is so there though.
Short review for me, but I’m uninspired.
Blade Breaker picks up exactly where Realm Breaker leaves us. I found that I unfortunately grew less attached to the characters as the book went on and I kind of liked the “bad guys” the best. The story was ok, but I feel like you could skip to the end and learn what happens at the end and basically be fine moving forward. You don’t necessarily need to know anything that happens from point A to point B. Ending was cool, however. It was a solid “ok”, but you know you’re disappointed in a book when you’re relieved it’s over so you can move onto something else. I feel bad saying that, I wanted to love it, but I didn’t. I didn’t hate it either, just not what it could’ve been. The potential is so there though.
Short review for me, but I’m uninspired.
Want to read
May 6, 2021Don't mind me, I'm just here to cry for Erida and Taristan.
June 26, 2022
MISS VICTORIA YOU’RE GOING TO LET THE BOOK END LIKE THAT?!??
4.5
4.5
March 7, 2025
3.5 stars rounded uppp; well, smack my ass and play it like a drum because this was actually d-e-l-i-g-h-t-f-u-l. So delightful, that I immediately started re-reading it, then abandoned that re-read 75% in for no reason only to re-read the entire thing again, it’s just that entertaining.
As a book that picks up literal minutes after the great showdown of book #1, Blade Breaker has no trouble immediately asserting itself as an action-packed sequel with no second book syndrome in sight, and if you say otherwise, you might not have paid much attention. New characters are introduced (most of them queer, we LOVE to see it), new lands are travelled through, and new friends as well as enemies are made. In general, the scope of the whole story is expanded. You get the sense that in this book, Aveyard is tending the seeds she planted in the first book to have it all come together in the third and final book. She continuously drives the plot of the entire story forward and not at the expense of the characters and things happening in this book.
Character POVs are spread all over the Ward, with most of them having their own battles and journeys going on so that there’s never a long stretch without some form of action going on. There are dragons, giant bears, invading armies, beheadings… Victoria really knows how to keep me sat and gagged! 🤌🏻🤌🏻 Lots of POVs unfortunately also means that giving every character the same depth and three-dimensional personality we would all like to see is… difficult.
While Erida gets her own POC in this and we get to know a lot more about her past, her ambitions and her struggles, she still shows traits of the one-dimensional movie villain who wants to rule the world simply because. While a blood-thirsty, 20-something-year-old Queen set to rule the realm definitely has the bones of an interesting story, having your character do all this simply because they crave POWER is unfortunately boring asf. Villains who do things just for the sake of power are so out-of-fashion and cliché, it’s just so uninspired. 😭
And while I can see what the author was trying to do with the Erida/Taristan toxic relationship set-up that obviously made some readers root for them and which creates an interesting counterweight to us rooting for the heroes, Taristan is a painfully bland antagonist who does little more than “growl” and “glower” all the fucking time.
Little more than a wild animal barely tamed, Taristan is not giving what he is supposed to give:
(hot villain energy) and is instead giving
(nothing) energy.
Sigh, so much wasted potential?? I’m always here for a middle-aged man filled with tons of rage to also be hot AND well-rounded but, alas...
We get a lot more background information on The Companions though, and Aveyard has the skill and the talent to write character arcs that see Sorasa, Dom, Andry, and Corayne be different persons at the end of the book than who they were at the beginning. You can very much see the change they’ve gone through because of everything they’ve seen and done, with the most interesting character arc being Sorasa Sarn’s, the people’s princess, my queen. There is just something about that snarky attitude, soft heart, small of height, big in internalised shame and guilt that is sooo appealing to me. Throw in her the slowest of slowest slow-burn between her and Dom (I HAVE BEEN CALLING IT SINCE BOOK 1, I MANIFESTED THIS!!) and I am absolutely fucking sold.
In fact, these two and their animosity turned begrudging companions turned “idk why the fact that this man, who is our ally, seems to be happy to be sitting next to Sorasa, rankles me” had me eating up the third act so good, never mind Andry & Corayne or the end of the Realm, I had to keep reading because I kept wanting to find out what was gonna happen between Dom and Sorasa. And the bathtub scene when he walks in on her???? Screams were scrumched, feet were kicked, giggles were giggled. 🫢
While I was fully invested in immortal himbo and snarky assassin, I was less interested in Corayne and Andry. Maybe my lesser interest stems from the fact that they are the only teenagers in the group (and the only reason this series is classified as YA, because oh boy, do the war crimes of Erida in this book make this at least a NA read), and there is something about reading about teenagers (especially teenagers falling in love) that I simply don’t vibe with.
I actually think both characters are at their strongest when they are not having a cute moment with each other, but when Aveyard delves deeper into Andry’s PTSD and fears (you have to applaud her for not being like certain other authors that have horrible things happen to their characters only for the characters to be completely fine one week later with no mental scarring whatsoever). Similarly, Corayne is the most interesting when she gets to square off one-on-one with other characters like her mother or the Heir of Ibal (still in love with how many new awesome and cool characters were introduced in this book!).
The Companion group is huge, and the result of Sorasa, Dom, Andry, and Corayne getting the most spotlight means Valtik, Charlie, and Sigil get little to none. This is also very much because they don’t have POVs, but also because Aveyard gives them very little to do. This is perhaps most apparent with Sigil, who gets little more to do than say “The iron bones of the Countless will never be broken” every so often (seven times!!) and wield her axe very competently. Hoping to see more of her and of Charlie (though this sneak peek at Fate Breaker has already revealed that he gets his own POV) in the next book because I want to love these queer little people so much, give me a chance, Victoria!!
One last thing that hasn’t greatly improved since the first book is Aveyard’s tendency to be a little too on the nose with her symbolism and her penchant for using metaphors that might look good on the page but are little more than her enjoying the sound of her own words.
“Once he [Andry] was a squire of Galland who dreamed of becoming a knight. And now he is a killer of them, a killer of his own dreams.”
I mean ouff, slow down a little there, Victoria.
We get it, the tea stands for home and for feeling loved. It conjures up MEMORIES. Still, a whole ass paragraph about a tea metaphor?? Sometimes I think it’s the screenwriter in her that leads to such fantastic and outlandish language creations. I can bear them as long as there aren’t too many but I don’t enjoy them.
One thing Aveyard does know how to do, however, is writing an explosive, edge-on-your-seat-stuff finale that still has me quaking in my boots because what was that??!!! No spoilers here but this is absolutely how you end the second book in your trilogy, wheeew.
All in all, super glad I re-read this in time for the release of Heart Breaker, you don’t know how excited I am about finally learning how it all ends uhhhh I can’t wait
As a book that picks up literal minutes after the great showdown of book #1, Blade Breaker has no trouble immediately asserting itself as an action-packed sequel with no second book syndrome in sight, and if you say otherwise, you might not have paid much attention. New characters are introduced (most of them queer, we LOVE to see it), new lands are travelled through, and new friends as well as enemies are made. In general, the scope of the whole story is expanded. You get the sense that in this book, Aveyard is tending the seeds she planted in the first book to have it all come together in the third and final book. She continuously drives the plot of the entire story forward and not at the expense of the characters and things happening in this book.
Character POVs are spread all over the Ward, with most of them having their own battles and journeys going on so that there’s never a long stretch without some form of action going on. There are dragons, giant bears, invading armies, beheadings… Victoria really knows how to keep me sat and gagged! 🤌🏻🤌🏻 Lots of POVs unfortunately also means that giving every character the same depth and three-dimensional personality we would all like to see is… difficult.
While Erida gets her own POC in this and we get to know a lot more about her past, her ambitions and her struggles, she still shows traits of the one-dimensional movie villain who wants to rule the world simply because. While a blood-thirsty, 20-something-year-old Queen set to rule the realm definitely has the bones of an interesting story, having your character do all this simply because they crave POWER is unfortunately boring asf. Villains who do things just for the sake of power are so out-of-fashion and cliché, it’s just so uninspired. 😭
And while I can see what the author was trying to do with the Erida/Taristan toxic relationship set-up that obviously made some readers root for them and which creates an interesting counterweight to us rooting for the heroes, Taristan is a painfully bland antagonist who does little more than “growl” and “glower” all the fucking time.
”You said as much,” Taristan growled.
“You will not, I promise you,” Taristan growled.
Taristan stood between them but said nothing, glowering in his usual way.
“This is a waste of time,” Taristan growled under his breath.
“This man’s never worn armor in all his life,” he growled under his breath.
Little more than a wild animal barely tamed, Taristan is not giving what he is supposed to give:
(hot villain energy) and is instead giving
(nothing) energy.
Sigh, so much wasted potential?? I’m always here for a middle-aged man filled with tons of rage to also be hot AND well-rounded but, alas...
We get a lot more background information on The Companions though, and Aveyard has the skill and the talent to write character arcs that see Sorasa, Dom, Andry, and Corayne be different persons at the end of the book than who they were at the beginning. You can very much see the change they’ve gone through because of everything they’ve seen and done, with the most interesting character arc being Sorasa Sarn’s, the people’s princess, my queen. There is just something about that snarky attitude, soft heart, small of height, big in internalised shame and guilt that is sooo appealing to me. Throw in her the slowest of slowest slow-burn between her and Dom (I HAVE BEEN CALLING IT SINCE BOOK 1, I MANIFESTED THIS!!) and I am absolutely fucking sold.
In fact, these two and their animosity turned begrudging companions turned “idk why the fact that this man, who is our ally, seems to be happy to be sitting next to Sorasa, rankles me” had me eating up the third act so good, never mind Andry & Corayne or the end of the Realm, I had to keep reading because I kept wanting to find out what was gonna happen between Dom and Sorasa. And the bathtub scene when he walks in on her???? Screams were scrumched, feet were kicked, giggles were giggled. 🫢
While I was fully invested in immortal himbo and snarky assassin, I was less interested in Corayne and Andry. Maybe my lesser interest stems from the fact that they are the only teenagers in the group (and the only reason this series is classified as YA, because oh boy, do the war crimes of Erida in this book make this at least a NA read), and there is something about reading about teenagers (especially teenagers falling in love) that I simply don’t vibe with.
I actually think both characters are at their strongest when they are not having a cute moment with each other, but when Aveyard delves deeper into Andry’s PTSD and fears (you have to applaud her for not being like certain other authors that have horrible things happen to their characters only for the characters to be completely fine one week later with no mental scarring whatsoever). Similarly, Corayne is the most interesting when she gets to square off one-on-one with other characters like her mother or the Heir of Ibal (still in love with how many new awesome and cool characters were introduced in this book!).
The Companion group is huge, and the result of Sorasa, Dom, Andry, and Corayne getting the most spotlight means Valtik, Charlie, and Sigil get little to none. This is also very much because they don’t have POVs, but also because Aveyard gives them very little to do. This is perhaps most apparent with Sigil, who gets little more to do than say “The iron bones of the Countless will never be broken” every so often (seven times!!) and wield her axe very competently. Hoping to see more of her and of Charlie (though this sneak peek at Fate Breaker has already revealed that he gets his own POV) in the next book because I want to love these queer little people so much, give me a chance, Victoria!!
One last thing that hasn’t greatly improved since the first book is Aveyard’s tendency to be a little too on the nose with her symbolism and her penchant for using metaphors that might look good on the page but are little more than her enjoying the sound of her own words.
“Once he [Andry] was a squire of Galland who dreamed of becoming a knight. And now he is a killer of them, a killer of his own dreams.”
I mean ouff, slow down a little there, Victoria.
“She gasped one breath after another, her teeth bared. She felt like a lioness, like a sword, powerful and ruinous.”
“Corayne sat up and took the tea. She sipped at it, letting the embracing warmth ripple through her. It felt different from the heat of her dreams, the boiling inferno of Asunder and What Waits. The tea was the hearth in their cottage. It was a cup of mulled wine back home in Lemarta, the winter sea gray in the harbor. The tea was Dom’s shadow and Sorasa’s sneer and Andry’s eyes. Her mother’s laugh.”
We get it, the tea stands for home and for feeling loved. It conjures up MEMORIES. Still, a whole ass paragraph about a tea metaphor?? Sometimes I think it’s the screenwriter in her that leads to such fantastic and outlandish language creations. I can bear them as long as there aren’t too many but I don’t enjoy them.
One thing Aveyard does know how to do, however, is writing an explosive, edge-on-your-seat-stuff finale that still has me quaking in my boots because what was that??!!! No spoilers here but this is absolutely how you end the second book in your trilogy, wheeew.
All in all, super glad I re-read this in time for the release of Heart Breaker, you don’t know how excited I am about finally learning how it all ends uhhhh I can’t wait
October 24, 2024
this book was still super slow for the first 200 pages the same way that book one was very expository, but damn if a 6'5 warrior immortal puts the front pieces of his long blond hair into slutty little braids. fine, you get four stars
this book finally got to the bulk of the action i was hoping for with the main characters actually starting to fight the villain instead of putting out fires he started... and traveling aimlessly around the world just to introduce 30 kingdoms. i do think that foundation helped in this book because there's so many different players and people of different backgrounds. however. it's becoming increasingly clear in this book that victoria is creating "fantasy" kingdoms that are almost exactly just pulled from history, like the Mongols and the Ottoman empire and even mirroring current countries like Scotland. I wish it were more imaginative and not just pulled directly from real human history.
but really the shining cast of characters are the companions, and in this one you really get to see the machinery start working together and everyone truly becomes a team. even though i am VERY brave in continuing a series with very little romance, you can start to see the characters all splitting off in this one toward their closest partners and i thought it was so sweet.
i maintain my gripe that the villains in this feel very surface-level and you don't know a lot about why they want to ruin and rule the world other than they're just kinda sad and were told by other people that they should. there was a looooot of one of the villain's POV to this story that i don't think added any more depth to their character.
also, there's a character in this that's a witch and just kind of shows up randomly to save the day all the time, and i wish her magic was better explained because right now she just saves their asses over and over. idk why they don't just use her to solve all their problems instead of forcing a 16 year old human to suffer but i digress.
also victoria aveyard it is the year of our lord 2024, why are we still killing our gays?!
anyway, i have the third one on hold at the library and i will be taking another solid two months to complete that one as well. let's cross fingers we get some more action! (and more slutty elf braids)
this book finally got to the bulk of the action i was hoping for with the main characters actually starting to fight the villain instead of putting out fires he started... and traveling aimlessly around the world just to introduce 30 kingdoms. i do think that foundation helped in this book because there's so many different players and people of different backgrounds. however. it's becoming increasingly clear in this book that victoria is creating "fantasy" kingdoms that are almost exactly just pulled from history, like the Mongols and the Ottoman empire and even mirroring current countries like Scotland. I wish it were more imaginative and not just pulled directly from real human history.
but really the shining cast of characters are the companions, and in this one you really get to see the machinery start working together and everyone truly becomes a team. even though i am VERY brave in continuing a series with very little romance, you can start to see the characters all splitting off in this one toward their closest partners and i thought it was so sweet.
i maintain my gripe that the villains in this feel very surface-level and you don't know a lot about why they want to ruin and rule the world other than they're just kinda sad and were told by other people that they should. there was a looooot of one of the villain's POV to this story that i don't think added any more depth to their character.
also, there's a character in this that's a witch and just kind of shows up randomly to save the day all the time, and i wish her magic was better explained because right now she just saves their asses over and over. idk why they don't just use her to solve all their problems instead of forcing a 16 year old human to suffer but i digress.
also victoria aveyard it is the year of our lord 2024, why are we still killing our gays?!
anyway, i have the third one on hold at the library and i will be taking another solid two months to complete that one as well. let's cross fingers we get some more action! (and more slutty elf braids)
July 3, 2023
4/5 stars, how incredibly heartbreaking but interesting was this book
When I started this book it was on audio from my library, because I realized that I hadn't read any book on audio this month which was part of my reading goal this year haha. But this ended up being exactly what I needed to read at that moment, a grand and expansive fantasy story with compelling villains and intense politics. Despite not remembering a lot from the first book, besides the feelings of enjoyment, I was very happy with how enthralling the story was.
Initially, I was a bit hesitant about going into this story without remembering a lot, so I looked up a few summaries and notes about the first book, but still felt a little worried. I really should not have worried though and had faith in Victoria Aveyard's ability to write an amazing book, because there were little bits and pieces of this story that reminded the reader what happened in the last book. These little reminders were very helpful, especially for how thick this book is, and I'm hoping that happens a bit in the next book too.
This book is very large, which is exactly the type of fantasy I needed at the time, and it did allow for the plot to move a little slower so that there was an emphasis on the characters. One thing that I did notice was while there was a lot of attention on the characters (there were often many povs for the same or similar events) there wasn't a ton of character growth. I felt that they were mostly the same as how they started this book, which is okay because I think most of them are nicely done, but I wish there had just been a bit more obvious growth throughout the book.
Speaking of the characters, I'm pretty sure my favorites from the last book were also my favorites in this book haha, but really all of The Companions are fun. I do think that some of the characters get less attention, but that sometimes happen with really large casts, I just wish it was more evenly spread. Coraynne was a good main character, I enjoy how she sticks out among some of the other characters because she still holds onto her softness. Andry, Dom, and Sorosa are my other favorites, they have lots of interesting things going on with their storylines though I also really like Valtik and think there's lots we don't know about her.
The villains in this book are also very interesting, especially because of what happened with them in the first book. Giving Erida a point of view in this book as well was a very good decision, because it gave a very nice glimpse into what was happening on her side beyond just what the other characters were hearing. I also really enjoyed the tension between her and Taristan in this book, which honestly felt very natural given the insight into Erida's mind. The harsh reality of their war and their actions as well really made this a brutal book, and it was really interesting because it managed to elevate everything to new heights.
[TW: dead bodies, mass murder, blood and gore, death of parents mentioned, trauma depiction, war themes, beheading]
When I started this book it was on audio from my library, because I realized that I hadn't read any book on audio this month which was part of my reading goal this year haha. But this ended up being exactly what I needed to read at that moment, a grand and expansive fantasy story with compelling villains and intense politics. Despite not remembering a lot from the first book, besides the feelings of enjoyment, I was very happy with how enthralling the story was.
Initially, I was a bit hesitant about going into this story without remembering a lot, so I looked up a few summaries and notes about the first book, but still felt a little worried. I really should not have worried though and had faith in Victoria Aveyard's ability to write an amazing book, because there were little bits and pieces of this story that reminded the reader what happened in the last book. These little reminders were very helpful, especially for how thick this book is, and I'm hoping that happens a bit in the next book too.
This book is very large, which is exactly the type of fantasy I needed at the time, and it did allow for the plot to move a little slower so that there was an emphasis on the characters. One thing that I did notice was while there was a lot of attention on the characters (there were often many povs for the same or similar events) there wasn't a ton of character growth. I felt that they were mostly the same as how they started this book, which is okay because I think most of them are nicely done, but I wish there had just been a bit more obvious growth throughout the book.
Speaking of the characters, I'm pretty sure my favorites from the last book were also my favorites in this book haha, but really all of The Companions are fun. I do think that some of the characters get less attention, but that sometimes happen with really large casts, I just wish it was more evenly spread. Coraynne was a good main character, I enjoy how she sticks out among some of the other characters because she still holds onto her softness. Andry, Dom, and Sorosa are my other favorites, they have lots of interesting things going on with their storylines though I also really like Valtik and think there's lots we don't know about her.
The villains in this book are also very interesting, especially because of what happened with them in the first book. Giving Erida a point of view in this book as well was a very good decision, because it gave a very nice glimpse into what was happening on her side beyond just what the other characters were hearing. I also really enjoyed the tension between her and Taristan in this book, which honestly felt very natural given the insight into Erida's mind. The harsh reality of their war and their actions as well really made this a brutal book, and it was really interesting because it managed to elevate everything to new heights.
[TW: dead bodies, mass murder, blood and gore, death of parents mentioned, trauma depiction, war themes, beheading]
Read
July 1, 2022DNF at 34%
I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm giving myself a reading slump and I don't want to do that with blade breaker. so I'll just try reading this in future😪
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
wow, I like the whole vibe of the cover , it's low key but the colors are unique.
Victoria Aveyard , You better Give me the villain-romance i need 😖😖😖
⪢ Realm Breaker ★★★.5
⪢ Blade Breaker
I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm giving myself a reading slump and I don't want to do that with blade breaker. so I'll just try reading this in future😪
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
wow, I like the whole vibe of the cover , it's low key but the colors are unique.
Victoria Aveyard , You better Give me the villain-romance i need 😖😖😖
⪢ Realm Breaker ★★★.5
⪢ Blade Breaker
August 31, 2022
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book in this series, and that is saying something!
Our favorite band of misfits—the Companions—is continuing their quest to save the realm from destruction. Lead by Corayne, the band finds the stakes raised against them. Queen Erida of Galland and her husband, prince-consort Taristan, are conquering their way through the realm.
Along the way, Taristan, with the help of his wizard pal, continue to tear open portals to other worlds (called “spindles”), putting increasing amounts of strain on the fabric of spacetime.
While Corayne and company manage to close one open portal, another one is opened on the other side of the world. It is the most terrible game of whack-a-mole that I can imagine. Outnumbered and outgunned, Corayne makes an alliance with the small kingdom of Trec, in exchange for a war-band that will fight for them against Erida and Taristan.
They need all the help they can get, while the wider resistance to Erida tries to organize itself. Not many are willing to stand up to the military might of Galland.
I continue to be amazed at how well-fleshed out Erida is as a villain, whose motives are understandable, even if I am against her ruthless strategy, sacrificing all for power. She finds herself with a male cousin seeking to usurp her throne, all while she tries to prove her mettle as ruler. Not to mention Corayne and company are constant thorns in her side.
Since she was little, Erida has been trying to prove to her father that she was just as capable as any of her male relatives to rule. When her father passes and she ascends the throne, she feels constant pressure to demonstrate that women can lead kingdoms as well as men. So yes, I understand. Again though, I do not like her means, e.g.—using power from a demon god as part of a plan to realize an empire not seen since ancient times. But I admire her ambition, in a way.
As the only ones willing to stand up—for now—against Erida and Taristan, Corayne and her band have naturally bonded over the mutual threat. In Blade Breaker, we see them get closer to a “family by choice,” rather than “comrades by necessity,” although the latter is definitely more important when facing overwhelming odds. As readers, it becomes clear that they are getting better at utilizing each other’s strengths and improvising when plans go wrong, as they often do for seven people up against so much.
Dom and Sorasa seem to be the parents of the group, while raider Sigil is the cool aunt. The mysterious Jydi witch, Valtik, is the grandmother (although it would be a grave mistake to assume she’s weak and frail). Of course, in this case, Andry, Charlie, and Corayne are the children those with more experience are trying to guide along. A particular favorite line of mine is from the perspective of Sorasa, as the Companions battle to close another Spindle:
Yes, Sorasa, you are a wonderful mother! She has taught all of them, particularly Corayne, a bunch when it comes to defending themselves from trouble. She is a survivor through and through, and while she misses her life as an Amhara, this outcast finds a new purpose with the Companions, and becomes an essential member of the team. And she finds herself caring for her Companions in a way she used to of her fellow assassins back in the Amhara guild. She is my favorite redeemed Grinch, her heart growing so much to encompass her new family.
While the story isn’t perfect, there is a lot to love in the latest installment of the “Realm Breaker” series. There are a lot of themes deeply explored in here that defy the usual YA narrative tropes. So, adult readers, don’t be scared to read YA!
The ending of Blade Breaker had me in ruins, let’s just say, and I need the next book in the series ASAP. It will be interesting to see where Aveyard takes readers next, how she chooses to carry out the endgame, and how our beloved Companions will continue to grow as characters.
Happy reading!
-Cora
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
Our favorite band of misfits—the Companions—is continuing their quest to save the realm from destruction. Lead by Corayne, the band finds the stakes raised against them. Queen Erida of Galland and her husband, prince-consort Taristan, are conquering their way through the realm.
Along the way, Taristan, with the help of his wizard pal, continue to tear open portals to other worlds (called “spindles”), putting increasing amounts of strain on the fabric of spacetime.
While Corayne and company manage to close one open portal, another one is opened on the other side of the world. It is the most terrible game of whack-a-mole that I can imagine. Outnumbered and outgunned, Corayne makes an alliance with the small kingdom of Trec, in exchange for a war-band that will fight for them against Erida and Taristan.
They need all the help they can get, while the wider resistance to Erida tries to organize itself. Not many are willing to stand up to the military might of Galland.
“Exasperated as she was, Erida couldn’t help but find quiet amusement in her own circumstance—and Corayne’s. So much of the world rests on the shoulders of two young women, with men squawking at our edges.”
I continue to be amazed at how well-fleshed out Erida is as a villain, whose motives are understandable, even if I am against her ruthless strategy, sacrificing all for power. She finds herself with a male cousin seeking to usurp her throne, all while she tries to prove her mettle as ruler. Not to mention Corayne and company are constant thorns in her side.
Since she was little, Erida has been trying to prove to her father that she was just as capable as any of her male relatives to rule. When her father passes and she ascends the throne, she feels constant pressure to demonstrate that women can lead kingdoms as well as men. So yes, I understand. Again though, I do not like her means, e.g.—using power from a demon god as part of a plan to realize an empire not seen since ancient times. But I admire her ambition, in a way.
As the only ones willing to stand up—for now—against Erida and Taristan, Corayne and her band have naturally bonded over the mutual threat. In Blade Breaker, we see them get closer to a “family by choice,” rather than “comrades by necessity,” although the latter is definitely more important when facing overwhelming odds. As readers, it becomes clear that they are getting better at utilizing each other’s strengths and improvising when plans go wrong, as they often do for seven people up against so much.
Dom and Sorasa seem to be the parents of the group, while raider Sigil is the cool aunt. The mysterious Jydi witch, Valtik, is the grandmother (although it would be a grave mistake to assume she’s weak and frail). Of course, in this case, Andry, Charlie, and Corayne are the children those with more experience are trying to guide along. A particular favorite line of mine is from the perspective of Sorasa, as the Companions battle to close another Spindle:
“She felt like a mother hen leading chicks through a tornado.”
Yes, Sorasa, you are a wonderful mother! She has taught all of them, particularly Corayne, a bunch when it comes to defending themselves from trouble. She is a survivor through and through, and while she misses her life as an Amhara, this outcast finds a new purpose with the Companions, and becomes an essential member of the team. And she finds herself caring for her Companions in a way she used to of her fellow assassins back in the Amhara guild. She is my favorite redeemed Grinch, her heart growing so much to encompass her new family.
While the story isn’t perfect, there is a lot to love in the latest installment of the “Realm Breaker” series. There are a lot of themes deeply explored in here that defy the usual YA narrative tropes. So, adult readers, don’t be scared to read YA!
The ending of Blade Breaker had me in ruins, let’s just say, and I need the next book in the series ASAP. It will be interesting to see where Aveyard takes readers next, how she chooses to carry out the endgame, and how our beloved Companions will continue to grow as characters.
Happy reading!
-Cora
Find this book and other titles within our catalog.
March 20, 2023
3,5 stars
"Keep her close."
"Always."
This is a six POV book, told by the POVs of Corayne, Erida, Sorasa, Andry, Dom and Ridha.
While there are six POVs in this book, I would still argue that Corayne basically remains the main character of this storyline. She also remains the badass that she was in the first book and I really liked seeing her bravery and her constant will to keep going even against all odds. Although I have to say sometimes I would have wished to see a slightly more vulnerable side to her.
With side characters (if you can consider him a side character) I really liked Andry. I loved that he brought a more vulnerable side to the story. With having doubts and regrets sometimes, with feeling guilt over certain things and rethinking a lot. I felt like him and Corayne balanced each other out really nicely.
Plotwise this has the same immense world building that the first book already had. I love the incorperation of pirates into an otherwise Middle-Age set fantasy book. In this you will now also get dragons and an undead army; fantasy wise this has some good elements and there is also a hint of romance. So why did I only rate it average then? To me, the pacing often felt slow and the book a bit drawn out where not that much action happened. I also sometimes had a hard time getting into the story as the world building is so immense that I simply could not remember some characters from book 1 and while reading I caught myself thinking "and who are you again!?"
Overall I´d say this is a good, average fantasy book; just nothing that is outstanding or completely amazing to me.
trigger warnings: war, loss of loved ones, torture
"Keep her close."
"Always."
This is a six POV book, told by the POVs of Corayne, Erida, Sorasa, Andry, Dom and Ridha.
While there are six POVs in this book, I would still argue that Corayne basically remains the main character of this storyline. She also remains the badass that she was in the first book and I really liked seeing her bravery and her constant will to keep going even against all odds. Although I have to say sometimes I would have wished to see a slightly more vulnerable side to her.
With side characters (if you can consider him a side character) I really liked Andry. I loved that he brought a more vulnerable side to the story. With having doubts and regrets sometimes, with feeling guilt over certain things and rethinking a lot. I felt like him and Corayne balanced each other out really nicely.
Plotwise this has the same immense world building that the first book already had. I love the incorperation of pirates into an otherwise Middle-Age set fantasy book. In this you will now also get dragons and an undead army; fantasy wise this has some good elements and there is also a hint of romance. So why did I only rate it average then? To me, the pacing often felt slow and the book a bit drawn out where not that much action happened. I also sometimes had a hard time getting into the story as the world building is so immense that I simply could not remember some characters from book 1 and while reading I caught myself thinking "and who are you again!?"
Overall I´d say this is a good, average fantasy book; just nothing that is outstanding or completely amazing to me.
trigger warnings: war, loss of loved ones, torture
December 26, 2025
Trama/Plot ⭐⭐
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐
Dopo “Il regno delle ceneri” (3 stelle perché lo trovai un lungo libro introduttivo un po' noioso) avevo deciso di dare una seconda chance alla Aveyard e di leggere anche “Il regno dei demoni”...non ce ne sarà una terza, con questo libro scendiamo a due sole stelle. Molto noioso, non ho letto con interesse neppure un capitolo. Ha gli stessi difetti del primo, addirittura accentuati.
***
After “Realm Breaker” (3 stars, because I found it a long introductory book, a bit boring) I decided to give to Aveyard a second chance and also read “Blade Breaker”...there won't be a third one, with this book we go down to only two stars. Very boring, I didn't read even one chapter with interest. It has the same defects as the first novel, even accentuated.
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐
Dopo “Il regno delle ceneri” (3 stelle perché lo trovai un lungo libro introduttivo un po' noioso) avevo deciso di dare una seconda chance alla Aveyard e di leggere anche “Il regno dei demoni”...non ce ne sarà una terza, con questo libro scendiamo a due sole stelle. Molto noioso, non ho letto con interesse neppure un capitolo. Ha gli stessi difetti del primo, addirittura accentuati.
***
After “Realm Breaker” (3 stars, because I found it a long introductory book, a bit boring) I decided to give to Aveyard a second chance and also read “Blade Breaker”...there won't be a third one, with this book we go down to only two stars. Very boring, I didn't read even one chapter with interest. It has the same defects as the first novel, even accentuated.
August 25, 2023
Victoria Aveyard fucking slays. I loved the Red Queen series, so I was upset when I didn't immediately get swept up in this new series of hers. I'm glad I continued with it despite no loving Realm Breaker though, because I fell in love with this book and realized that Realm Breaker was never the issue, I was. All jokes aside, this series is critically underrated. I hate the it's written off as "just another YA fantasy," because let me tell you, this is a proper, well thought out, adult high fantasy. This book's world, plot and cast are all so unique and you can feel how thoughtful Victoria Aveyard was crafting them. So yah, I'm really glad I finally woke up and let myself get immersed in this series. I hope other people do as well.
June 24, 2022
3.75
Much better than book one. Faster paced, more focus on Sorasa, Dom, Erida, and Taristan which I was very happy about. The MC, Corayne, and Andry continue to be pretty bland characters with a very bland relationship, but that’s my biggest complaint with the series. I’ve literally never said this before, but this book could do with a little spice in it 😂😂 Just a little. For the villains. Would I recommend this fantasy series? Yes, probably, but it would be lower on a long list.
The audiobook was great. I love the narrator, Natalie Naudus, and highly recommend listening if you’re interested in this series.
Much better than book one. Faster paced, more focus on Sorasa, Dom, Erida, and Taristan which I was very happy about. The MC, Corayne, and Andry continue to be pretty bland characters with a very bland relationship, but that’s my biggest complaint with the series. I’ve literally never said this before, but this book could do with a little spice in it 😂😂 Just a little. For the villains. Would I recommend this fantasy series? Yes, probably, but it would be lower on a long list.
The audiobook was great. I love the narrator, Natalie Naudus, and highly recommend listening if you’re interested in this series.
July 26, 2022
WHAT THE FUCK VICTORIA!!!!!!
November 13, 2022
Il vento continuava a soffiare implacabile. Sapeva di pino e neve e ferro, di cose dure.
Se il primo volume mi aveva (abbastanza) stuzzicata, questo secondo si è rivelato decisamente meglio, con bei capitoli di viaggio, ma anche di guerra/assedio e di battaglia.
Vi consiglio di leggere queste cinquecento pagine e oltre con la mappa del regno di Allward a portata di mano, perché la nostra Compagnia, stretta intorno a Corayne an-Amarat, a Dom il Vedera, a Sorasa l'Assassina, a Andry lo scudiero, alla strega Jyd e poi alla temibile Sigil e al dolce falsario ex-prete Charlie, dovrà macinarne di strada, dal deserto di Ibal e dalle sue oasi, al mare, sino a ritornare a nord, prima tra i boschi a ridosso di Gallant e poi quasi al confine con le terre di ghiaccio, abitate da predoni e cavalieri della steppa.
Il punto è trovare alleati, qualcuno che creda alle leggende che stanno ritornando realtà e che poi non scappi (come fanno parecchi, mortali e immortali) o non venga annientato nel frattempo, davanti all'inarrestabile conquista della giovane regina di Galland.
Devo dire che ho trovato meglio delineati i "buoni" e ci si comincia ad affezionare a loro: tra tutti, preferisco Sorasa, l'Assassina tormentata, e Dom, vedo (e spero) in sviluppi per loro; ma anche Charlie non scherza con i suoi misteri (confido in uno sviluppo anche per lui), così come la nuova ship di Rhida e la guerriera Jyd, toste come non mai.
Pure la coppia dei "cattivi" comincia a scaldarsi, tra Taristan, il gemello segreto che ora è pur sempre un principe di Antica Cor,d Erida, sempre più una sanguinaria e spietata lady Macbeth.
Dunque: sangue, parecchio, e poi tradimenti, sorprese, cadaveri all'attacco, amene creature infernali. Non manca nulla e lo stile accelera.
Soddisfatta in generale: però, questa cosa di tagliare libri lunghissimi con la scure… giri la pagina e ti pianta dove sei per un altro anno (se va bene) è dura da digerire.
Per mia opinione, non è un modo di premiare il lettore. Adesso tocca aspettare il terzo e sono irritata 😣 più che altro.
«Nonostante tu sia fastidioso, Avo, sei anche abbastanza utile» disse Sorasa.
«Per caso hai già bevuto, Sarn?»
«Non si rendono conto che il vero pericolo qui sei tu» brontolò Dom. «E non io.»
«È la cosa più carina che tu mi abbia mai detto, Avo.»
Se il primo volume mi aveva (abbastanza) stuzzicata, questo secondo si è rivelato decisamente meglio, con bei capitoli di viaggio, ma anche di guerra/assedio e di battaglia.
Vi consiglio di leggere queste cinquecento pagine e oltre con la mappa del regno di Allward a portata di mano, perché la nostra Compagnia, stretta intorno a Corayne an-Amarat, a Dom il Vedera, a Sorasa l'Assassina, a Andry lo scudiero, alla strega Jyd e poi alla temibile Sigil e al dolce falsario ex-prete Charlie, dovrà macinarne di strada, dal deserto di Ibal e dalle sue oasi, al mare, sino a ritornare a nord, prima tra i boschi a ridosso di Gallant e poi quasi al confine con le terre di ghiaccio, abitate da predoni e cavalieri della steppa.
Il punto è trovare alleati, qualcuno che creda alle leggende che stanno ritornando realtà e che poi non scappi (come fanno parecchi, mortali e immortali) o non venga annientato nel frattempo, davanti all'inarrestabile conquista della giovane regina di Galland.
Devo dire che ho trovato meglio delineati i "buoni" e ci si comincia ad affezionare a loro: tra tutti, preferisco Sorasa, l'Assassina tormentata, e Dom, vedo (e spero) in sviluppi per loro; ma anche Charlie non scherza con i suoi misteri (confido in uno sviluppo anche per lui), così come la nuova ship di Rhida e la guerriera Jyd, toste come non mai.
Pure la coppia dei "cattivi" comincia a scaldarsi, tra Taristan, il gemello segreto che ora è pur sempre un principe di Antica Cor,d Erida, sempre più una sanguinaria e spietata lady Macbeth.
Dunque: sangue, parecchio, e poi tradimenti, sorprese, cadaveri all'attacco, amene creature infernali. Non manca nulla e lo stile accelera.
Soddisfatta in generale: però, questa cosa di tagliare libri lunghissimi con la scure… giri la pagina e ti pianta dove sei per un altro anno (se va bene) è dura da digerire.
Per mia opinione, non è un modo di premiare il lettore. Adesso tocca aspettare il terzo e sono irritata 😣 più che altro.
«Nonostante tu sia fastidioso, Avo, sei anche abbastanza utile» disse Sorasa.
«Per caso hai già bevuto, Sarn?»
«Non si rendono conto che il vero pericolo qui sei tu» brontolò Dom. «E non io.»
«È la cosa più carina che tu mi abbia mai detto, Avo.»
December 23, 2025
3.5 stars
not as fast-paced or addictive as book #1, but maybe my attention span was lacking during exams! still a really interesting plot with such fascinating characters - i love the changing POVs (except for one specific perspective - you know who you are...) and i'm intrigued to see how the story concludes.
not as fast-paced or addictive as book #1, but maybe my attention span was lacking during exams! still a really interesting plot with such fascinating characters - i love the changing POVs (except for one specific perspective - you know who you are...) and i'm intrigued to see how the story concludes.
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