The Breaker of Chains

A Vengeful Realm #2

by Tim Facciola

New Rheynia has woken from peace’s slumber to a nightmare. Denied the nightly rains, crops fail, people divide, and revolution blooms between every crack in the kingdoms’ failing foundation. King Varros—supposedly dead. Laeden, the traitor, a fugitive. And the Uprising’s patience has ended. Following Zephyrus’s open defiance of the crown, war has come.

And no one will emerge unscathed.

While Danella directs Damascus to finish the war her father started, Laeden frees gladiator slaves to raise an army against them. With New Rheynia burning, Vykinallia, a prisoner of the Uprising, attempts to prove herself more valuable than a king’s ransom. And Iylea, after skirting death to become a servant in the divine realm, learns of a treacherous plot amongst the Gods with Zephyrus at the center of it all. Now, with the aid of Iylea in the divine realm and Laeden in the mortal, Zephyrus must claim the lost relics of long dead Gods if he has any chance of facing the Traitor God and breaking the chains that bind all of humanity. But plans are in place…

The Age of the End is coming.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

672 pages, Hardcover

Published January 17, 2024

About the author

When Tim isn’t writing epic fantasy, he can often be found in his garage-gym or in the mountains where he lives. A virtual fitness professional by trade, he integrates his creative passions into movement, training with maces, clubs, staves, and swords to unlock his inner gladiator.

More than writing, reading, gaming, playing music, hiking, and paddle-boarding, Tim loves story. If he’s not working on his own story, he’s helping others develop theirs as an author coach.

Living in Arizona with his wife, Colleen, Tim continues writing epic fantasy novels while exploring different storytelling mediums so he can inspire others to hope. To live. And to believe.

Reviews

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5

This book feels extremely similar to books 2 and 3 of An Ember in the Ashes but with overpowered wizards.

The world building was barely developed and it's all character drama, problem being I don't like the characters, they have a predisposition to theatrical conversations.

Also this is trying too hard to be epic with no ground to do it.

[MikeLikesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been listening to the audiobook especially as I’m driving to work and it has been an absolutely wonderful experience. I really savored it and took my time with the story. The narrator, Landon Soelberg, brings the characters and story to life. I recommend you listen to the audiobook. The author provided a code for me to get access to it and I want to thank him. Thank you!

This continues at the pace of book one (which was my favorite book of 2023). This book had me gasping, crying, happy, sad and mad at different times. It was so good to get back to this world and the characters. I still am crushing on Vykinallia. .That scene between her and King Damascus had me hyperventilating. And Iylea’s sacrifice for Laeden is breaking my heart. I’m glad to see Zephryus starting to figure things out. And Phoenix doesn’t surprise me one bit.

The world building is so good. The gods are fighting, humans are fighting, gladiators are surprising everyone, mages are using their magic, and the royal family is still so screwed up. This book is so well done.

You really need to read book one before jumping into book 2. The audiobook has a great recap of book one to start off but if you’re going to listen to book two still go read or listen to book one first. There is so much going on in this book that I can’t cover it all and I can’t recommend this trilogy highly enough. Can I give it 5000 stars? This will make you an epic fantasy lover.

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start. I would give 10 stars to this book if I could. This trilogy is one of my favorite reads of this year!

There was never a moment where I thought the story was dragging or feeling slow. Something is always happening, and I love it! Makes it really really hard to put down! I want to be on edge, I want my heart broken. And this book delivered all of that.

All POVs are amazing. You get to see the story unravel from different perspectives, and in every chapter something happens! Not a moment went by where I was getting bored. Most of the times POVs switch at each chapter, so you are completely hooked to know what happened to the other POVs, then again hooked because for each POV you’re waiting to see what happens next! Does it show I LOVED this book?

If you love epic fantasy, high stakes, I mean really HIGH, magic, political intrigue, gladiators fights, large cast, gods, battles, wars, love, having your heart broken, then this book is definitely for you!

The last 100/150 pages are a ROLLER COASTER. Read them in one sitting.

Book two is even better than book one. So if you liked book one, I’m sure you’ll love this one too, maybe even more like I do! And if you haven’t read it, I hope my review convinces you to because I need more people to read and hype this series lol I’m looking forward to reading book three!

(I’m the cover artist of this series, but all opinions are my own)

[Hope (boba.nbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 of the series A Vengeful Realm did not disappoint!

This book picks up where Book 1 left off, and it starts to explore the characters and world even further. In The Breaker of Chains, we learn more about the gods, the Skeleton King, and the Fallen. I was expecting there to be more action, but I was blown away by the multiple battle sequences and how well they flowed.

Another aspect that far exceeded my expectations was the character development. Each of the main characters come from vastly different backgrounds, and all of them see ups and downs in this novel. We watch a former slave master become a part of the Fallen's revolution, a former gladiator rise to protect the realm, a prince become a true king, and a lost woman find her place in the world.

I loved seeing each character's journey and can't wait to see where they go in the third and final installment of this series!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never in my life have I ever read a sequel that was even better than the first book - but here we are - this was somehow even better than the first book. I loved the fleshing out of the characters, especially smaller ones from the first book like Fenyx. Vykinallia's stoy arc in this made me like her even more, as did Laeden's.

Laeden is not only freeing the slaves to raise an army, but he's giving them a choice to join or to try to live out their lives peacefully. While on the journey, he runs into his father, King Varros, who isn't actually dead and tries to convince Laeden to choose peace instead of joining the war. While Laeden wants peace, he knows that his stepmother Danella and King Damascus will never go for that, and the war is an essential part in not only bringing peace, but bringing much needed change to the kingdom. Varros also tries to convince Danella, but she refuses to stop the war

Iylea is brought back by the Gods to break the chains, which will supposedly help the world. But while being there, she discovers that one of the Gods is actually plotting to end the world.

Zephyrus is sent on a journey to collect lost relics so that he can do his part in the war, but finds obstacles along the way. He also goes home to try to find his family with no luck - they've all disappeared.

The book ends with the Traitor God finding someone human to help him with his plan.

I loved this novel, and I didn't want it to end. I am very excited for the next one though!

[Susan1566 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than the first. I now know who’s who without really thinking about it. The story gets better the farther along you read., lots of action and the characters get more interesting. Looking forward to the next book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good.

[Sarah crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book takes you on such an amazing roller coaster!!

The build up and adventure sets up the cascade at the end perfectly!

I loved all the twists and turns!

I found Phoenix’s storyline very intriguing and I’m very curious to see where it goes! I’ve never read a POV like his and I have lots of questions about book 3.

I was very sad in some moments and elated in others! It killed me to have Laeden not see through who the guardian was BUT I fully understand why that needed to happen. (I’m also a softie for happy endings.) I’m excited to see what happens with her role moving forward.

Personally, I would love to see fan art of the Threyna and the glow stones/underwater fight sequence! That was so awesome! I could picture it perfectly and it was such a cool moment for her character.

Threyna was really such an amazing contrasting point of view and I can’t wait to read more of her story!

Damascus is a piece of work and so is his mother but I still love reading their plots/schemes/unhinged behavior.

Zeph and Nalia have such an endearing love story that really blends well with the action sequences and overarching narrative.

I appreciate the author’s choice of verbs during the action and magic sequence. It really helps the reader follow along and made it super easy to understand what was going on.

This book does not suffer from second book syndrome at all!! Can’t wait for book 3!!

[Thus Kvothe The Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Tim Facciola has created an interesting world where magic, though powerful, has its limits. The main characters from Book One of this series return, including some characters I thought never to see again. They each have a story or quest that intersects occasionally, but that are always connected. Wheels within wheels.

Narrator Soelberg does such a good job that he becomes invisible, leaving the listener with just the characters and the story. What I like about this book is the character development. Facciola does a great job exploring the human condition. We get to see how one person can experience suffering and betrayal, yet is forged into a person of honor, while another through a similar experience becomes bitter and vengeful. What annoyed me - right at the end - was the singular, completely unbelievable failure of a particular character to die. This was so egregious that I reduced my rating by half a star for this alone.

Four and a half stars for “The Breaker of Chains.” It has everything I enjoy in a good fantasy: an overarching plot line, several interesting subplots, complex characters, and great character development. My thanks to First Torch Books LLC and the author via Netgalley. Opinions given here are my own and offered freely.

#AVengefulRealm #Netgalley #timfacciola #fantasy

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't even lie. I got a little lost during this one. But did it stop me from reading the whole thing? Nope. It's another thrilling installment and to be honest I got a little scared towards the end that this was about to be a duology.

See, I said I got a little lost. There I went just forgetting a character and major plot point.

I can't help but to picture some of the actors of Spartacus while I read this. There are just enough similarities to keep them pictured but so many differences that I get to let my mind go further.

Now that the story has picked up even more, I can't wait for the next book. Everything g just keeps building up and I feel like a volcano is going to blow in the next one. Can't wait!

[Dahlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional damage! That’s all I have to say. Facciola kept me on my toes with the sequel to his debut novel and of course ended on a cliffhanger… so now I am eagerly anticipating the end to his trilogy. This book isn’t sunshine and roses but boy is it good! I can’t wait to see what trauma he will inflict on me next.

[EntroArchives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 syndrome doesn’t exist!!
Imagine fighting a guy who nullifies your magic so you gouge out his eyeball. Twice.

Now that I have your attention:

This is a book review over the ARC of A Vengeful Realm, Breaker of Chains, Book 2 of the series. I received this ARC link from the author, Tim Facciola. Much thanks to him and Netgalley for the opportunity to read it early.

The first thing I have to say is this is an action novel. If you are incapable of visualizing action scenes, I suggest you start practicing because without that, you will not get the full effect that this story is supposed to have on you. Better start meditating. The fight scenes are immaculate. The magic fight scenes are immaculate. The gladiator magic fight scenes are immaculate. I loved, once again, everything about this story.

There are some holes that I see in the plotline that I'm hoping are cleared up in book 3, but for the most part, I loved this book just as much as I loved book 1. There were even parts of it, towards the middle and the end, where certain scenes took me by surprise (”I fkin KNEW it” or “OH SH*T OKAY”), and I think that, once again, goes to the author's credit of crafting such a good story and intertwining many characters' lives together. I feel like this story is setting up for a 3v3 showdown between the protag and antags, but I’m curious how the author with set it up.

I am sad with the way the story did end, I’ll be honest, but I'm also very intrigued as to how book 3 goes because this book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, but it's not like a cliffhanger where book 3 immediately picks up where book 2 left off. But I gotta say, Tim Facciola really, really has a great fantasy series in his hands, and if book 3 is at the same caliber of book 1 and 2, then this is gonna go down as probably one of my favorite, or one of my most recommended new age fantasy stories up until now.

I love all the characters, and Breaker of Chains further enhanced what I liked about some characters and gave me new characters to enjoy as well. (Danella’s still a b**** though). AND don’t even get me started on Zephyrus’s character development.

Oh man I can't talk enough about the fight scenes, this man knows his work, this man knows his fight scenes, he knows his combat, and he knows his choreography well. It's just like the words that he uses make it that much easier for me to visualize what the characters are doing, how they're moving, how they're fighting, what their expressions are, all that stuff, he just makes it so easy for me to visualize this. Especially that one shrouded stealth scene (iykyk)

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I think everyone will if they give it a chance. I will not stop recommending this series.

[Viking Jam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review: I missed out on the first in this series but thankfully there is a full recap in the beginning.

This was slightly confusing with the characters POV constantly shifting. What this creates is a story line that is stilted and lacks fluidity. Chapters become truncated, almost like there is an urgency to move on to the next iteration. There were several instances where the story line had intense movement then relative calm. This plays well, as the natural sussuration of events invests the reader into the developing characters.

This novel had some great characters and some that resided in Camp Dullard. All of the female characters were indistinguishable from each other. The only differences were their names and where they currently reside. All of them constantly bite their lips, look at the ground like a hand maiden?, shiver their spines and rise like a phoenix to overcome the odds against them. Really? Nallia is the worst of the lot. From the affluent ruling class, she sees the error of her ways in an instant and chooses to side with the desparate Fallen. She is suddenly this GREAT LEADER whom everyone now respects and turns into Zena Warrior Princess, killing hardened soldiers in battle after battle. This is not even remotely believable. ILeaya fumbles around in the halls of the gods, managing to find all the ripe secrets within, because well, she has a heart of gold. Can you say plot device?

The rating flopped around chapter to chapter. Solid 4-5 with good movement and chapters devoted to Zephyrus. One to 2 stars when Nallia is biting her lip (x50). It is too bad the Fallen did not initially send her actual body parts for ransom.

I think this author has a lot of burgeoning talent. You can see the fleeting genius when he utilizes movement to build his characters. The slips are the over-use of common phrasing to set the emotional tone of a character and help expedite the scenes.

Rating: 3.0/5 (avg.)

[Alyssia Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scales of Balance felt like a series of deeply personal tales, interwoven in such a way to build up a rich and varied tapestry of a historical world's social and political hierarchies and tiers. The Breaker of Chains keeps many of the same characters, yet it loses some of the personal feel as it starts to ramp up the epic nature of events, with far more of a focus on the Gods and their plans and treachery. And it is well done, but the focus of the novel has changed in a way that I wasn't expecting and didn't find as engaging.

The first book was the stories of human lives, politics, rivalries and betrayals, with the occasional God meddling in affairs to spice things up. This felt like the stories of Gods, and how humans are used in their machinations - mostly for ill - with the occasional human refusal and rebellion to spice things up. There are still human machinations going on - Danella and her son Damascus in particular aren't really playing to any Gods tune. Even with these though, the scope is so much wider; we're talking war, full on rebellion and sieges, rather than individual gladiator lives and deaths.

It's an excellent read, don't get me wrong. But the tone shift took me by surprise and really wasn't what I went in expecting. And certainly by the end, it felt like over half of the main characters were being manipulated directly by Gods or acting directly against Gods. I think I preferred the first novel where 90% of the characters seemed to be acting under their own agency. That said, the additional world building and the view you get of the rebellion are great. There's some excellent characterisation on display here and some twists and turns as the narratives interweave throughout. It's well written, with a good mix of action and intrigue. Particularly Laeden's narrative and to a lesser degree Zephyrus - there's a whole lot of pages of running and then fighting more instruments of the God's plans which bulked the latter out unnecessarily.

So I think this is a case of subverted expectations more than anything else. I thought I knew what I was getting into and ended up blind-sided.

[Ashley Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

....I have no words. I was a huge fan of the first book so when I saw this one was available, I jumped on it immediately. I had no idea how long it was until I got well into the book. I always get worried with long books. They have been such a letdown in the past. This is not that book. Sometimes long books have too much fluff and not enough story, more like someone trying to reach a word count. Every page of this book is story greatness. I had to pay more attention than normal just because this book has so many characters and moving parts, but they all fit together seamlessly. I love the authors ability to show growth in all of his characters both the good and the bad. I also love how the author had a wide demographic of his heroes and villains. In his stores both men and women are amazing fighters and champions. Both fall prey to thinking with their emotions. It's just one of those books you can't not like. I am relatively new to Fantasy mostly because I am very analytical and fantasy doesn't stick to worldly logic, but this series has landed a spot among my top favorites. Not only are the characters great but he weaves real world type issues into the book and develops his characters into them with some awesome philosophical realizations. I wanted to finish the books so i could leave a review, but also sad to get to the last page. Oh the wait for the next book will be torture.

The narration in this book was also spot on. I loved it in the first book and haven't changed my mind. He has a wide range of voice inflections the tone is great. Not to mention he doesn't have some crazy squeaky voice for the female voices. HIs voice fit the characters so well.

Just as a not this is an ACR review.

[Shakella "The Singing Bibliophile" Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just reviewed A Vengeful Realm by Tim Facciola. Thank you First Torch Books LLC, Tim Facciola, and Netgalley for this ARC.

I unfortunately did not get the first installment of this book however, there is an amazingly detailed recap at the beginning, and I appreciated that. I was able to listen to the story and understand right off what was going on. Thanks to the author for thinking of the reader with this detail.

This book had no stalling parts and for me that was great, a story with this kind of action that stalls for too long kills the vibe for me, Tim Facciola did a phenomenal job at keeping the storyline moving. I felt like I was watching a movie that was a mash-up of 300 and Thor, lol. I wish the female characters could have been written with the strength of the Marvel character Lady Sif, they fell a bit flat for me though not unbearable.

The male characters, however, are 10 out of 10!

The building of this world and its characters, the attention to detail of the terrain, the depictions of the characters' facial expressions, the mood/emotion of the environment, and the verbiage, are also 10 out of 10. I listened to this book while at work and doing house chores and often lost track of what I SHOULD have been doing because I was caught up in the storyline, I was sneaking around the castle, I was on the battlefield, I was in every secret rendezvous. When a story grabs you like that, you can overlook the character flaws of a few characters.

This book has kings and mages. seers, gladiators, blood, battles, alliances, betrayal, EXCITEMENT!!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being left on that riveting cliff hanger from book 1, I was so excited to begin book 2. I started reading it and then went back and forth with it on audible because every moment I could be in the story I HAD to be (driving could not be a reason to not read)! Facciola is a great story teller hands down. He is descriptive yet keeps the scenes moving quickly. He writes dialogue that allows you to easily see the scenes in your mind. The emotions Facciola was able to get me to feel was unlike other stories—twice I cried, twice I stopped dead in my tracks to rewind and listen again because of the tension he created in the chapters. What I love most is the relationships with the characters and how everything continues to unfold. Just like in book 1, everyone has good intentions, but they conflict with one another and to go on this journey to see what happens has helped me to shift some perspective into my own life in regards to “how did I get here.” This story is a true epic fantasy given the plot, duration and characters, the way Facciola has the characters develop feels like being in an intense therapy session—I write that in the best way possible—you’re never bored, you’re on the edge of your seat waiting to see what will happen next, and when stuff goes south Facciola’s reasoning is one that somehow gets you to feel all of the feels. Make sure to read this trilogy if you love epic fantasy and want to explore the human condition!

[Joslyn Flippin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Peace cannot exist while everyone is only out for themselves."


Wow. Just wow. This book was a phenomenal second installment in the series.


The world building was excellent.  I felt like I was in each place the characters visited from Stockhelm, to Valtarcia, to Salmantica, and Valencia.  The mortal world and the realm of the Gods were each described beautifully.  I was fully immersed in this world from start to finish.


The characters changed, grew, loved each other, betrayed one another, were gentle, and brutal.  They felt real and authentic.  The author wrote these characters in a way that you became attached to all of them. No matter if they were loved or hated.


"Light my path. Darken my stride. Carry my soul. Buy me time."


As in book one the battle scenes were brutal and vivid.  Some of the best battle scenes I've read in a long time. True to the gladiator style of fighting with magic woven in.


The plot twists were well placed and unpredictable and the things that were foreshadowed came to pass as expected. The pacing was exceptional and the cliffhanger ending has left me with a sense of foreboding.


"Now, the Age of the End begins."


I can't wait to read book 3. Zypherus and crew will live rent free in my head until then.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible follow up - I've already started book 3!

Breaker of Chains took everything I loved about book 1 and brought it to an incredible new level.

The imagery, the symbolism, the characters, the plot, the themes, the magic system, everything was elevated to a level so far beyond the first book.

Every chapter seemed to have some massive reveal, only to be dwarfed by the reveals, twists, and exploits of the next chapter. Facciola has done a masterful job interweaving suspense, action, and an immensely connected and thorough world that I cannot wait to see how it all ends.

More than anything, I'm impressed by his magic system and world building. You truly feel like this is a FULL world, one with its own dialects, religions, customs, and even turns of phrase.
The magic and magic system is not just unique, but it's intimately woven into the plot, characters, and themes, and, while it's powerful, is never a crux for the plot. In fact, Facciola does a rarely exquisite job of making the magic have true and significant cost.

This series has quickly become an all-time favourite and I'm already dreading that I'm almost finished.

[Bella Toric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what I expected for book two, but omg it literally changed the way I thought this series was going from the moment I started listening to the audiobook.

This was a book that picked up right after book one and continued on the story that we enjoyed in book one. Right from the get-go there was action and the book was moving quickly throughout book two, which had me on the edge of my seat for it. This is definitely a book that answered some of my questions, but not all of them, so I'm hopeful that by book three more things will be answered and cleared up.

The one thing that Tim did exponentially well in his book is writing amazing combat and fight scenes. I mean the craftsmanship behind them was amazing, I felt like I was there and in the moment getting to visualize these scenes was honestly one of the best parts of the book. I couldn't get enough of the combat scenes. They made the book.

Looking forward to the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Tim Facciola for an eARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Bertha Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Vengeful Realm is the second installment of The Breaker of Chains, in what seemed to be a duology, but now, after reading the book, it seems to be part of a series, or a trilogy, at least.
The adventures (or misadventures) of Zephyrus continue in this book, in which he little by little continues to recover his memory, to the point of remembering how he lost it and why.
A story full of action and intense moments that surprises by distancing itself from the current fashion of including raw sex scenes, but that does not spare the bloody battle scenes. Highly recommended, one of those books that are difficult to put down.
Tim Facciola is so far the first, if not the only Sci Fi & Fantasy author to take an empire from the classical world and make it his own in a complete and almost perfect way.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

[Z.S. Diamanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trilogy gets better and better. I loved that we got to see the Zeph and Threyna team up!

In this book, we get more worldbuilding, seeing the realm of the gods and what they’re up to through the eyes of a familiar character.

Danella, arguably one of the most interesting characters in the first book, sort of takes a little backseat to Zeph and Threyna and Laeden and Nallia. The pairs really seeing a lot of growth in this book as we (the readers) try to figure out who embodies the different prophets. I’m assuming we’ll learn that in the final book as the intrigue comes to a head. My teen boys and I have some theories.

This was an enjoyable read with wild political machinations and frustrating battles and loss. So many people die, you’ll be gutted.

Really looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.

[Brady Hunsaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another banger. I enjoyed this one even more than book 1, as we finally pushed past some of the mystery, and here we get a lot more meat to the story. Way more action. Way more character dynamics.

There's more magic present in book 2, so it starts to feel more like a high fantasy (book 1 was still high fantasy, it just gave more of like an alternate universe kind of Rome vibe), which I thoroughly enjoyed. The character plots all intertwine a lot more and provide a more cohesive picture

Tensions were always pretty high. There are some times where I would literally be shouting "Kill him, dang it!" or "NOOOOO" lol, so be prepared for some dramatic reactions. The audiobook got me so invested in each moment.

I still have so many questions. Book 3 now please, lol.

[Kinsyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation in the Vengeful Realm world.
The multi povs are weaved beautiful throughout the chaos that is enveloping the land. Every chapter leaves you on the edge of your seat as you are left worrying about who is alive, injured or dead...
The characters are written in a way that makes them easy to connect to, and by the end of the book all I want to do is give them big hugs, because after what they have all gone through they deserve it. (Well most of them, there are two in particular who deserve a good slap in the face)

Thankfully book 3 is already out, and I wont have to wait to find out what happens next!

[Sarah Caloia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel was action-packed. The payoff of seeing all the different POVs finally come together was incredible, and it was so satisfying to watch the threads connect. The prophecies started to make sense, questions were answered (but of course, more were raised), and there were character arcs I did not see coming. Each POV gave such a unique lens, making the characters’ choices and actions that much more layered. It’s rare to not dislike any of the characters, but this story shows so much of each perspective that, even when you don’t agree with them, you can understand why they made their choices.

[Amber Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 In this series is really a whole different world compared to the first.
It brings magic and back stories to all characters to life.
This is a must read for sure I was bringing it everywhere I went until I finished. It pulls you in with magic and a different universe to the first book.
It also adds different realms to this world of New Reyna.
Places you go after death. Temples of doom and gloom and a fantasy world beyond any other.
Tim Facciola really took this book above and beyond with his wonderful writing skills.
4 stars

[Mariam Mirza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first audiobook, thank you netgalley for this ARC!

I wasn't sure how I would feel about an audiobook, spending time listening as opposed to reading the book. But the narrator was so good that I felt as though I was in the realm! The characters and story were great, truly making you engaged in their trials. It did take a few chapters for me to truly understand the premise.

My only problem was the amount of world building. It was worth it but it did get to be hard to remember all of it while listening.

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Jenna Deaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Vengeful Realm : The Breaker of Chains by Tim Facciola is an amazing sequel that continues to build the world and story the author has set in motion while standing on its own two feet as an engrossing action packed tale. The recap at the front of this text is immensely helpful with the time that has passed between readings however I would still most strongly recommend this title for fans of book one rather than for fantasy fans in general.

[TheCandlelitScribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright so let me just collect my thoughts and feelings for a second here becasue this series has been incredible and all consuming we see more power coming from our favourite bloodmages and tapping into an inner throne. The politics, falls from grace and strength shown this story is not yet over and we are just getting started. This thrilling fantasy continues to give Spartacus with Magic vibes as we experience the truths of the rebellion. I can't wait to finish the final installment next!

[Katie Harder-schauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m working on writing my review now and will have it posted here after it goes live on my blog. I definitely should’ve not started the series on book 2 with audio. I struggled keeping characters straight at first.