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The Halfling Saga #3
A Vicious Game
The thrilling third entry in the high fantasy saga that started with BookTok sensation A Broken Blade.
“It seems fate has dealt me the same hand again. I know how to play it.”
A new king is on the throne and the rebellion lies in ruins. Keera spends her days drinking and her nights avoiding the strange dreams that have haunted her since she returned from the capital.
Keera’s family in Myrelinth won’t let her go without a fight. With new intelligence about the magical seals left behind by Keera’s ancient kin, the Light Fae, she rallies to face her demons and unleash the formidable powers she inherited from her people. But a shocking truth is hiding in plain sight, one with the power to unravel the entire rebellion …
The pivotal third installment in the Halfling Saga will upend everything Keera thought she knew about her enemies … and her allies.
The third entry in the Halfling Saga, the epic tale of a deadly assassin with a mysterious past, set in a lush fantasy world of Mortals, Elves, Halflings, and Fae, A Vicious Game is perfect for listeners who enjoyed the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and other romantic fantasy books, especially those seeking LGBTQ+ romance or BIPOC representation.
“It seems fate has dealt me the same hand again. I know how to play it.”
A new king is on the throne and the rebellion lies in ruins. Keera spends her days drinking and her nights avoiding the strange dreams that have haunted her since she returned from the capital.
Keera’s family in Myrelinth won’t let her go without a fight. With new intelligence about the magical seals left behind by Keera’s ancient kin, the Light Fae, she rallies to face her demons and unleash the formidable powers she inherited from her people. But a shocking truth is hiding in plain sight, one with the power to unravel the entire rebellion …
The pivotal third installment in the Halfling Saga will upend everything Keera thought she knew about her enemies … and her allies.
The third entry in the Halfling Saga, the epic tale of a deadly assassin with a mysterious past, set in a lush fantasy world of Mortals, Elves, Halflings, and Fae, A Vicious Game is perfect for listeners who enjoyed the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and other romantic fantasy books, especially those seeking LGBTQ+ romance or BIPOC representation.
15 pages, Audible Audio
First published February 6, 2024
388 people are currently reading
12594 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Blair
9 books2,014 followersMelissa (she/her/kwe) is an Anishinaabekwe of mixed ancestry living in Turtle Island. She splits her time between Treaty 9 in Northern Ontario and the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg in Ottawa, Canada. She has a graduate degree in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, loves movies, and hates spoons. Melissa has a BookTok account where she discusses her favorite kinds of books including Indigenous and queer fiction, feminist literature, and non-fiction. A Broken Blade is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,143 reviews
January 27, 2025
By far one of the most addictive series i’ve ever read. Keera’s back and, poor girly was going THROUGH IT. There’s a new king, the rebellion’s a mess, and she’s stuck dealing with some creepy dreams and way too much family drama. Oh, and let’s not forget the ancient fae magic that could literally ruin everything. No pressure or anything. This book is packed with twists, secrets, and a whole lot of “wait, WHAT?!” moments. If you love fantasy with a side of chaos and bad decisions, you’re gonna eat this up.
Buddy read with Kendall! One more book until we’re done with the series🥹
Buddy read with Kendall! One more book until we’re done with the series🥹
July 2, 2024
I think what I loved most about this book is the fact that the author kept Keera as a very imperfect FMC. She doesn’t get everything on her first try and she struggles a lot.
In this one, she fell back into toxic habits (alcohol) and she was grieving.
But - I will say that this book bored me out of my mind and felt like a filler book. I’m unhappy with the 2 twists at the end. One of the twists was unnecessary in my opinion and the one at the end just felt like she threw a chosen one trope.
This was difficult to get through as there were lots of fillers and spice, which I didn’t want to read about lol. I ended up skimming a lot.
BUT I’m still excited for the final book in this instalment and I hope it’ll be as good as the 2 first ones.
A broken blade - 5✨
A shadow crown - 5✨
A vicious game - 3✨
In this one, she fell back into toxic habits (alcohol) and she was grieving.
But - I will say that this book bored me out of my mind and felt like a filler book. I’m unhappy with the 2 twists at the end. One of the twists was unnecessary in my opinion and the one at the end just felt like she threw a chosen one trope.
This was difficult to get through as there were lots of fillers and spice, which I didn’t want to read about lol. I ended up skimming a lot.
BUT I’m still excited for the final book in this instalment and I hope it’ll be as good as the 2 first ones.
A broken blade - 5✨
A shadow crown - 5✨
A vicious game - 3✨
July 11, 2025
3.5⭐️
I'm really sad that I didn't love this one as much as the others, but that is in no way me saying this was a bad book! I think there were just some things that missed for me, but I really enjoyed it regardless. 🙂
This book was definitely more plot driven rather than focusing more on the characters, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but I think that is where the disconnect lies. One thing about this series that I really appreciate are the characters and their development throughout the series. This book delves into addiction/relapse and that's how this book started, so it was a bit harder to connect with Keera. I TOTALLY understand why the book started that way given how the pervious book ended, but it was a bit hard to get through as I'm not a 'lie down and take it' kind of character girly. It was wonderful to see her push through and fight for herself again later on but that's mainly where my disconnect started.
I also have to point out that the side characters in this series truly make it as good as it is. There is so much loyalty and love and care between everyone and Gerarda had to have been my favorite. I loved her grumpy, stubborn attitude and the way she never gave up on those she loved. It makes me sad that some side characters had to die in order for the main plot to continue and I'm not going to lie...I cried a bit. I GET SO ATTACHED TO EVERYONE I CAN'T HELP IT. 😭😭
As I previously mentioned, this book is very much plot driven and all about the war going on between the King and the Order (those under the king). This was extremely action packed and at no point was this slow! However, this just didn't hit like the other 2 pervious books had. I wasn't as drawn in and I can't exactly put into words why. There was just this giddy feeling of excitement and tension build-up that I didn't feel from this until the very end of the book. The ending was AMAZING and it saved this book from getting a lower score.
The feeling of not being as invested in this one is 100% a me problem, so please don't let that effect your feelings of wanted to read this if you're interested! I love this series so much and I can't recommend it enough. This one just missed the mark a bit more PERSONALLY than the other ones did. Will I still be finishing the last book? Absolutely. I always think that in series' there are 1 or 2 books that just miss more than others and I think that's natural and okay! I can't wait to see how this wraps up and I'm sad that I only have 1 book left. 😭
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭:
I am just itching to continue this series, it's been so good so far so I'm really excited!! 🤩
I'm really sad that I didn't love this one as much as the others, but that is in no way me saying this was a bad book! I think there were just some things that missed for me, but I really enjoyed it regardless. 🙂
This book was definitely more plot driven rather than focusing more on the characters, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but I think that is where the disconnect lies. One thing about this series that I really appreciate are the characters and their development throughout the series. This book delves into addiction/relapse and that's how this book started, so it was a bit harder to connect with Keera. I TOTALLY understand why the book started that way given how the pervious book ended, but it was a bit hard to get through as I'm not a 'lie down and take it' kind of character girly. It was wonderful to see her push through and fight for herself again later on but that's mainly where my disconnect started.
I also have to point out that the side characters in this series truly make it as good as it is. There is so much loyalty and love and care between everyone and Gerarda had to have been my favorite. I loved her grumpy, stubborn attitude and the way she never gave up on those she loved. It makes me sad that some side characters had to die in order for the main plot to continue and I'm not going to lie...I cried a bit. I GET SO ATTACHED TO EVERYONE I CAN'T HELP IT. 😭😭
As I previously mentioned, this book is very much plot driven and all about the war going on between the King and the Order (those under the king). This was extremely action packed and at no point was this slow! However, this just didn't hit like the other 2 pervious books had. I wasn't as drawn in and I can't exactly put into words why. There was just this giddy feeling of excitement and tension build-up that I didn't feel from this until the very end of the book. The ending was AMAZING and it saved this book from getting a lower score.
The feeling of not being as invested in this one is 100% a me problem, so please don't let that effect your feelings of wanted to read this if you're interested! I love this series so much and I can't recommend it enough. This one just missed the mark a bit more PERSONALLY than the other ones did. Will I still be finishing the last book? Absolutely. I always think that in series' there are 1 or 2 books that just miss more than others and I think that's natural and okay! I can't wait to see how this wraps up and I'm sad that I only have 1 book left. 😭
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭:
I am just itching to continue this series, it's been so good so far so I'm really excited!! 🤩
July 7, 2024
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Strong, but flawed and morally grey MC
✅ LGBTQ and disability rep
✅ More smut
✅ Lies and a shocking twist
✅ Found family
✅ Magic, faes, and elves
✅(🆗) Romance
✅(🆗) Pace and repetitive plot
✅(🆗) Politics
✅(🆗) Riven (WTF happened to the badass Shadow?!)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death of loved ones, alcoholism, mention of torture, and some suicidal ideation (brief)
3 or maybe 3.5 stars?
The last part was very engaging, but the first half felt a lot like a filler book. Also, I thought this was a trilogy?! Now I have to wait for the next book... 😮💨
This book picks up a few weeks after the end of A Shadow Crown, as Keera is trying to cope with the aftermath of Damien’s rise to power. The rebellion is in shamble, and hope seems to be lost for Keera as she spirals down into her alcohol addiction once more. After a few weeks of wallowing, her friends have had enough, and force Keera to help them open the seals, so they can free the land's magic and have a fighting chance once again.
As always, the author did a fantastic job of including representation of various ethnicities, sexualities, and disabilities in her cast, and it needs to be mentioned because it is so well done. The characters are well fleshed-out and their sexuality or disability truly feels like a part of them, and not a detail added on second thought, simply to have more diversity in the book.
Keera is still a flawed character, but she tries her best to improve and do the right thing. She struggled a lot in the first half of this book because she was overwhelmed with the guilt of letting down the Shades and being responsible for her mentor’s death. Still, she managed to find the strength to overcome her relapse and become stronger once again to be able to help those who relied on her. The way her addiction was portrayed seems to be pretty accurate, even the fact that she tries to push people away and get them to hate her so they would leave her alone rang true and was heartbreaking to witness.
That being said, she relies more and more on newly acquired powers that she doesn’t yet understand, and less on her training as a super-efficient assassin, and it saddens me to see this transformation. I would have loved for her to combine both, not rely only on her powers now that she is super-powerful.
Riven was a little disappointing in this book because I feel that he was toned down so much since the first book. He started the series as The Shadow terrorizing everyone in the Kingdom, thwarting the king, and being uncatchable, but in this book, he was simply Keera’s sidekick. He was there to act as her bodyguard, but overall, he served no purpose besides creating more drama for Keera because her actions affected him and she felt guilty and bad about it. He had so much potential in the first book, but I feel that it was all wasted in this one. Riven felt useless and pointless, like he was a pretty accessory to Keera as she was only becoming stronger.
I think the biggest surprise for me in this book was Gerarda. We saw hints of her in the first two books, and she was always a rival and even a threat to Keera. This book allowed her to shine and show that she has emotions and a backstory that affects her too and that she is much more than simply a Dagger (or ex-Dagger now I guess) wanting glory and recognition.
There is a big twist near the end, and while I love that I was surprised by it, I am not sure yet if I like it or not. I also feel that overall, it was underwhelming. The character kept this big secret for three books, it was a huge revelation to Keera, but she had one meaningful conversation with a friend and she was ready to forgive everything and go back to normal after that… I would have thought that it would at least create more angst and tension, but instead, it was all resolved pretty quickly. While I enjoyed the maturity shown by Keera, I also find it unrealistic that she would “go back to normal” that easily.
What I got from this twist? Feron = Dumbledore.
I will read the next book for sure because I want to know how things will end for Keera and her friends, but I hope that it will be more similar to the first 2 books of the series, which I greatly enjoyed.
1. Broken Blade ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
2. A Shadow Crown ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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✅ Strong, but flawed and morally grey MC
✅ LGBTQ and disability rep
✅ More smut
✅ Lies and a shocking twist
✅ Found family
✅ Magic, faes, and elves
✅(🆗) Romance
✅(🆗) Pace and repetitive plot
✅(🆗) Politics
✅(🆗) Riven (WTF happened to the badass Shadow?!)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death of loved ones, alcoholism, mention of torture, and some suicidal ideation (brief)
3 or maybe 3.5 stars?
The last part was very engaging, but the first half felt a lot like a filler book. Also, I thought this was a trilogy?! Now I have to wait for the next book... 😮💨
This book picks up a few weeks after the end of A Shadow Crown, as Keera is trying to cope with the aftermath of Damien’s rise to power. The rebellion is in shamble, and hope seems to be lost for Keera as she spirals down into her alcohol addiction once more. After a few weeks of wallowing, her friends have had enough, and force Keera to help them open the seals, so they can free the land's magic and have a fighting chance once again.
As always, the author did a fantastic job of including representation of various ethnicities, sexualities, and disabilities in her cast, and it needs to be mentioned because it is so well done. The characters are well fleshed-out and their sexuality or disability truly feels like a part of them, and not a detail added on second thought, simply to have more diversity in the book.
Keera is still a flawed character, but she tries her best to improve and do the right thing. She struggled a lot in the first half of this book because she was overwhelmed with the guilt of letting down the Shades and being responsible for her mentor’s death. Still, she managed to find the strength to overcome her relapse and become stronger once again to be able to help those who relied on her. The way her addiction was portrayed seems to be pretty accurate, even the fact that she tries to push people away and get them to hate her so they would leave her alone rang true and was heartbreaking to witness.
That being said, she relies more and more on newly acquired powers that she doesn’t yet understand, and less on her training as a super-efficient assassin, and it saddens me to see this transformation. I would have loved for her to combine both, not rely only on her powers now that she is super-powerful.
Riven was a little disappointing in this book because I feel that he was toned down so much since the first book. He started the series as The Shadow terrorizing everyone in the Kingdom, thwarting the king, and being uncatchable, but in this book, he was simply Keera’s sidekick. He was there to act as her bodyguard, but overall, he served no purpose besides creating more drama for Keera because her actions affected him and she felt guilty and bad about it. He had so much potential in the first book, but I feel that it was all wasted in this one. Riven felt useless and pointless, like he was a pretty accessory to Keera as she was only becoming stronger.
I think the biggest surprise for me in this book was Gerarda. We saw hints of her in the first two books, and she was always a rival and even a threat to Keera. This book allowed her to shine and show that she has emotions and a backstory that affects her too and that she is much more than simply a Dagger (or ex-Dagger now I guess) wanting glory and recognition.
There is a big twist near the end, and while I love that I was surprised by it, I am not sure yet if I like it or not. I also feel that overall, it was underwhelming. The character kept this big secret for three books, it was a huge revelation to Keera, but she had one meaningful conversation with a friend and she was ready to forgive everything and go back to normal after that… I would have thought that it would at least create more angst and tension, but instead, it was all resolved pretty quickly. While I enjoyed the maturity shown by Keera, I also find it unrealistic that she would “go back to normal” that easily.
What I got from this twist? Feron = Dumbledore.
I will read the next book for sure because I want to know how things will end for Keera and her friends, but I hope that it will be more similar to the first 2 books of the series, which I greatly enjoyed.
1. Broken Blade ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
2. A Shadow Crown ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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March 11, 2024
The plot of book three had a heaviness that I just wasn’t feeling. The entire cast spent most of the book moping around or repeating the tedious process of breaking seals which made for a drab read. I really enjoyed the first two books but this book made me realize that the supporting characters desperately lacked personality. Where is the camaraderie? Do they never joke or have fun? This story would have greatly benefited from some levity and comedic relief. When these characters die, I hardly care or remember who they were, and that plot twist was absolutely not welcome. I hated it and saw no reason for it to be included especially considering how quickly the characters glossed over it.
Also… is this a trilogy or not? That ending has me so confused. Maybe just hinting at a spin off series? Was that Keera or Gerarda? Of course I have these questions after I’ve already returned the book. 😅
Also… is this a trilogy or not? That ending has me so confused. Maybe just hinting at a spin off series? Was that Keera or Gerarda? Of course I have these questions after I’ve already returned the book. 😅
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October 6, 2023I THOUGHT THIS WAS A TRILOGY!?!?
September 17, 2024
I need 3-5 business days to process how much I loved this.
—-
I will not apologize for how much I will be talking about this book.
This is my absolute favorite book in the series. And I’ve said that for all of them but that’s Melissa Blair. She keeps writing these immersive, epic fantasies and I keep loving them. The way that Keera’s alcohol addiction, healing from trauma, grief, betrayal, relationships - both romantic and platonic, and magic are all such important parts of the series and are written so beautifully and had me sobbing or laughing or smiling or on the edge of my seat …. listen this book has a man with shadow powers too. Like what is there not to love?
(Also thank you edelweiss for the advanced copy !)
—-
I will not apologize for how much I will be talking about this book.
This is my absolute favorite book in the series. And I’ve said that for all of them but that’s Melissa Blair. She keeps writing these immersive, epic fantasies and I keep loving them. The way that Keera’s alcohol addiction, healing from trauma, grief, betrayal, relationships - both romantic and platonic, and magic are all such important parts of the series and are written so beautifully and had me sobbing or laughing or smiling or on the edge of my seat …. listen this book has a man with shadow powers too. Like what is there not to love?
(Also thank you edelweiss for the advanced copy !)
February 13, 2024
Sigh... I'm so disappointed on this one, it's 2.5 stars for me. I'm going to be that person and say that I saw the plot twist/"big reveal" coming from ten thousand miles away. It was actually pretty obvious since the Harvest ball scene in book one. She didn't hint at it, she rubbed it on our faces throughout three books. I was honestly more curious to see how she would explain how it was pulled off. (The rest of this rant is kind of SPOILERY!)
.
.
.
I felt so underwhelmed by the aftermath of the plot twist, because the author dragged this "big secret" for three books, for all to be forgiven by Keera in a chapter?! The MMC suffered no consequences for his poor choice (I actually felt like he was rewarded - IYKYK) and it seemed so out of character for the FMC to just move past it so quickly, especially because in book two (where she also forgave him too fast, IMO), Riven had promised not to make decisions for her, and that's what he did here, to the tenth degree. I felt robbed of some groveling, again.
And I know this might sound prudish, but I feel Blair missed the mark with
The dynamic between the MC's also felt off. Riven went from being "THE Shadow" who terrorized the King and saved all these Halflings around the kingdom, to being "Keera's shadow". I don't think she had to tone him down so much to have a strong female lead. What a waste. SMH
Finally, I also still don't fully understand Damien's motivations. Why does he hate Keera so much? Is it because of Brenna, or is it just prejudice against Halflings? And what was his "history" with Brenna anyway? Was he into her? Was he into hurting her? I feel so confused... He has targeted Keera nonstop since book one! --Insert Mariah Carey singing why you so obsessed with me?--
I have loved this series so far, I even purchased the SE's from book boxes and had this one preordered the moment it was announced, but I don't feel invested anymore to continue reading it, even with that cliffhanger.
.
.
.
I felt so underwhelmed by the aftermath of the plot twist, because the author dragged this "big secret" for three books, for all to be forgiven by Keera in a chapter?! The MMC suffered no consequences for his poor choice (I actually felt like he was rewarded - IYKYK) and it seemed so out of character for the FMC to just move past it so quickly, especially because in book two (where she also forgave him too fast, IMO), Riven had promised not to make decisions for her, and that's what he did here, to the tenth degree. I felt robbed of some groveling, again.
And I know this might sound prudish, but I feel Blair missed the mark with
The dynamic between the MC's also felt off. Riven went from being "THE Shadow" who terrorized the King and saved all these Halflings around the kingdom, to being "Keera's shadow". I don't think she had to tone him down so much to have a strong female lead. What a waste. SMH
Finally, I also still don't fully understand Damien's motivations. Why does he hate Keera so much? Is it because of Brenna, or is it just prejudice against Halflings? And what was his "history" with Brenna anyway? Was he into her? Was he into hurting her? I feel so confused... He has targeted Keera nonstop since book one! --Insert Mariah Carey singing why you so obsessed with me?--
I have loved this series so far, I even purchased the SE's from book boxes and had this one preordered the moment it was announced, but I don't feel invested anymore to continue reading it, even with that cliffhanger.
January 26, 2025
EXCUSE ME WHAT WAS THAT TWIST??? Maybe it's because I've been listening to this series instead of reading that I didn't catch it earlier, I was like "whaaat?".
So, most of A Vicious Game felt like a filler book, it only picked up in the last third. That portion would've gotten five stars, but during the rest of it, there were moments where it was hard for me to stay focused on the story, so I'll be giving it four instead.
Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but it felt slightly dragged out. You can kinda tell it was supposed to be a trilogy and then suddenly wasn't.
About the twist, I'm actually glad that .
There was another twist at the end, but I loved that one, I'm a sucker for the soooo. Hah.
I'll be jumping into book 4 immediately, I gotta know how this ends.
So, most of A Vicious Game felt like a filler book, it only picked up in the last third. That portion would've gotten five stars, but during the rest of it, there were moments where it was hard for me to stay focused on the story, so I'll be giving it four instead.
Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but it felt slightly dragged out. You can kinda tell it was supposed to be a trilogy and then suddenly wasn't.
About the twist, I'm actually glad that .
There was another twist at the end, but I loved that one, I'm a sucker for the soooo. Hah.
I'll be jumping into book 4 immediately, I gotta know how this ends.
January 25, 2025
Another buddy read with ashlyn!! We’re flying through these!
Some things to expect inside:
~ First person
~ Crazy ass plot twist
~ LGBTQ+ Rep
~ 🌶️/5 spice rating
~ Found family
UGH! This series has me in a choke hold for sure. This has the absolute perfect mix of romance and plot. Even if you took out the romance aspect, this would still be an amazing book. The writing was less choppy than the last book and it flowed a lot nicer! The plot twist was CRAZY! I don't know if I've ever read a plot twist like this in a fantasy book before, but I love to see it!
My favorite part; the characters. Keera is still an awesome FMC who, in the beginning, was on the struggle bus and my heart absolutely broke for her because her sorrows never stop. Life is constantly throwing curve balls at her and she does her absolute best to pick up the pieces for everyone and take the burden so they don't have too. She’s still as loyal as ever, especially to Riven.
Riven isn't just a book boyfriend. That's a book HUSBAND. PERIOD. My thoughts about him still carry over to this book. Time and time again, it's all about Keera, no matter what. But he somehow does everything for her but doesn't erase his loyalty for everyone else. He’s such a great balance of a character and they are truly meant for each other. Even at her lowest of all possible lows, he was there for her and he didn't judge her based on her one mistake she made (which absolutely pissed me and ashlyn off btw. We would have thrown hands).
The side characters are also written beautifully. All of them are so distinct and my favorite has to be Gerarda. We see her here and there in the first couple books but in this one she's become a new member of the family. She is snippy and sassy and completely badass and she doesn't take anyone's shit. She’s there for Keera like no one else. They may have not liked each other much before this book but they know each other better than anyone else i think.
All of these characters feel so real and their problems feel so real, everything in these pages are just amazing.
Some things to expect inside:
~ First person
~ Crazy ass plot twist
~ LGBTQ+ Rep
~ 🌶️/5 spice rating
~ Found family
UGH! This series has me in a choke hold for sure. This has the absolute perfect mix of romance and plot. Even if you took out the romance aspect, this would still be an amazing book. The writing was less choppy than the last book and it flowed a lot nicer! The plot twist was CRAZY! I don't know if I've ever read a plot twist like this in a fantasy book before, but I love to see it!
My favorite part; the characters. Keera is still an awesome FMC who, in the beginning, was on the struggle bus and my heart absolutely broke for her because her sorrows never stop. Life is constantly throwing curve balls at her and she does her absolute best to pick up the pieces for everyone and take the burden so they don't have too. She’s still as loyal as ever, especially to Riven.
Riven isn't just a book boyfriend. That's a book HUSBAND. PERIOD. My thoughts about him still carry over to this book. Time and time again, it's all about Keera, no matter what. But he somehow does everything for her but doesn't erase his loyalty for everyone else. He’s such a great balance of a character and they are truly meant for each other. Even at her lowest of all possible lows, he was there for her and he didn't judge her based on her one mistake she made (which absolutely pissed me and ashlyn off btw. We would have thrown hands).
The side characters are also written beautifully. All of them are so distinct and my favorite has to be Gerarda. We see her here and there in the first couple books but in this one she's become a new member of the family. She is snippy and sassy and completely badass and she doesn't take anyone's shit. She’s there for Keera like no one else. They may have not liked each other much before this book but they know each other better than anyone else i think.
All of these characters feel so real and their problems feel so real, everything in these pages are just amazing.
January 14, 2025
✨Reread
I know no one cares about what I have to say about the 3rd book in a random series right now bc everyone is speed reading through Fourth Wing & Iron Flame but…
I’m committed to the Halfling Saga SO COME ON THIS JOURNEY WITH ME. 😂
Cringing at the betrayal I KNOW is coming but excited to move one step closer to the final book in the series. I may not want to say goodbye to these characters but ugh rereading their journey has been extremely rewarding.
I know no one cares about what I have to say about the 3rd book in a random series right now bc everyone is speed reading through Fourth Wing & Iron Flame but…
I’m committed to the Halfling Saga SO COME ON THIS JOURNEY WITH ME. 😂
Cringing at the betrayal I KNOW is coming but excited to move one step closer to the final book in the series. I may not want to say goodbye to these characters but ugh rereading their journey has been extremely rewarding.
August 28, 2023
3.5⭐
OK I must admit I didn't see that "shocking truth" twist coming so it did shock me. But it's still not done? I really was hoping book 3 would be the end of the series.
OK I must admit I didn't see that "shocking truth" twist coming so it did shock me. But it's still not done? I really was hoping book 3 would be the end of the series.
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March 10, 2024HAHAHAHHAHAHAH I AM LOSING MY MIND
I have never felt so utterly betrayed, absolutely overjoyed, and unhingedly giddy with ego and adrenaline all at the same time. I need to mark this date in my diary.
Only one other person on planet Earth has ever felt this exact feeling and they likened it to the feeling Truman gets when he finds out about the Truman show. and yeah. it’s not unlike that.
Thank you to Melissa for sending me a finished copy in exchange for my raw reaction to your evil schemes over video call. I love and hate you for this.
CW: violence, alcoholism relapse, trauma, colonialism, grief, death of loved one, character death, self harm, blood & gore, dead bodies, fire, illness, electrocution, human experimentation, sexual content, kidnapping, death of parents, death of sibling, needles, infidelity, emesis
I have never felt so utterly betrayed, absolutely overjoyed, and unhingedly giddy with ego and adrenaline all at the same time. I need to mark this date in my diary.
Only one other person on planet Earth has ever felt this exact feeling and they likened it to the feeling Truman gets when he finds out about the Truman show. and yeah. it’s not unlike that.
Thank you to Melissa for sending me a finished copy in exchange for my raw reaction to your evil schemes over video call. I love and hate you for this.
CW: violence, alcoholism relapse, trauma, colonialism, grief, death of loved one, character death, self harm, blood & gore, dead bodies, fire, illness, electrocution, human experimentation, sexual content, kidnapping, death of parents, death of sibling, needles, infidelity, emesis
February 12, 2024
4⭐️ - I love the overarching series, but I have mixed feelings about this 3rd book. Note that you have to read the first two books before undertaking this one.
It was definitely an enjoyable read and the FMC is so strong yet so fragile / flawed in some ways, that she really presses on your heart in places.
There were a couple things that I struggled with -
1. It was like trying to fit every possible ingredient you own into a single dish, so you can’t really savor anything. A bit unfocused at times.
2. Some scenes were just confusing and even after rereading them they were really hard to follow.
3. So many different character relationships that pop in and then pop out without much depth beyond a conversation or two.
4. The world building was definitely left out and relied strictly on the previous books, so I found myself wanting or needing to go back and read the previous books in order to put scenes in context.
Nonetheless, if you like fantasy, magic, an underdog story, good and evil, and a large cast of diverse chosen family characters (and you read the first two books) you will definitely want to read this 3rd installment.
It was definitely an enjoyable read and the FMC is so strong yet so fragile / flawed in some ways, that she really presses on your heart in places.
There were a couple things that I struggled with -
1. It was like trying to fit every possible ingredient you own into a single dish, so you can’t really savor anything. A bit unfocused at times.
2. Some scenes were just confusing and even after rereading them they were really hard to follow.
3. So many different character relationships that pop in and then pop out without much depth beyond a conversation or two.
4. The world building was definitely left out and relied strictly on the previous books, so I found myself wanting or needing to go back and read the previous books in order to put scenes in context.
Nonetheless, if you like fantasy, magic, an underdog story, good and evil, and a large cast of diverse chosen family characters (and you read the first two books) you will definitely want to read this 3rd installment.
January 30, 2024
2.5 ★
The third installment of the Halfling Saga featuring Keera's return to the bottom of the bottle, a new king, and hell of a lot of spice.
For readers who very much enjoyed Keera x Riven, their relationship is featured heavily in their installment. Unfortunately for me, I was far more invested in what was happening with the plot and all the political intrigue than the two of them. To be quite honest, they never quite worked for me as a couple and so the novel that featured the both of them so heavily in addition to what Blair chooses to do here "for the plot" made the reading experience very frustrating.
Honestly, the "big reveal" at the end had me so upset because while there was a hint of it at the very beginning of book 1, I didn't *actually* think she was going to do it cause it was so ridiculous and so out of left field. Not to mention that it was one of those, everyone but the MC and the readers know but here it is, SURPRISE! And then its over so quickly and without explanation that I was just like.... wtf.
I will admit that I thought it would be a trilogy and was quite upset to find out that we end not only with a confusing devolution of the plot but also with a cliffhanger. After my reading experience with this book, I think I'm going to end up passing on reading the rest of the series.
(+) indigenous author, bisexual FMC, discussions on self harm, substance abuse and alcohol dependency, queer characters, disability rep
The third installment of the Halfling Saga featuring Keera's return to the bottom of the bottle, a new king, and hell of a lot of spice.
For readers who very much enjoyed Keera x Riven, their relationship is featured heavily in their installment. Unfortunately for me, I was far more invested in what was happening with the plot and all the political intrigue than the two of them. To be quite honest, they never quite worked for me as a couple and so the novel that featured the both of them so heavily in addition to what Blair chooses to do here "for the plot" made the reading experience very frustrating.
Honestly, the "big reveal" at the end had me so upset because while there was a hint of it at the very beginning of book 1, I didn't *actually* think she was going to do it cause it was so ridiculous and so out of left field. Not to mention that it was one of those, everyone but the MC and the readers know but here it is, SURPRISE! And then its over so quickly and without explanation that I was just like.... wtf.
I will admit that I thought it would be a trilogy and was quite upset to find out that we end not only with a confusing devolution of the plot but also with a cliffhanger. After my reading experience with this book, I think I'm going to end up passing on reading the rest of the series.
(+) indigenous author, bisexual FMC, discussions on self harm, substance abuse and alcohol dependency, queer characters, disability rep
February 13, 2024
Keera...is unbearable. The martyr-addict-savior complex combination is tiresome at best and eye-roll inducing at worst. Pages of ink devoted to Keera's alcoholism and savior complex. How much self-flagellation porn can a writer pack into a series? Apparently, at least four volumes of it.
January 7, 2025
HOLD AWNNNN… this ate.
I now understand the mmc confusion 😙
the plot twist whacked me right in the face - best book in the series so far.
I now understand the mmc confusion 😙
the plot twist whacked me right in the face - best book in the series so far.
February 3, 2025
I still maintain that this could be a trilogy rather than a quartet. There is a lot of plot that the author is putting in, but there are some stories I don't think are super necessary and some parts that could have used editing down. This is a pretty good installment - I actually found it better than the second book. There was an interesting twist that honestly I didn't see coming. While it was an interesting betrayal, I still have questions about it that I don't think were answered or will be. I will continue to the conclusion when it becomes available through the library.
February 25, 2024
Be so fucking for real right now. MELISSA. THAT PLOT TWIST? ARE YOU JOKING?! I’m screaming, crying, throwing up… omfg. Each page made me have more and more questions and I wanted to know WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND THEN EVERYTHING MADE SENSE. When I tell you I was talking to the wall for a good 20 minutes about every scene that now made sense… I’m not joking. So then.. Melissa.. I need book four like NOW.
March 8, 2024
The twist at the end of this book had me in a chokehold. Honestly had no clue it was coming. The very end of this book makes me think there’s another one coming but not sure. Loved the series, it was well written and I feel like it’s under hyped. Solid reads.
Although I wish there was a glossary for the Elvish words and maybe a family tree to understand more what was going on and what was being no said at some points.
Although I wish there was a glossary for the Elvish words and maybe a family tree to understand more what was going on and what was being no said at some points.
September 9, 2024
4⭐️ this book was gonna be a 3.5 for me but the TWIST at the end?!?! Quite possibly one of the most shocking reveals I have ever read. I had no idea it was coming either. For that reason this book earned an extra half point! Can’t wait to see how this series finishes when the next book is released in January!
June 14, 2024
This was... fine. I loved the second book and this was definitely not that. Dragged quite a bit for me, and I HATED the plot twist (that I coincidentally also saw coming from a mile away).
August 8, 2024
"An army of competitors can be wielded; an army of comrades can overtake."
TW: abuse, addiction, adult/minor relationship, alcoholism, blood, classism, colonization, confinement, death, death of a loved one, drug use, fire/fire injury, forced institutionalization, genocide, gore, grief, hate crime, infidelity, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, misogyny, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, racism, self-harm, sexual assault, sexual content, sexual violence, torture, trafficking, violence, vomit, war, xenophobia.
A very conflicted three stars?
Before I get into my conflicted feelings, I want to say: like the previous installments, this is an incredibly readable book. I read it in two sittings and flew through it, which seems rather surprising considering how repetitive I found the first 60-ish% of the book. This is still a series I've enjoyed, even if I have no clue how I feel about this one.
I also want to say that I appreciated the focus on Keera's relapse, even if I felt like it led to some incredibly monotonous scenes at the beginning. She's remained a complex, imperfect character - which is something I've loved about her from book 1. I did feel like the very end of her dealing with it was rushed, but I still appreciate how it was included.
Carrying on.
The longer I sit with this, the more disappointed I become. It feels like every five seconds since I finished this book last night, I realize a new plot-hole or get more upset over how something was handled. Since book 1, I've had overall issues with parts of the plot that I felt would fall apart if you looked at them too closely - this particular book said, "hold my beer."
So much of this plot hinges on aspects that don't hold up if someone thinks about them for too long. Damian's character? Just evil for the point of being incredibly evil, I guess? Despite the fact he's more prevalent in this book, it's more to hold up as the villain than as an actual person. Why is he so evil? Why does he hate Keera specifically this much? Is it just because ? How does his magic even work?
There's more I could talk about it but I want to spend the rest of the review on that plot-point.
All of this to say, I'm terribly conflicted. I've enjoyed this series, this was a quick and easy read, it still maintained some of what I love from the previous installments; it also leaned very heavily into the aspects I haven't liked and even made some of them a million times worse.
I will definitely read the last book when it comes out and I will still recommend this series, but I don't know where I stand with it personally right now.
TW: abuse, addiction, adult/minor relationship, alcoholism, blood, classism, colonization, confinement, death, death of a loved one, drug use, fire/fire injury, forced institutionalization, genocide, gore, grief, hate crime, infidelity, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, misogyny, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, racism, self-harm, sexual assault, sexual content, sexual violence, torture, trafficking, violence, vomit, war, xenophobia.
A very conflicted three stars?
Before I get into my conflicted feelings, I want to say: like the previous installments, this is an incredibly readable book. I read it in two sittings and flew through it, which seems rather surprising considering how repetitive I found the first 60-ish% of the book. This is still a series I've enjoyed, even if I have no clue how I feel about this one.
I also want to say that I appreciated the focus on Keera's relapse, even if I felt like it led to some incredibly monotonous scenes at the beginning. She's remained a complex, imperfect character - which is something I've loved about her from book 1. I did feel like the very end of her dealing with it was rushed, but I still appreciate how it was included.
Carrying on.
The longer I sit with this, the more disappointed I become. It feels like every five seconds since I finished this book last night, I realize a new plot-hole or get more upset over how something was handled. Since book 1, I've had overall issues with parts of the plot that I felt would fall apart if you looked at them too closely - this particular book said, "hold my beer."
So much of this plot hinges on aspects that don't hold up if someone thinks about them for too long. Damian's character? Just evil for the point of being incredibly evil, I guess? Despite the fact he's more prevalent in this book, it's more to hold up as the villain than as an actual person. Why is he so evil? Why does he hate Keera specifically this much? Is it just because ? How does his magic even work?
There's more I could talk about it but I want to spend the rest of the review on that plot-point.
All of this to say, I'm terribly conflicted. I've enjoyed this series, this was a quick and easy read, it still maintained some of what I love from the previous installments; it also leaned very heavily into the aspects I haven't liked and even made some of them a million times worse.
I will definitely read the last book when it comes out and I will still recommend this series, but I don't know where I stand with it personally right now.
February 10, 2024
I thought it was going to be a trilogy but I guess not since it’s a cliffhanger. The first 2 books were awesome and I had high hopes for this book but it just didn’t do it for me. Parts of it were hard to follow, like it was choppy.
It felt like there was too much focus on keera’s problems and her relationship (which had me annoyed) and not much about what was going on with anyone else or what was happening in the world, I was expecting more on that.
And the whole reveal with riven and just moving past it like it was nothing irked me! plus it was a little confusing following which version is him/his name during a certain scene. Overall a bit disappointed with the third book, I’ll probably still read the next one to see how it ends since I’ve made it this far
It felt like there was too much focus on keera’s problems and her relationship (which had me annoyed) and not much about what was going on with anyone else or what was happening in the world, I was expecting more on that.
And the whole reveal with riven and just moving past it like it was nothing irked me! plus it was a little confusing following which version is him/his name during a certain scene. Overall a bit disappointed with the third book, I’ll probably still read the next one to see how it ends since I’ve made it this far
March 22, 2024
Melissa continues to masterfully rip my heart out with this series. My love for Keera grows with every book, and Riven - my sweet, sweet chipmunk who is doing his best. My heart is full but aches at the same time for these little pretend beings.
This is such a powerful story of sacrifice and grief, but also of hope and love preserving. I smiled and I cried, and I want to read about this world forever.
This is such a powerful story of sacrifice and grief, but also of hope and love preserving. I smiled and I cried, and I want to read about this world forever.
March 5, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up. I’m not in the mood to write a long review, but I need to keep my reviews moving so here we are. This has been such a strong series so far and this installment is my least favorite. Overall still pretty good, but didn’t live up to the prior two. Keera is such an imperfect MC and I love that about her. This book serves as a sharp reminder that people aren’t perfect and don’t always handle things correctly and they can slip back into old habits. Keera has to fight her way out of the darkness she creates for herself once again. There is a definite uptick in steamy scenes in this book than the prior ones, which I personally did not love. And the big twist is very twisty! I absolutely did not expect it, but I also don’t know if I love it. It’s kind of weird! Obviously if you’ve been reading this series you are going to read this one. It was ok! I’m looking forward to the final installment still and hopeful that it brings the same quality back from Shadow Crown.
June 16, 2024
Oh my goodness. Mind blown 🤯. I'm still reeling from the revelations in this one. It's only as you move through the books in the series that you can truly appreciate how intricately crafted they have been by Melissa Blair.
It is going to feel a long wait until the final book is released in January.
It is going to feel a long wait until the final book is released in January.
May 8, 2025
This one dragged! I was sad that she started drinking so heavily again! Things improved in the middle and then got worse again. And I think things are going to get so much worse before they get better.
May 31, 2024
Um, let's see what's happened so far in this series:
-lesbians die
-boyfriends lie
-more lesbians die
-an entire deaf community, save one, is slaughtered
-an disabled woman is used as inspiration porn and quite literally faces no hardships in a wheelchair in a forest
-a fictional culture is appropriated
-a non-fictional culture is appropriated (though maybe it's okay because the author is indigenous?)
-boyfriend lies again, on a much bigger scale. MC is counseled to forgive him to spite their enemies. She does more thinking and realizes that boyfriend was also playing mind games with her, making her feel like she was doing something wrong when he in fact was lying to her. He tells her it was for her own good (like the 20th time he's been a patronizing, sexist, cis het male), so she forgives him and has sex with him for the first time for hours (also, according to this book, sex is only when a penis enters a vagina; otherwise it doesn't count) 🤮🤮🤮
How does anyone, literally anyone, think this is some amazing feminist, queer, diverse fantasy trilogy (oh, wait, the author decided to milk it and add a 4th book, even though the vast majority of this book was unnecessary and boring)? This is sold as a sapphic fantasy, but not only does the MC only have on the page sex with a man, she fucking kills her lesbian girlfriend. That takes the disgusting, kill off the lesbians trope, to a whole new disgusting level. Then the MC's boyfriend is some standard fare, cis het man who will do anything to protect her and won't take away her virginity and lies and gaslights her. There's nothing queer about that relationship. And I'd love to be like, well at least there's queer side characters, but those keep getting killed off, especially the lesbians. By the time this book is done, only the straights will survive (and yeah, I count the MC as straight. Outside this one relationship she had when she was very young, nothing about her is queer. She's not attracted to women in the book. She's completely fine with being treated as a second class citizen in her relationship. She seems to think sex only occurs with a penis. You can't just say she was in love with a woman and call that queer. She actually has to not want to be confined in cis het patriarchy. And isn't that what this book is about?). Now this book is killing off the disabled characters, except the badass one who never has one single challenge maneuvering in a wheelchair in a time before cars in a forest. She also doesn't care if someone just grabs her chair and starts pushing her. WTF?? This whole series is garbage and I regret taking a risk on it. It kept coming up on lists and all of them were wrong and clearly written by straight white girls who like playing at being allies and deep and all that shit.
Also, I take issue with the trigger warnings which say that self harm isn't graphically depicted. It absolutely is.
-lesbians die
-boyfriends lie
-more lesbians die
-an entire deaf community, save one, is slaughtered
-an disabled woman is used as inspiration porn and quite literally faces no hardships in a wheelchair in a forest
-a fictional culture is appropriated
-a non-fictional culture is appropriated (though maybe it's okay because the author is indigenous?)
-boyfriend lies again, on a much bigger scale. MC is counseled to forgive him to spite their enemies. She does more thinking and realizes that boyfriend was also playing mind games with her, making her feel like she was doing something wrong when he in fact was lying to her. He tells her it was for her own good (like the 20th time he's been a patronizing, sexist, cis het male), so she forgives him and has sex with him for the first time for hours (also, according to this book, sex is only when a penis enters a vagina; otherwise it doesn't count) 🤮🤮🤮
How does anyone, literally anyone, think this is some amazing feminist, queer, diverse fantasy trilogy (oh, wait, the author decided to milk it and add a 4th book, even though the vast majority of this book was unnecessary and boring)? This is sold as a sapphic fantasy, but not only does the MC only have on the page sex with a man, she fucking kills her lesbian girlfriend. That takes the disgusting, kill off the lesbians trope, to a whole new disgusting level. Then the MC's boyfriend is some standard fare, cis het man who will do anything to protect her and won't take away her virginity and lies and gaslights her. There's nothing queer about that relationship. And I'd love to be like, well at least there's queer side characters, but those keep getting killed off, especially the lesbians. By the time this book is done, only the straights will survive (and yeah, I count the MC as straight. Outside this one relationship she had when she was very young, nothing about her is queer. She's not attracted to women in the book. She's completely fine with being treated as a second class citizen in her relationship. She seems to think sex only occurs with a penis. You can't just say she was in love with a woman and call that queer. She actually has to not want to be confined in cis het patriarchy. And isn't that what this book is about?). Now this book is killing off the disabled characters, except the badass one who never has one single challenge maneuvering in a wheelchair in a time before cars in a forest. She also doesn't care if someone just grabs her chair and starts pushing her. WTF?? This whole series is garbage and I regret taking a risk on it. It kept coming up on lists and all of them were wrong and clearly written by straight white girls who like playing at being allies and deep and all that shit.
Also, I take issue with the trigger warnings which say that self harm isn't graphically depicted. It absolutely is.
February 12, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this one if I'm being honest.
I really like the side characters, Gerarda was particularly brilliant !!! But Keera and Riven ???? please one is becoming a walking god and the other serves absolutely no purpose aside from having the biggest yet most disappoint plot twist of the saga. Keera is becoming less and less of a skilled assassin and more of a puppet using powers she doesn't understand and it makes me a little sad :( Maybe the pace of this book was a bit too fast, and so aspects of it lacked some depth ?
Nikolai !!!!! I really hope my boy is gonna be okay, I love him.
I really like the side characters, Gerarda was particularly brilliant !!! But Keera and Riven ???? please one is becoming a walking god and the other serves absolutely no purpose aside from having the biggest yet most disappoint plot twist of the saga. Keera is becoming less and less of a skilled assassin and more of a puppet using powers she doesn't understand and it makes me a little sad :( Maybe the pace of this book was a bit too fast, and so aspects of it lacked some depth ?
Nikolai !!!!! I really hope my boy is gonna be okay, I love him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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