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Blade Broken
A spy lurking in the shadows, a nation on the verge of an invasion, a man desperate to protect his home.
Lucian is the Blade of Castrial–the kingdom's spymaster and first line of defense, lauded for his success in repelling an invasion from Garaner. But the war has left Castrial's economy in shambles, and when the neighbouring kingdom of Sarian musters their armies and sends spies into Castrial, Lucian realises two things: they have a spy in their midst, and they can't afford the cost of fighting off another invasion.
And if that wasn't trouble enough, there is Alaric, the Shield of Castrial and the only man in the Echelon whose power is equal to Lucian's. Returned from banishment like the vengeful spirit of their long-lost friendship, Alaric carries a deep-set grudge against Lucian, a grudge that may well be justified.
Lucian’s desire to protect his nation is nearly equal to his wish to reconcile with Alaric, but if he cannot get his act together and convince the Shield to work with him, Castrial will fall.
Blade Broken is a queer, sword-and-sorcery fantasy and the first book in The Echelon Series. If you love flawed characters, betrayals and redemption, and gritty worldbuilding with lots of political machinations, you will love this book.
Lucian is the Blade of Castrial–the kingdom's spymaster and first line of defense, lauded for his success in repelling an invasion from Garaner. But the war has left Castrial's economy in shambles, and when the neighbouring kingdom of Sarian musters their armies and sends spies into Castrial, Lucian realises two things: they have a spy in their midst, and they can't afford the cost of fighting off another invasion.
And if that wasn't trouble enough, there is Alaric, the Shield of Castrial and the only man in the Echelon whose power is equal to Lucian's. Returned from banishment like the vengeful spirit of their long-lost friendship, Alaric carries a deep-set grudge against Lucian, a grudge that may well be justified.
Lucian’s desire to protect his nation is nearly equal to his wish to reconcile with Alaric, but if he cannot get his act together and convince the Shield to work with him, Castrial will fall.
Blade Broken is a queer, sword-and-sorcery fantasy and the first book in The Echelon Series. If you love flawed characters, betrayals and redemption, and gritty worldbuilding with lots of political machinations, you will love this book.
- GenresFantasy
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 4, 2025
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 12, 2025
The kingdom of Castrial is just coming out the other side from their war with Garaner. They might have been victorious, but they have a long way to go on the road to recovery. The last thing Castrial needs is another war, but something is looming, and the consequences could be deadly. Alongside the Sarian refugees making their way into Castrial, spies are slipping through, and Sarian forces are starting to assemble.
War against Sarian would ruin Castrial. With so little recovery time after their victory against Garaner, it would be impossible for Castrial to prove themselves victorious a second time, so quickly. The only option seems to be to stop the fight before it starts, but to do that, the King must have his very best team on hand. He already has Lucian, the Blade of Castrial, who’s role was integral in their successes against Garaner. But Castrial needs it’s Shield back, and there is one man who is a clear contender for the role – and he has just been invited back into Castrial after banishment. Not only that, but he and Lucian have a difficult past, one which they must attempt to move past in order to focus their efforts on Castrial’s continued security and safety.
Alaric returning to Castrial is long awaited, but also dreaded – to return and immediately walk into such a high-commanding role as the Shield of Castrial is certain to draw everyone’s attention, and Alaric must steel himself for everything he will face on his return. Alaric is a character you cannot help but instantly like. He has been through hell in banishment, and it was all he could do to keep himself alive while he wasn’t allowed home. And yet, he is still kind, and thinks carefully about how his actions can affect those around him. Despite his traumatic exile, and although he continues to struggle with the events surrounding it, Alaric is a gentle soul, and one you just want to wrap up in a big hug.
There is much tension on Alaric’s return between himself and Lucian. The Blade and the Shield of Castrial must work together closely, and both hold high rank in the King’s office, but they are at odds. Alaric has returned from exile with a distrust towards Lucian, a resentment and bitterness that he can’t see possible to move past. They might have been incredibly close in the past, but Alaric’s time away has changed that. The emotion surrounding the two men truly hits you as you read – it is impossible to ignore, and they feel so deeply you can almost feel their pain yourself while reading. It is clear they still care for the other’s wellbeing, but whether Alaric can truly trust Lucian, whether they can spend time in each other’s company without Alaric feeling such a deep disdain towards Lucian, is another matter. Both characters have been crafted so carefully, they come alive within the pages. Every ounce of joy, pain, and emotion comes across in the writing so immensely you fall in love with them both as you read, and putting the book down feels like walking away from dear friends.
This is certainly a novel of political intrigue and strategic plotting. With spies slipping into Castrial, and attempts to keep plans hidden from those who would report them back to Sarian, Castrial must attempt to use its own methods of finding out Sarian’s motives, and attempt to stop the attack before it comes. Sylvester is an interesting character, for he is a spy himself, placing himself where the King requires him, in an attempt to find out information that would give Castrial the high ground. The intricacies of his job, as well as his devotion to his nation, make Sylvester’s perspective in this novel one that will certainly pique your interest. His is a high-stake role, and as another instantly likeable character, he will have you on the edge of your seat.
The world created inside this novel is truly magnificent. There is no block text of description, telling the reader the intricacies of how the nations are laid out, how the King’s office and laws are set out, or how the magical side of the world works, and yet, all of these things are revealed so subtly the reader never feels out of place, or as though they do not understand the world. The reader is guided through Castrial as though they have always lived there among the characters. With such carefully and well-crafted characters, it is only right that they have a fully fleshed out world to live in, and the author has done just that with Castrial.
This is a novel you can’t get enough of as you read. You can never have ‘just one more chapter’, for you will finish that chapter and begin the next one. There is no such thing as free will when the next chapter is right there, and it would be so easy to just keep reading. This is the kind of novel you will simply devour, and be left waiting at the end wanting more. If I had one complaint, it would be that I don’t yet have book 2.
War against Sarian would ruin Castrial. With so little recovery time after their victory against Garaner, it would be impossible for Castrial to prove themselves victorious a second time, so quickly. The only option seems to be to stop the fight before it starts, but to do that, the King must have his very best team on hand. He already has Lucian, the Blade of Castrial, who’s role was integral in their successes against Garaner. But Castrial needs it’s Shield back, and there is one man who is a clear contender for the role – and he has just been invited back into Castrial after banishment. Not only that, but he and Lucian have a difficult past, one which they must attempt to move past in order to focus their efforts on Castrial’s continued security and safety.
Alaric returning to Castrial is long awaited, but also dreaded – to return and immediately walk into such a high-commanding role as the Shield of Castrial is certain to draw everyone’s attention, and Alaric must steel himself for everything he will face on his return. Alaric is a character you cannot help but instantly like. He has been through hell in banishment, and it was all he could do to keep himself alive while he wasn’t allowed home. And yet, he is still kind, and thinks carefully about how his actions can affect those around him. Despite his traumatic exile, and although he continues to struggle with the events surrounding it, Alaric is a gentle soul, and one you just want to wrap up in a big hug.
There is much tension on Alaric’s return between himself and Lucian. The Blade and the Shield of Castrial must work together closely, and both hold high rank in the King’s office, but they are at odds. Alaric has returned from exile with a distrust towards Lucian, a resentment and bitterness that he can’t see possible to move past. They might have been incredibly close in the past, but Alaric’s time away has changed that. The emotion surrounding the two men truly hits you as you read – it is impossible to ignore, and they feel so deeply you can almost feel their pain yourself while reading. It is clear they still care for the other’s wellbeing, but whether Alaric can truly trust Lucian, whether they can spend time in each other’s company without Alaric feeling such a deep disdain towards Lucian, is another matter. Both characters have been crafted so carefully, they come alive within the pages. Every ounce of joy, pain, and emotion comes across in the writing so immensely you fall in love with them both as you read, and putting the book down feels like walking away from dear friends.
This is certainly a novel of political intrigue and strategic plotting. With spies slipping into Castrial, and attempts to keep plans hidden from those who would report them back to Sarian, Castrial must attempt to use its own methods of finding out Sarian’s motives, and attempt to stop the attack before it comes. Sylvester is an interesting character, for he is a spy himself, placing himself where the King requires him, in an attempt to find out information that would give Castrial the high ground. The intricacies of his job, as well as his devotion to his nation, make Sylvester’s perspective in this novel one that will certainly pique your interest. His is a high-stake role, and as another instantly likeable character, he will have you on the edge of your seat.
The world created inside this novel is truly magnificent. There is no block text of description, telling the reader the intricacies of how the nations are laid out, how the King’s office and laws are set out, or how the magical side of the world works, and yet, all of these things are revealed so subtly the reader never feels out of place, or as though they do not understand the world. The reader is guided through Castrial as though they have always lived there among the characters. With such carefully and well-crafted characters, it is only right that they have a fully fleshed out world to live in, and the author has done just that with Castrial.
This is a novel you can’t get enough of as you read. You can never have ‘just one more chapter’, for you will finish that chapter and begin the next one. There is no such thing as free will when the next chapter is right there, and it would be so easy to just keep reading. This is the kind of novel you will simply devour, and be left waiting at the end wanting more. If I had one complaint, it would be that I don’t yet have book 2.
February 11, 2025
Interesting book with a strong focus on love, human emotions, patriotism, difficult choices and character development in a medieval fantasy context.
The protagonists, Lucian and Alaric are very likeable and their love-hate relationship forms the backbone of the plot. While Lucian and Alaric are quite similar in terms of personality, Sylvestor offers a good contrast and unexpectedly became my favorite character as the story progressed. While the others are not as impressive, they serve their respective roles quite well. Having a larger cast of characters makes the political intrigue interesting and immersive.
I would have liked it more if the fantasy and magical elements played a deeper role in the story, but it is only in the later part that the story really begins to feel like an epic fantasy saga.
While the resolution of the tension between Lucian and Alaric was somewhat anti-climatic, the curse was a very interesting and surprising turn of events and kept me hooked till the end.
Many thanks to the author for sharing an ARC on request.
(Rating: 4.5 -> 5)
The protagonists, Lucian and Alaric are very likeable and their love-hate relationship forms the backbone of the plot. While Lucian and Alaric are quite similar in terms of personality, Sylvestor offers a good contrast and unexpectedly became my favorite character as the story progressed. While the others are not as impressive, they serve their respective roles quite well. Having a larger cast of characters makes the political intrigue interesting and immersive.
I would have liked it more if the fantasy and magical elements played a deeper role in the story, but it is only in the later part that the story really begins to feel like an epic fantasy saga.
While the resolution of the tension between Lucian and Alaric was somewhat anti-climatic, the curse was a very interesting and surprising turn of events and kept me hooked till the end.
Many thanks to the author for sharing an ARC on request.
(Rating: 4.5 -> 5)
February 7, 2025
Blade Broken by Niranjan
I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Do Not Recommend - the indie book you don’t want people new to indie books to read.
I don’t blurb; it’s boring. MM romantic something or other (I refuse to call it a plot), standard fantasy setting with some magic.
Key Points:
-Flat as the paper it’s theoretically printed on
-What worldbuilding?
-(Magic) System? What’s a system?
-Plot driven? Character driven? NA
-Why even bother with a cliffhanger finish?
-The writing was fine, I guess.
Everything in this book was 2D. For the first half, I had a hard time separating the 2 MMCs. This was almost all tell and exceptionally little show. It felt like the author had some kind of a checklist and they just wrote to connect those dots in the straightest line possible. I had zero interest in emotionally investing at any point.
The MMCs love each other. Why? How? What about them do they love? They’re angry or hurt or are friends with other characters. How did that happen? No clue. But it must have happened because suddenly the author’s saying they're friends with these other people.
They’re all blindly loyal to their nation, willing to sacrifice everything with literally nothing said about why that would be the case. It’s just a given. Traitor? Oh yeah, that’s a given, too. They’re just assholes, clearly.
The only token nod at worldbuilding we get is…. they measure time differently with different words. Otherwise this entirely read as a stereotypical idealistic notion of a fantasy kingdom. Relatedly, magic is mentioned at various points and even eventually become some like a plot point but there isn’t any discernible system discussed or even touched upon, just some vague words like “strong” and “weak” for spells and talent, and casual use of magic just because.
I don’t know what the plot was. Things happen, seemingly arbitrarily, maybe vaguely gesturing at war or something? But we get no explanation at any point why war is even an issue beyond oh no, it’s war. Characters do shit, seemingly arbitrarily. If the author saw their characters as anything other than a means to an end, it was not at all apparent in this book. At all.
The book ended on a cliffhanger. I don’t know why. I don’t like them anyway, on general principle, but they usually serve a purpose. Since I wasn’t invested in this anyway, I don’t really care but wow, I completely didn’t see a need for it here, regardless.
In summary, this was shockingly bad. The writing was fine on a technical level, mostly.
P.S. Don’t ever describe anyone of colour with a “dusky complexion” please. Just no.
I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Do Not Recommend - the indie book you don’t want people new to indie books to read.
I don’t blurb; it’s boring. MM romantic something or other (I refuse to call it a plot), standard fantasy setting with some magic.
Key Points:
-Flat as the paper it’s theoretically printed on
-What worldbuilding?
-(Magic) System? What’s a system?
-Plot driven? Character driven? NA
-Why even bother with a cliffhanger finish?
-The writing was fine, I guess.
Everything in this book was 2D. For the first half, I had a hard time separating the 2 MMCs. This was almost all tell and exceptionally little show. It felt like the author had some kind of a checklist and they just wrote to connect those dots in the straightest line possible. I had zero interest in emotionally investing at any point.
The MMCs love each other. Why? How? What about them do they love? They’re angry or hurt or are friends with other characters. How did that happen? No clue. But it must have happened because suddenly the author’s saying they're friends with these other people.
They’re all blindly loyal to their nation, willing to sacrifice everything with literally nothing said about why that would be the case. It’s just a given. Traitor? Oh yeah, that’s a given, too. They’re just assholes, clearly.
The only token nod at worldbuilding we get is…. they measure time differently with different words. Otherwise this entirely read as a stereotypical idealistic notion of a fantasy kingdom. Relatedly, magic is mentioned at various points and even eventually become some like a plot point but there isn’t any discernible system discussed or even touched upon, just some vague words like “strong” and “weak” for spells and talent, and casual use of magic just because.
I don’t know what the plot was. Things happen, seemingly arbitrarily, maybe vaguely gesturing at war or something? But we get no explanation at any point why war is even an issue beyond oh no, it’s war. Characters do shit, seemingly arbitrarily. If the author saw their characters as anything other than a means to an end, it was not at all apparent in this book. At all.
The book ended on a cliffhanger. I don’t know why. I don’t like them anyway, on general principle, but they usually serve a purpose. Since I wasn’t invested in this anyway, I don’t really care but wow, I completely didn’t see a need for it here, regardless.
In summary, this was shockingly bad. The writing was fine on a technical level, mostly.
P.S. Don’t ever describe anyone of colour with a “dusky complexion” please. Just no.
Read
May 16, 2025The kingdom of Castrial is in a temporary, fraught peace with neighbouring countries Garaner and Sarian, but tensions are boiling. With spies in every corner and espionage underway, the King can only rely on a select handful of people. One is Lucian, the Blade of Castrial - spymaster and skilled warrior who protected Castrial from invasion from Garaner. The other is Alaric, the Shield of Castrial, and recently returned from a banishment after being framed for a crime he did not commit - and betrayed by Lucian, his former lover.
We are introduced to the story through Alaric's perspective. It's been years - or rather, "farials" - since he last set foot in his beloved nation, but he doesn't have much time to relax and recover. He's back on the job, working closely alongside Lucian despite the tension between them, in service to the King. But unless he and Lucian can overcome their emotions and resentment with each other over the matter that drove them apart, Castrial will be in imminent danger. War is brewing, and only the repaired bond between Lucian and Alaric might be able to save their country, and each other.
Blade Broken is the first book in The Echelon series by Niranjan. This is a novel full of political intrigue, spies, espionage, loyalty, and betrayal. Lucian and Alaric's complicated past and feelings are inseparable from the plot. While I was invested in Alaric's and Lucian's relationship, wondering how they could ever heal and move forward together, I was equally intrigued by the characters of Sylvester, a spy, and the King, a man whose entire purpose is to protect his nation - by any means necessary. Sylvester was the standout character to me - his abilities, his skills, and his devotion to Castrial and the King made him the most compelling character of the novel, and I was glad to have read so many chapters from his point of view.
This being the first book in the series, a lot of the plot and interactions feel like set-up for higher stakes. Thankfully, I already have the next book, Blade Reforged, on pre-order - because after that killer of an ending, I am eager to get a resolution!
We are introduced to the story through Alaric's perspective. It's been years - or rather, "farials" - since he last set foot in his beloved nation, but he doesn't have much time to relax and recover. He's back on the job, working closely alongside Lucian despite the tension between them, in service to the King. But unless he and Lucian can overcome their emotions and resentment with each other over the matter that drove them apart, Castrial will be in imminent danger. War is brewing, and only the repaired bond between Lucian and Alaric might be able to save their country, and each other.
Blade Broken is the first book in The Echelon series by Niranjan. This is a novel full of political intrigue, spies, espionage, loyalty, and betrayal. Lucian and Alaric's complicated past and feelings are inseparable from the plot. While I was invested in Alaric's and Lucian's relationship, wondering how they could ever heal and move forward together, I was equally intrigued by the characters of Sylvester, a spy, and the King, a man whose entire purpose is to protect his nation - by any means necessary. Sylvester was the standout character to me - his abilities, his skills, and his devotion to Castrial and the King made him the most compelling character of the novel, and I was glad to have read so many chapters from his point of view.
This being the first book in the series, a lot of the plot and interactions feel like set-up for higher stakes. Thankfully, I already have the next book, Blade Reforged, on pre-order - because after that killer of an ending, I am eager to get a resolution!
January 14, 2025
The author very kindly gave me an ARC. (4.5 stars rounded up)
I enjoyed this book a lot! The world-building was amazing, the characters were likeable and sympathetic, and the overall plot had me finish it in one sitting because I was dying to know what happens. Overall a really great queer fantasy novel!
I enjoyed this book a lot! The world-building was amazing, the characters were likeable and sympathetic, and the overall plot had me finish it in one sitting because I was dying to know what happens. Overall a really great queer fantasy novel!
February 26, 2025
Beautiful writing, great tension! Felt like I was reading a sequel, and it turns out there is a prequel published, which explains that!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews