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Rune Blade #3
Broken Blade
As the dark powers prepare a new assault on the Isle of Celi, using stolen magic to rip down the veil of enchantment protecting the island, Brynda, daughter of Keylan, must teach her Rune Blade to sing death's song, or Maedun's Somber Riders will claim the island for their own. Original.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 26, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 17, 2024
decisamente meglio del precedente!
TRAMA E SPOILER:
dopo 3 decenni la temuta invasione arriva ed è strage: tutti i figli di Kian muoiono insieme a tutti i suoi nipoti, tranne l'ultima che si vedrà costretta a fuggire alla volta di Tyra
TRAMA E SPOILER:
dopo 3 decenni la temuta invasione arriva ed è strage: tutti i figli di Kian muoiono insieme a tutti i suoi nipoti, tranne l'ultima che si vedrà costretta a fuggire alla volta di Tyra
April 19, 2019
Broken Blade is the Final Book of the Rune Blade Trilogy. Ann Marston returns to her first person story telling, which adds greatly to the book. This time a woman is the lead character. I loved finally reading about her strong female character in the lead role! Brynda is bheancoran to Tiegan, Tyrnan's son and Heir to the Throne of Celi. She is kidnapped by the Maedun, Donaugh's old nemesis Francia. Francia's son, Mikal, can use Brynda's magic, stealing it through blood sorcery. He is the only Maedun capable of stealing Tyadda magic. Brynda escapes from the Maedun with the help of a massive, clanless Tyr called Kenzie. The first half of the story follows their run through Maedun territory to reach safe ground, where Brynda can report her findings to Tiernyn.
The second half tells of the fall of Celi to the Maedun. This part had me in tears through much of the story. We learn of the death of so many loved characters we've met through the trilogy. And we see how a bheancoran goes on through a broken bond, something that should have killed her.
If you've already read the first two books in this trilogy, it is likely you will read the third. In all, I suggest this trilogy to anybody who likes fantasy. If you are interested in taking a step into fantasy, but don't want to be blown away with huge leaps of believability, this is also a very good trilogy for that.
The second half tells of the fall of Celi to the Maedun. This part had me in tears through much of the story. We learn of the death of so many loved characters we've met through the trilogy. And we see how a bheancoran goes on through a broken bond, something that should have killed her.
If you've already read the first two books in this trilogy, it is likely you will read the third. In all, I suggest this trilogy to anybody who likes fantasy. If you are interested in taking a step into fantasy, but don't want to be blown away with huge leaps of believability, this is also a very good trilogy for that.
November 22, 2017
Better than #2; more original and well worth reading. The characters became more personal and worth caring about. The trilogy ended on a small note of hope and makes me wonder if there aren't or won't be more books in this world. I hope there is, because it's a place worthy of revisiting.
September 30, 2018
This was a decent series-My opinion is that the 3rd book dragged a bit. Glad I picked this up though, not a fantastic read, but good enough to keep my interest through 3 books.
January 1, 2020
The ending left me wanting for more, it felt a bit incomplete, but otherwise a wonderful end to the trilogy
March 23, 2025
2025 Shelf Audit: 2 stars
DNF at pg. 158 / 50%
Oh, is it not the worst to reread an old favourite and it doesn't hold up at all? I see what I loved about it:
-Marston is one of the few authors who writes a dialogue accent well. I always loved when a Tyr was in a scene because I actually just enjoyed reading the accent so much.
-I think this is the only fantasy series I've read where each book is a new generation (making the initial protagonists legend/myth by the end of the series). Not something that every fantasy book could/should do, but I really enjoyed that aspect and wish there were more series that employed this.
-The world feels real and alive, both in how the magic system works and in how different cultures and geography/nature is described/experienced by the characters
-I do enjoy the actual stakes of these books, for me 2 stars means I DNF'ed a book but I read the last chapter to see how everything turned out - I was invested enough to want to know what the characters' final beats were! I do really like this world/series which is why I'm so sad to give this a 2 and dnf on the sequel trilogy.
What I didn't enjoy:
-BIGGESST GRIPE: I didn't enjoy how the protagonist is portrayed. I like her actual personality but the subtext of the book made me gag. She's strong and opinionated (like all the male M/Cs in the previous books) but the subtext in every interaction she has is she's being silly and petty, when for the first 2 books that's exactly how grown men were acting and that was seen as 'Tyr stubbornness' and isn't implied to be something that the men have to get over. 95% of the time I thought Bryn was perfectly in the right to be upset/angry but the narrative constantly beats over the reader's head that she should act more mild and she'd overreacting. But she isn't? And for the 5% of the time she was actually wrong, her admitting it doesn't feel like character growth because she admits she's wrong when she isn't the other 95% of the time. Truly unbearable to read.
-The pacing in this and the last book in particular got slow in places. Too much description that wasn't needed. Traveling scenes that didn't need to be included. Overall, a fair amount of bloat that did tie into my dislike
-Bryn is 'enemies' with her Bheacoran bonded prince's wife which feels so petty and boring to read about. None of the 'evil' women in this series are written interestingly enough and that is really clear with Teigan's wife Sheryn. ALSO Teigan and Sheryn first met when he was 26 and she was 14 and they married 9 years later when she was 23 and he was 35. Puke. Maybe she's acting like a child because she IS basically still a child, and likely an emotionally stunted one at that. Hated this, but it is minor, I could have got over it if the first point wasn't so annoying.
-Inconsistent narration between books. This is a small thing for me as a reader and wouldn't have contributed to my dislike, but it's worth mentioning. Book 1: 3rd person only Kian's POV; Book 2: 3rd person everyone and their mother's POV; Book 3: 1st person only Bryn POV. What kind of wacky switchup is this? It didn't really annoy me as I don't have a preference between 1st and 3rd person, but I could see this being a detractor for someone who does have a preference. It comes across amateur-ish to not be consistent within a series.
Original 2017 review: 5 stars
This may well be my favourite fantasy series. A MUST read.
DNF at pg. 158 / 50%
Oh, is it not the worst to reread an old favourite and it doesn't hold up at all? I see what I loved about it:
-Marston is one of the few authors who writes a dialogue accent well. I always loved when a Tyr was in a scene because I actually just enjoyed reading the accent so much.
-I think this is the only fantasy series I've read where each book is a new generation (making the initial protagonists legend/myth by the end of the series). Not something that every fantasy book could/should do, but I really enjoyed that aspect and wish there were more series that employed this.
-The world feels real and alive, both in how the magic system works and in how different cultures and geography/nature is described/experienced by the characters
-I do enjoy the actual stakes of these books, for me 2 stars means I DNF'ed a book but I read the last chapter to see how everything turned out - I was invested enough to want to know what the characters' final beats were! I do really like this world/series which is why I'm so sad to give this a 2 and dnf on the sequel trilogy.
What I didn't enjoy:
-BIGGESST GRIPE: I didn't enjoy how the protagonist is portrayed. I like her actual personality but the subtext of the book made me gag. She's strong and opinionated (like all the male M/Cs in the previous books) but the subtext in every interaction she has is she's being silly and petty, when for the first 2 books that's exactly how grown men were acting and that was seen as 'Tyr stubbornness' and isn't implied to be something that the men have to get over. 95% of the time I thought Bryn was perfectly in the right to be upset/angry but the narrative constantly beats over the reader's head that she should act more mild and she'd overreacting. But she isn't? And for the 5% of the time she was actually wrong, her admitting it doesn't feel like character growth because she admits she's wrong when she isn't the other 95% of the time. Truly unbearable to read.
-The pacing in this and the last book in particular got slow in places. Too much description that wasn't needed. Traveling scenes that didn't need to be included. Overall, a fair amount of bloat that did tie into my dislike
-Bryn is 'enemies' with her Bheacoran bonded prince's wife which feels so petty and boring to read about. None of the 'evil' women in this series are written interestingly enough and that is really clear with Teigan's wife Sheryn. ALSO Teigan and Sheryn first met when he was 26 and she was 14 and they married 9 years later when she was 23 and he was 35. Puke. Maybe she's acting like a child because she IS basically still a child, and likely an emotionally stunted one at that. Hated this, but it is minor, I could have got over it if the first point wasn't so annoying.
-Inconsistent narration between books. This is a small thing for me as a reader and wouldn't have contributed to my dislike, but it's worth mentioning. Book 1: 3rd person only Kian's POV; Book 2: 3rd person everyone and their mother's POV; Book 3: 1st person only Bryn POV. What kind of wacky switchup is this? It didn't really annoy me as I don't have a preference between 1st and 3rd person, but I could see this being a detractor for someone who does have a preference. It comes across amateur-ish to not be consistent within a series.
Original 2017 review: 5 stars
This may well be my favourite fantasy series. A MUST read.
January 27, 2021
4 stars
This was my favorite out of the series. I adored both Brynda & Tiegan. The action & suspense was good. Just a fun read.
This was my favorite out of the series. I adored both Brynda & Tiegan. The action & suspense was good. Just a fun read.
September 20, 2016
This was actually my least favorite of the three books. I mean, definitely read it, because finish the story and get some new feels in. But also, I just feel that this one wasn't written as well as the first two. Especially considering the improvements I felt arose from first to second book.
I still found myself wanting my lunch break to be longer so I could keep reading, but I didn't really feel connected to the main character the way I did in the first two. She didn't seem like she belonged in that world at certain points in the story.
But it's totally worth reading at least for the primary supporting character; he's awesome.
I'm not sure what else to say. Overall, I enjoyed the trilogy, and I am very pleased with my book purchase.
I still found myself wanting my lunch break to be longer so I could keep reading, but I didn't really feel connected to the main character the way I did in the first two. She didn't seem like she belonged in that world at certain points in the story.
But it's totally worth reading at least for the primary supporting character; he's awesome.
I'm not sure what else to say. Overall, I enjoyed the trilogy, and I am very pleased with my book purchase.
May 28, 2014
(Fantasy 1997) Celtic fantasy. More of the same, fighting and love under tough circumstances. It is an enjoyable trilogy if you enjoy this type, which I really do, for all my lack of comments. This trio might actually make it onto my permanent keeper shelves! I think this might be a precursor to the King Arthur sword myths.
August 21, 2015
Accidentally read the last book in this series first, but it stood alone well without any prior knowledge of the previous books. Quite enjoyable, with the familiar tropes so often found in medieval-style fantasy. Magic, love, war, and healing. Not a groundbreaking read to be sure, but everything you might expect from a pleasantly familiar pattern wrapped in a fast-paced plot.
October 16, 2016
The saga continues Maedun are working their blood magic to once again invade the Isle of Celi and wipe out its King and the magic it holds. It will take Brynda, daughter of Keylan and her rune blade into places she never thought to see. This another high adventure of blood and magic that you can't put down.
November 7, 2019
As much as it pains me, I'm giving up on this one. The first of this series is on my favorites shelf, but I'm beginning to wonder how well it would fare with a re-read. This one isn't holding my interest at all. Don't know if it's my mood or the writing.
February 28, 2012
I loved the little bits of romance between Kenzie and Brynda :) and Francia got what she deserved,finally.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2016
A good story, interesting characters. I look forward to reading book 1.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews