Five Broken Blades: Discover the dark adventure fantasy debut taking the world by storm (Broken Blades, #1)

by Mai Corland

Five ruthless killers. Five deadly motives. One King - who must die. Six of Crows meets Kill Bill in a feast of treason and seduction set against a dazzling fantasy backdrop inspired by Korean myth and legend.

'This dazzling fantasy has it all: a richly developed world, a captivating ensemble cast, and a twisty, action-packed quest' KAREN MCMANUS, #1 NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ONE OF US IS LYING

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined . . . or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness-from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

They can agree on murder.

They can agree on treachery.

But for these five killers - each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal - it's not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they'll have to find a way to trust each other . . . but only one can take the crown.

Let the best liar win.

• Publish Date: 7 May 2024
• Publish Status: Forthcoming
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Zaffre
• Edition: Broken Binding Exclusive
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 448
• Language: English
• Special: Exclusive Design Signed Sprayed Edges

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

The king of Yusan is not a good person. Most people are too afraid to admit that for fear of losing their heads. Yet, just as many people have reason to want the king dead. Enter an unlikely crew of misfits.

Together, these five potential killers will share a mission - to do something impossible and kill a god. All they have to do is find a way to trust one another, cross the country, and risk everything at the feet of the king.

My Review:

Having just finished Five Broken Blades, I can see why there’s some discourse about it. People seem to either love it (or at least like it) or hate it. It’s an interesting read in a compelling world, so personally, I’m happy I took a chance on it.

That said, I’ll be the first to admit that the motives for each character were a bit flat, for the most part. Likewise, the romance per pairing (three sets of romances in total) wasn’t necessary, especially as there wasn’t time to develop all of them. Walking into a story where we’re supposed to believe these people are madly in love (but don’t act that way) is a challenge.

Moving on, I did like the story. I loved how it unfolded through multiple perspectives, even if that sometimes resulted in a bit of repetition. As for the twists, I knew that something was up (obviously), but even knowing that, I didn’t guess the big twist at the end. Truthfully, I felt a bit dumb for not seeing it coming. So take what you want from that sentiment.

All in all, I enjoyed Five Broken Blades. I certainly enjoyed it enough to want to see where the story goes from here.

Highlights:
Romantic Fantasy
Multiple POVs
Found Family
Hidden Missions

Trigger Warnings:
Attempted Assault
Slavery
Animal Death


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[chelyat]

I don’t know what possessed me to buy this and read this same day! I was hooked from the start and fell in love with the characters. I’m excited to see where this story goes in the next book!