By Victoria Aveyard
HarperTeen, 2021. 576 pages. Fantasy
A strange darkness grows in Allward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea. She soon discovers the truth. She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won't be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions: a squire, forced to choose between home and honor; an immortal, avenging a broken promise; an assassin, exiled and bloodthirsty; an ancient sorceress, whose riddles hide an eerie foresight; a forger with a secret past; and a bounty hunter with a score to settle. Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed.
HarperTeen, 2021. 576 pages. Fantasy
A strange darkness grows in Allward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea. She soon discovers the truth. She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won't be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions: a squire, forced to choose between home and honor; an immortal, avenging a broken promise; an assassin, exiled and bloodthirsty; an ancient sorceress, whose riddles hide an eerie foresight; a forger with a secret past; and a bounty hunter with a score to settle. Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed.
I picked up this book because I previously read and enjoyed the Red Queen series by Aveyard. Realm Breaker is her foray into high fantasy. The story is told through multiple characters’ perspectives, many of which are through the eyes of strong, kick-butt female personas. The book begins with an action-packed prologue which felt unemotional to me, despite the sad event that was depicted. This event is frequently mentioned or reflected on by many characters which can be repetitive and uninteresting to the reader. Because this pinnacle event occurs before any emotional connections are built with the characters, it becomes difficult to care about the people later on.
I felt some of the characters lacked depth; I craved more personality and less archetypal individuals which are often seen in high fantasy novels.
The plot twists and unpredictable characters’ actions keep the reader curious. I sense the next book will reveal more about the characters’ motivations and histories. Despite this book’s shortcomings, I will probably give the next book a try in the hopes that my expectations for Realm Breaker will be realized in the sequel.
If you like Realm Breaker, you might also like:
By Holly Black
Little Brown & Co, 2018. 384 pages. Fantasy
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
By Rae Carson
Greenwillow Books, 2011. 448 pages. Fantasy
A fearful sixteen-year-old princess discovers her heroic destiny after being married off to the king of a neighboring country in turmoil and pursued by enemies seething with dark magic.
By Claire Legrand
Sourcebooks Fire, 2018. 512 pages. Fantasy
The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.
When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.
One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable—until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire's heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.
As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world—and of each other.
JC
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