Title: A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga #1)
Author: Melissa Blair
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Union Square and Co.
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: August 2, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
My body is made of scars,
some were done to me,
but most I did to myself.
Keera is a killer. As the King’s Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can’t help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace?
As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom.
Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir, and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.
Review:
Keera is the King’s Blade, his favourite assassin. When a mysterious figure known as the Shadow starts attacking near the capital, the King sends Keera out to find him. She travels to the lands of the Fae to find out more about the Shadow. Keera is shocked when she meets the Shadow, and he isn’t the enemy she thought he was. The Shadow makes Keera question her position as the Blade and who her real enemy could be.
This book definitely lived up to the hype. It was fast-paced and action packed. This story was based on the way Indigenous people were/are treated in North America. The King in this book took the lands from the Fae and Elves who lived there. Halflings, those who were half mortal, half elf, were deemed as lesser. The King would take custody of and train Halflings as his own soldiers. This story showed how horrible a leader like the King really is, and it’s disturbing that it’s a mirror image to what happened in the real world here.
A Broken Blade is a fantastic fantasy! I can’t wait to read the sequel!
Thank you Union Square and Co and Manda Group for sending me a copy!
Content warnings: self harm, alcoholism, murder, physical abuse, parental death
What to read next:
A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair
Other books in the series:
- A Shadow Crown (The Halfling Saga #2)
Have you read A Broken Blade? What did you think of it?
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