Victoria Aveyard worked wonders with her first y/a fantasy series, Red Queen. She is an incredible worldbuilder and her plots will never bore you. With her latest series, Realm Breaker, she has done it again. The series remains unfinished for now, with one book left unpublished, but the first two definitely do not disappoint. It is filled with action, adventure, humor, great characters, your favorite tropes, and surprising plot twists you'll never see coming.
Any lover of fantasy will fall in love with the book's rich descriptions of the fantastical world and unique magic within it. Set during a medieval time period, it is full of adventure. Of course, in order to reach all the action, first a reader needs to be acclimated to the setting. One of my favorite parts of the book is actually the beautiful, incredibly detailed map. Not only is it enjoyable to look at, but it has such great detail that as the story advances through the book, you can completely picture the characters' movements. In addition to this, the book also does an incredible job of creating unique aesthetics and cultures for each country of the imagined realm. As you read, you can feel the different atmospheres of the cities or countries the characters visit. It adds an additional depth to the story that makes it much more of an enjoyable read.
Now, as for the plot itself, you won't be able to put the book down. The story takes place in a realm known as Allward. There were once magical portals, known as Spindles, connecting Allward to other realms. The other realms ranged from benevolent to wrathful. So, to protect Allward, the Spindles were closed. Far later, in a time when few remember the Spindles ever having been open, an evil god from another realm, known as What Waits, chooses to manipulate a man to open the Spindles again. Not just anyone can open a Spindle though. Two things are required, Corblood and a Spindleblade. Old Cor was an empire that once ruled all of Allward. Its people were a race born to adventure across the realms with the ability to open and close Spindles. A Spindleblade, as its name suggests, is a blade made to tear spindles either open or closed. The man chosen, Taristan, was born with Corblood and stole a Spindleblade. The story opens with an epic battle between Taristan, his accomplice the Red Wizard, the evil, undead army he unleashes from a Spindle, and a small group of the most fearsome of knights from all the realm. Don't be scared away by all of this detail. Like any good fantasy book, Realm Breaker starts off with a lot of confusing worldbuilding. The prologue consists of this battle, which lets readers get engaged with the setting and the realities of the world being created. It also sets up the main storyline, including the main conflict. The two people to survive the battle, other than the villains, are the only two people in the realm with the knowledge that a Spindle is open. This includes what came out of said Spindle and who is responsible for it.
This starts off the story with the first two members of what becomes a foursome of unlikely heroes. Domachridhan, an immortal warrior and a prince, barely leaves the battle alive, scarred and heartbroken from the loss of a friend. He makes his way back to his people, who live in the hidden province of Iona. After telling them of what happened, they choose to do nothing. Angry, Dom sets out on a quest to save the realm on his own. His mission begins with a search for someone with Corblood. In a cruel twist of fate, that someone happens to be the child of the friend he lost in battle.
Meanwhile, Andry Trelland, a squire for one of the knights killed by the undead army, goes back to his homeland, the powerful and ambitious land of Galland. His queen also chooses to do nothing and ignores his warnings. He holds the second key to stopping Taristan: the Spindleblade. In Dom's quest to find the Corblood daughter of his lost friend, he encounters Sorasa Sarn. Sorasa is a deadly assasin, much at odds with Dom's noble sense of honor. Together, Sorasa and Dom find the last hope for the realm: Corayne an-Amarat. She is a pirate's daughter who has never seen the world outside of her seaside city, but she craves adventure. The girl, the immortal, and the assassin must find the squire and become a team capable of defeating an evil god seeking to conquer their realm.
These main characters really pull the story together, making for an exciting, funny, and entertaining read. Sorasa's sharp tongue poking at Dom's sheltered, honorbale mind will bring a laugh up your throat more than once. The complicated dynamic of the group creates chilling tension sometimes, fast paced action others, and hilarious banter throughout. Because the book was written through multiple POVs, it also allows for more in depth looks into all of the main characters' minds. This not only adds additional depth to the story, but it also enhances the reader's ability to get to know the characters. By the end of the book, you'll feel like you understand them.
None of this even mentions the romance or favored tropes the author used. Found family, enemies to lovers, and morally gray villains will make you even more invested. And, I'll even give you a spoiler, the villains get romance, too.
Overall, Realm Breaker is one of the best y/a fantasy books I've read in a while, and the sequel, Blade Breaker, is much the same. I definitely recommend you give it a chance!
You can check out both Realm Breaker and Blade Breaker today at the library!
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