A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair
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Web ID: 14788974100% YES
Gotta say this doesn’t beat Fourth Wing but DOES beat ACOTAR!!! DO NOT COME FOR ME!! This is just my personal opinion! I loved this book with every part of fantasy love I have in my heart ❤️ The world building was beautifully written and the characters were enjoyable and relatable! It was so easy to understand and grasp and Keera is a BADASS! Even though she wishes she doesn’t have to do the things she does! I highly recommend this book!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Worth the Read
It is refreshing to see a FMC in fantasy that is not 19. Keera is very flawed and fairly unlikeable for most of the book, but that is what kept me reading.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
This is why we need to get rid of Tiktok
Everybody thinks they can be SJM. This could’ve been a good read but the editing is BAD. There’s a lot of bad grammar and spelling errors. From what I can tell she didn’t even use an editor. The descriptions of characters and land is barely enough detail. The second book is slightly better but still has spelling errors. This is a poor attempt at copying TOG. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets sued for plagiarism.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Dont waste your time
This book has all of the ingredients of a great book, but its terrible. It felt like it was written by an artificial intelligence program. I love fantasy and YA but this was just baaaad. A tiktoker recommended this book along with others (very good books) so i am shocked they included this book as a Must Read. When i was a child i used to read books in barnes & noble because i could not afford to buy them and after finishing this book i wish i had plopped into a chair and done a trial reading before buying this thing.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing ❤️
I love this book so much. It definitely took a little bit for me to get into and really start to understand the world and what was going on but once it clicked I was hooked and obsessed. I love Keera so much!!!!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Search for Redemption
This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier. Synopsis: Keera is the spy and assassin of King Aemon. She is the King’s Blade and leader of the Arsenal, an elite group of Halfling slaves known as Shades. When a mysterious operative called the Shadow moves against the Crown, the King tasks her with hunting him down and bringing back his head. Following the Shadow’s trail, she crosses into the magical lands of the Fae. However, nothing is what it seems. As she discovers the truth, she must consider who her real enemy is: the Shadow who leads the rebellion or the royal family who murdered and enslaved her people. The search for answers brings back a promise she made long ago. Review: A Broken Blade is a fantasy novel set in The Halfling Saga. First, in the world Melissa Blair created, Halfling is the word for half-breed: half elf, half human: half Fae, half-elf, etc. Keera is unsure of her parentage, but all Halflings are subject to the Crown, i.e., slaves with no rights. The Crown may train a select group as Shades: spies and assassins who serve at the pleasure of the King. Keera is the best of the best: the King’s Blade. However, Keera is haunted by those innocents she has murdered for the Crown, often combating her pain with alcohol. When tasked with taking down a mysterious rebel only known as the Shadow, her world gets turned upside down, and she has a chance to destroy the Crown itself. Melissa Blair created a fantastic world peopled with humans, elves, and Fae. The Broken Blade covers topics of oppression and searching for redemption. It was a story that was hard to put down. I’m looking forward to the sequel, A Shadow Crown.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Very mixed feelings..
(2.5 stars) I have mixed feelings about A BROKEN BLADE by Melissa Blair. I fell for the TikTok hype when it was all about who the Unknown Author of this book. I even purchased a copy intending to read it (that didn’t happen); the reveal happened, I was like, “oh,” and I felt less inclined to read it. But when the book was available on audio I was more inclined to listen because the preview had a great narrator with Kyla Garcia. But I’m just not sure this was the fantasy book for me… Friends, it took me so long to get into this book. Like sooooooooooo long. I think I stretched that out enough to make you understand, haha. The only reason I didn’t DNF is I owned the book and wanted to give it a chance. Also, my friend said it got better, and I trust her. My other big grievance is that I’m super tired of the MC, especially female MC, using drugs or alcohol as a crutch. Yes, I know Keera had her demons, but she was self-medicating. I’m tired of this trope being “cool” and “acceptable” in books, whether fantasy, thrillers, or literary fiction. I know this happens in the real world, but why are we glorifying in books? (Keera does get help, but it’s a magic help, and she still battles it. So it’s not even something that people fighting this can use as a way to help them.) As y’all can see, I’m really tired of this plot point. It’s a fantasy book; make something up! Geez, you’ve really dragged on this book. Did you like it at all? I did, actually! But I didn’t get invested until like the last 40%. So, take that for what you will. I think Blair has some good potential as a writer with representation, world-building, and overall ideas, but it takes some time to get there. The ending definitely surprised me. Am I dying to reread it? No. Am I aching for the sequel? No. Will I read the second book? I’m curious, but I won’t make it a priority. Should you read this? Again, I wouldn’t make it a priority, but if you do, listen to it - the narration was excellent! Content Warning: (per the author) This book is a fantasy romance that explores themes of addiction, colonialism, depression, and systemic violence. While it’s not the focus of the book or depicted graphically on the page, some content may be triggering for readers who have experienced self-harm, assault, depression, or su*c*dal ideation. Please read with care.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
intriguing fantasy
A BROKEN BLADE is an enthralling fantasy read. Keera is the king's Blade, a particular Halfling that works as an assassin for the crown and rules over the Shades, other Halflings forced into the king's service. In this world, their kingdom is ruled by a cruel man and his cruel crowned prince who have sought to eradicate the Fae, Elves, and Halflings. All Halflings are to be turned over to the crown upon birth to serve in brothels, as the militia/spies with the Shades, or to be executed. Keera detests her position and that of the Halflings around her. However, change seems impossible, and she is weighed down by each innocent she must slay in service to the king. Her latest mission has been about the Shadow, a man who seems to be working against the crown in new and effective ways. As she begins to investigate and trace down leads, Keera finds something new - hope. This was an overall fun fantasy with solid world-building and thought-provoking themes around grief, mental illness (addiction), trust, forced servitude, abuse of power, and race-based prejudice. Keera is a compelling character who tries her best to survive in this harsh world, trying to do right by those around her, but often in a flawed and obscured way. As she learns more about the world beyond the Shades and the king's control, she begins to see a new path forward, particularly with the Shadow, the character whom she has been fighting - and who kissed her during one such fight. While I did overall enjoy the book, the writing became more compelling as it continued. The beginning was difficult to get into, and the writing felt jilted. It really came into its own later on. The big twist at the end was easy to figure out right from the very start, and I do appreciate some surprises along the way. There are also a lot of strings left hanging, and the book is very focused on Keera's inner monologue, which means that other characters felt underdeveloped by a lot. These are all things that can be really improved with the next book, so I am definitely curious to continue. Keera is still figuring out, in some ways, who she will be when the dust settles, and it will be interesting to see her come into her own. Hopefully, the reader will also get to know other characters better in future books as well. Overall, this was an intriguing fantasy with important themes, solid world-building, and a great premise. I will definitely be seeking out the next book. Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com