Book Review: Five Broken Blades

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland 

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

Pages: 512

Format: ebook

My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Oh, Gods on High! Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland was a heck of a ride. I literally picked this book fully blind with zero expectations. I didn’t even read the blurb or anything. I was only curious about it because the author and I have the same name. Now that I read it, I gotta say I loved it!

This book turned out to be one of the most gripping, fast-paced, and epic fantasy books I’ve ever read. I swear I was hooked from the first chapter to the last page. I stayed up way too late, flipping page after page just to see what would happen next. 

The storyline is a killer. And I loved that it was inspired by Korean mythology. I really admire how Corland was able to portray vengeance, power, and the thin line between ally and enemy this well. 

The characters’ development was top-notch, with every character being badass. Each has their own secrets and voices. But they all share one goal: killing Joon, the God King of Yusan. 

First off, we’ve got Sora, the poison maiden. All she wants is to save her sister and win their freedom. She's got this intense vibe, and you can’t help but root for her. Then there's Tiyung, who accompanies Sora to make sure she does her job. I really liked the tension between these two.

Next up is Aeri, the slick thief, she could steal the sugar from your coffee without you noticing. She hires Royo, the muscle guy, for her protection. He's strong and seriously quiet, yet surprisingly sweet. 

We’ve also got Euyn, the exiled prince with a bounty on his head. Despite his dark and tragic past, his story is super compelling, I had no option but to feel for him. Finally, there’s Mikail, the king's spymaster. His loyalties are super murky, which keeps you guessing the whole time.

To be honest, the writing style took me a bit to get used to. It jumps around between 6 first-person POVs. But once you’re in, all is good. With the story told from different perspectives, you’re left wondering who’s actually lying and who’s telling the truth. 

Overall, the execution was simply...*chef's kiss*. I’d have given the book 5 stars if it weren’t for that twist at the end cause I easily spotted it from a mile away. Regardless, it kept me up at night, turning pages. And I’m already strapped in for the sequel. Bring it on, Corland. I’m ready.