#Review - Fate Breaker by Victoria Aveyard #Fantasy (Epic)

Series: Realm Breaker # 3
Format: Hardcover, 640 pages
Release Date: January 31, 2024
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library
Genre: Epic Fantasy

The final installment in Victoria Aveyard’s New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker series pits good against evil for the fate of the realm, featuring more of the breathless action, deadly twists, and amazing cast of characters that has made this series perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Tolkien himself.

Change your fate—or kneel to it.

The Companions are scattered and hopeless, torn from each other. After Corayne barely escapes with her life, she must forge on alone, leaving her blade broken and her allies behind her. Her only consolation—Corayne now has Taristan's sword, the only Spindleblade left in existence. Without it, he can’t rip open any more Spindles. Without it, he can’t end the world.

But Taristan and Queen Erida will not be defeated so easily. Both will burn the world to bring down Corayne—and bring forth their demon god, What Waits, ready to claim the realm of Allward for his own. 

In a final clash between kingdoms and gods, all must rise to fight—or be destroyed. 

Fate Breaker, by Victoria Aveyard, is the third and final installment in the author's Realm Breaker trilogy. Everything has come to this. Prepare for a larger-than-life, unforgettable finale to the instant New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker series, where a shattered alliance must rise from the ashes to make their final stand against a ruthless enemy…and the demon god who looks to shroud the entire world in darkness. Key Characters: Corayne, Domacridhan, Sorasa, Andry, Sigil, Charlie, Garion, Valtik, Erida, and Taristan.

Ever since the failed battle of Gidaston, where a key character fell to the undead hordes led by Taristan, the Companions are scattered and hopeless, torn from each other. After Corayne (The Hope for the Realm) barely escapes with her life, she must forge on alone, leaving her blade broken and her allies behind her until she finds her way to the fabled land of the Elders. Her only consolation—Corayne now has Taristan's sword, the only Spindleblade left in existence. Without it, he can’t rip open any more Spindles. Without it, he can’t end the world. 

Now, from every corner of the realm, the Companions race to reunite while they rally old allies and seek unexpected new ones, including Corayne's pirate mother Meliz an-Amarat, in one final push against darkness. But Taristan and Erida are all but invincible. With their cruel god, What Waits, on their side, they will sacrifice anything and anyone to his hunger. Erida is now clearly hearing the voice of her new master, and nothing it seems, will be able to stop her. Not even legendary Jydi Raiders and immortal Elders. 

Good faces evil one final time…but will our Companions be triumphant? Or will the realm fall to evil? Readers can expect a thrilling and action-packed end to this dynamic series—complete with plenty of Victoria Aveyard’s infamous twists, which will have readers on the edge of their seats right down to the final page. The Realm Breaker series has all the touchstones that made Victoria’s previous books an instant hit—complex worlds, sweeping plots, nonstop action, engaging prose, and relatable characters—with life-or-death stakes that bring this series to an entirely new level. 

Take a group of strangers and make them work together to save the world…easy, right? Fans have enjoyed this cast of characters of lovable, grumpy, trigger-happy heroes, and will be thrilled to follow their ride-or-die favorites as they fight, banter, and even fall in love through this finale. Starting in the first book, we met Queen Erida, who would do anything for power…and Taristan, who will do anything to give it to her. They are steamy, ferocious, and downright villainous—admittedly one of Victoria Aveyard’s favorite couples to write!

As Corayne and her companions travel to new lands, encounter unique dangers, and build an army to defeat the evil king, it is more essential than ever that they work together to save their world. Corayne is pushed to her limits, grappling with destiny and the immense weight of the world resting squarely on her shoulders. There are some really curious dynamics at work in this story. Corayne and Andry. "With Me!" Dom and Sorasa? Wow, didn't see that relationship grow to what it became. Okay, yes, Erida and Taristan had a strange but strong relationship. Especially at the end. I smiled when Corayne and her mother reunited. Meliz's actions really changed the course of this story and the fight against Erida's forces. 

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#Review - Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard #YA #Fantasy

Series: Realm Breaker # 2
Format: Hardcover, 592 pages
Release Date: June 28, 2022
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

The sequel to Victoria Aveyard’s instant #1 New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker features more of the breathless action, deadly twists, and gripping magic that makes this series perfect for fans of Garth Nix and J. R. R. Tolkien.

One Spindle has been closed, but the enemy is far from defeated.

Fighting beside her band of unlikely companions, Corayne is learning to embrace the power of her ancient lineage and wield her father’s powerful sword.

But while they successfully sealed the Spindle Taristan opened, they can’t rest easy yet. With his army marching across Allward, opening more portals into terrible alternate worlds as he goes, Corayne has no choice but to rally her own army and become the hero she’s destined to be.

But what Taristan unleashes next might burn the world to the ground before there’s any chance at victory.

Breakneck adventure meets impossible thrills in this nonstop sequel to the instant #1 New York Times bestselling hit Realm Breaker—introducing lethal new challenges and an unstoppable enemy that will push Corayne and her companions, and the world they so love, to the breaking point.

Blade Breaker, by author Victoria Aveyard, is the second installment in the authors Realm Breaker series. The series is set in a world called Allward that, at one time, was the crossroads for travel between other worlds. The portals that were used by travelers are called spindles. Once upon a time, Corayne's ancestors were spindleborn, children of a lost realm who are slowly dying out. One of the repercussions of losing the spindles is that there are groups of people in the Aveyard’s world like Domacridhan who actually came from another world, and are cut off from their ancestral home, who age differently that regular humans. 

This story has all the touchstones like complex worlds, sweeping plots, nonstop action, engaging prose, and relatable characters—but brings the stakes to a whole new level, taking these beloved characters across the breadth of Allward as they rally their world to face the growing threat of Taristan and Erida’s inhuman army. This story picks up immediately after the events of Realm Breaker so please read that book before diving into this story. Possible spoilers are possible. Sorry! Corayne and her Companions have won a battle by closing off one of the portals to a world filled with monsters thanks to Taristan.

But there's more trouble on the horizon including Queen Erida of Galland who wants to control all over Allward. Erida uses Taristan's army of the undead to conquer a neighboring country. While Taristan only cares for finding more Spindles and bringing about the end of all worlds, Erida wants to become an empress of the myriad countries that sprang from Old Cor's once united lands. As Corayne and her companions travel to new lands, encounter new dangers, and build an army to defeat the evil king, it is more essential than ever that they work together to save their world.  

But Taristan, who is working for What Waits, a demonic force that wants to enter the Realm, has unleashed an evil far more wicked than his corpse armies. Something deadly waits in the shadows; something that might consume the world before there's any hope for victory. Something that will either unite or cause Corayne's companions to fall like that of her father's companions while facing this evil. The story alternates between key characters like Corayne, Erida, Sorasa, Andry, Ridha, Princess of Iona, and Dom. This could be classified as an epic fantasy story since there's lot of long traveling and a large world that is slowly being revealed by the author.

It's hard for me not to compare this series to the Lord of the Rings books in that there is a companionship that is supposed to protect Corayne who carries a spindleblade and is said to be the one to stand against darkness. She's also the shortest, and most inexperienced character in the entire book, not unlike Frodo of the Shire was. As this is the middle book of the series, be prepared for everything and everything including a doozy of a cliffhanger. 

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#Review - Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker #1) by Victoria Aveyard #Fantasy #YA

Series: Realm Breaker # 1
Format: Hardcover, 576 pages
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

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.
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. 

Realm Breaker is the first installment in author Victoria Aveyard's new trilogy by the same name. If you've watched or read Lords of the Rings, this series should be for you. This story is packed with action, betrayal, and twists you won't see coming. It is an epic fantasy novel with a rather large cast of characters. The story begins with Andry Trelland who is a squire in the service to a knight who has joined a group called the companions of the realm. The companions quickly find themselves outnumber and massacred by one of the main villains of the story who is looking to tear open the realm to his master and allow all sorts of dangerous creatures to enter the world.

 

Corayne an-Amarat aka the smuggler's daughter is the second character introduced. Corayne's mother Meliz an-Amarat is a pirate who trusts her daughter's well being to others while she's kept Cora's father's name a secret. Corayne has always dreamed of the sea, of seeking the horizon, but her mother has always said no. After meeting with Dom and Sorasa, Corayne learns that her father was one of those who was lost his life in the battle at the beginning of this book. A father that she never met but somehow she is expected to be the last remaining descendant of his bloodline and wield his spindleblade. No pressure!

 

Domacridhan of Iona is an immortal or Vederan trying to avenge a broken promise. He, like Andry, was at the massacre at the beginning of this story and is only alive because he is immortal. Until Dom meets with Corayne, his only ally is Princess Ridha of Iona who goes on her own quest hoping to find allies to help Dom against the villains of this story. Dom realizes that Cora is like her father, restless and searching for something. Meanwhile, Dom's people are cowards and their only focus is finding a way home to Glorian which has been cut off from them.

 

Sorasa Sarn is an assassin of the Amhara, legend of the shadows, who has been exiled by her Lord Mercury. After meeting with Dom, Sorasa helps him search for any remaining Cor blood mortals who remain. The sons and daughters of Cor are all but extinct. Except for two. One of them being Corayne and the other being her diabolical and evil uncle Taristan. Sorasa has a rather large target that she is trying to avoid. She's made plenty of enemies, but has the skill set to survive and escape from most places.

 

Erida is Queen of Galland. After her knights were massacred leaving only Andry to live, Erida doesn't believe the story that Andry claims happens. She makes it known that everything she does is for power, including marrying the villain of this series and trying to stop Corayne and her group from being successful in shuttering the spindles which have unleashed armies of beings that haven't been seen in ages. 

 

Valtik is the strangest character in Corayne's allies. She's the sorceress who uses twisted riddles to get her message across. She's the one who advises Sorasa that the quest needs seven people to be successful. Trelland is a forger with a secret past. Sigil is a a bounty hunter with a score to settle. The team of seven is the only force that stands between the invincible Taristan and his mission to conquer all worlds and watch them burn. Taristan recruits some formidable allies that make the company's mission to stop them seem insurmountable. 

 

Realm Breaker is set in a world called Allward that, at one time, was the crossroads for travel between other worlds. The portals that were used by travelers are called spindles. Once upon a time, Cora's ancestors were spindleborn, children of a lost realm who are slowly dying out. One of the repercussions of losing the spindles is that there are groups of people in the Aveyard’s world who actually came from another world, and are cut off from their ancestral home, who age differently that regular humans. Elders or Vedera are considered immortal in Allward, although it is quickly established that an Elder can receive sufficient damage to be killed. We see a lot of different countries and kingdoms through out the book, from deserts to green oceans to stinking cities. 

 

As with the authors previous trilogy, the author leaves this story on a cliffhanger. If everything goes well, the next books will release over the next 2 years.

 

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#Review - War Storm (Red Queen #4) by Victoria Aveyard #YALIT #Fantasy

Series:  Red Queen # 4
Format: Hardcover, 672 pages
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Victory comes at a price.

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart—and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her—Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all… starting with the crown on Maven’s head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal’s powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything—and everyone—in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard’s stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power… for all will be tested, but not all will survive.

War Storm is the fourth and final installment in author Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series. The story itself picks up right were King's Cage left off. This is a story about three main characters; Mare "I Will Not Be A Red Queen" Barrow, Evangeline Santos, and Princess Born, Queen made by marriage, Iris Cygnet, while others like Cal and Maven Calore are tossed a bone or two to keep readers entertained. This story takes readers from Corvium, where Mare's allies defeated Maven, to the Lakelands Republic, where we meet Iris's mother and sister, as well as The Free Republic of Montfort where we have never been before. 

I have to say that my favorite character, shockingly, is Evangeline who is caught in the crossfire between her family, the woman she loves, and her so called destiny. She never once tried to change who she was, or who she loved, no matter how much restraint she got back from her own parents who wanted her to become Queen along side Tiberias Calore. I really wish that we could have seen more of Evangeline after the battle for Norta took place, and she kind of made a really brave and courageous choice. Plus, she was involved in most of the action scenes. Evangeline is a character who you really gain clear insights as to what she's had to deal with.

Iris is a powerful character who you just can't ignore. She's a silver princess who found herself married to Maven to save the tenuous peace agreement between their countries but she is cold as ice and devious as a fox. She's more than cunning, perhaps even better than Evangeline, or Mare for that matter. While she was powerful and stoic and a great poker face, she also showed some remnants of hidden or robotic emotions. 

In this book, Mare is the odd one out, but in the end, she made a choice and stuck with it no matter the consequences. She's really been through so much, that yes, she did deserve a peace of mind, and the ability to save her family from what is to come. She's full of desire to take down the monarchy of Norta, no matter if he hurts Cal or not. After all, he kind of already betrayed her, didn't he? I think the best scene was Mare and Maven in a curious personal battle when all hope seems lost. I also loved the curious relationship that developed between Evie and Mare. Too bad there wasn't more of it.

Tiberias Calore showed his naïveté through the book, but you can't help but admire his desire to do good, to make everyone happy, to protect his legacy, to meet everyone’s expectations. With strings pulling him in many different directions, and hoping doing right by Mare after what he did to her, whether she wants it or not, Cal is town to pieces not knowing what is right and what is expected. 

I am hesitant to say I feel for Maven, but after everything his mother did to him, I can't seem to help myself. Yes, he is a horrible character in how he treats the Reds, and Newbloods. But, let's be realistic. He was a puppet to another character who broke his mind instead of encouraging him to be better. Maven loved Mare, and yet he treated her horrifically in the previous installment. This is a story that you really see him at his lowest in his life and just wanting to have someone put an end to it. And, if that person is Mare, I think he would be happy all the way to his ending.

Let's just put this out there, War Storm isn't the perfect conclusion to a series. Its neither perfect in its entirety or perfect as a designated ending. It leaves the story at a partly open point, but it's also one that ties up many loose ends and solved the main plotline. Alas, I think this book could have honestly been 200+ plages shorter than 672, but alas I will most likely be in the minority when it comes to that position. 

One of my positives is what the book title itself managed to provide readers; War. The story isn't one that holds back and saunters into the sunset without offering a messy and bloody war in a real fashion. I hesitate to say that the battles were the best part of this story, but they actually were. Things constantly shift in this story. Shifting alliances, bigger and more dangerous enemies, betrayals and coldhearted politics. I loved that we got a glimpse of Montfort and Lakelands and the differences between who is in charge and how they treat their own people. 

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#Saturday Review - The King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Red Queen # 3
Format: Hardcover, 528 pages
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

When the Lightning Girl’s spark is gone, who will light the way for the rebellion?

Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother’s web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare’s heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.
When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

The King's Cage is the third installment in author Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series. The King's Cage picks up right where Glass Sword left off. Mare Barrow has been branded and collared by Maven Calore. She is a pretty prop that he intends to use to prove that he is a worthy replacement for his father. Mare is kept silenced and suppressed for a large part of this book. While in the cage of Maven's choosing, Mare is forced into being a puppet to Maven's whim's. She dressed up prettily, and forced into doing things that are supposed to make The Scarlet Guard look like terrorists instead of revolutionaries.

If you are curious as to what the point of having so much of Maven be revealed, well I will say that it was apparent that we are supposed to have feelings for the young King who was guided by his ruthless mother, and given not a whole lot of choices in the matter. One could say that Maven got his darkness from his mother, and that is all I am going to say on that topic. As it is, there are a whole lot of political movements and shenanigans that take place in this book. There is some large parts of the story where Mare finds herself a prop everywhere Mare and his entourage goes, including to the war front where Mare's only family has suffered greatly.

I am, I believe, one of the few people who has not compared this series to The Grisha trilogy or its evil mastermind The Darkling who was obsessed with the series heroine Alina. Maven's back story, while sad, is also not an excuse for his behavior, especially in the way he keeps Mare around for his amusement. It is not an excuse to embrace the darkness because of who your mother was, or what her powers did to you. Maven is a power obsessed villain who has no redeeming values, or that's the way I think of him. To force a failed and undesirable relationship between Maven and Mare over one forgotten moment in time that was brought to a screeching end by betrayal, is nothing that appeals to me as a reader. 

For me, The King's Cage is a let down, for the most part. I say for the most part because the battles for Corvium against Maven's silvers and Mare's The Scarlet Guard and New Bloods was perhaps the best part of the series. Mare, as a character, hasn't shown any willingness to actually grow. She may have a badass ability, but her mistakes are costly and deadly. At times, she suffers from what I like to call the the Mushroom syndrome. A syndrome where you're fed a bunch bullshit and kept in the dark which makes you easy pickings for villains. Mare isn't a Mary Sue character, however. She uses everything in her arsenal when it comes to using Maven's feelings for him to force a choice. She wants him to feel something, and if that means making him feel, well then she's done her job, now it is time to bring the whole thing down in a spectacular finish.

Everyone in this series has kept secrets from Mare. Everyone knows more about what is going on than Mare. Hell, even Cameron Cole knew more about what was happening than Mare did, which is why I was comfortable with a part of this story being told thru her narrative. Cameron Cole never backs down to anyone. She hates Cal with a passion. She wants to get her brother back even if it means she does so alone. She isn't one of The Scarlet Guard, but she fights with them because others, like Mare, have given up everything in order for others to survive. Evangeline Samos is the other character who most appeals to me in this story. Evangeline has been a character who is obviously powerful, obviously goal orientated, and obviously just as much of a pawn in a game of political machinations as Mare herself. But, Evangeline doesn't sit back and let things come to her. She works out strategy, protects those she loves, and ends up just as screwed as Mare.  

I do appreciate that the author & publisher attached a map of what is Norta, Piedmont, Lakeland, Tiraxes, and Montfort. Whenever the author mentions a certain character traveling to a certain city, I know that they mean Northeast US States, or Southeastern States, or even Western US States. I do know that much of this series takes place in what is known today's New York, with places like Syracuse and Buffalo having been changed to different names. I am not ready to get on any side of the romance choices. Mare has choices, yes, but as far as I can see, her choice lies in only one direction. A boy who she knows better than anyone else. A boy who has been pushed to the side, and given almost no storyline whatsoever. Whether or not the author choose that path, which would be amazing, is up to her. 

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#Tuesday Review - Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard #YALit #Fantasy @VictoriaAveyard @harperteen

Series: Red Queen # 2
Format: Hardcover, 444 pages
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they've always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

Mare Barrow's blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

Glass Sword, by author Victoria Aveyard, is the second installment in the Red Queen series. Glass Sword picks up right where Red Queen left off. Mare Barrow, aka lightning girl, is someone who has red blood and silver abilities. She has the power to control lightning which not only makes her a weapon, but it's something only the silver blooded are supposed to have. She is valuable, powerful, and to those looking to take down Maven and his mother, the ultimate tool to free the red bloods, and even some silver bloods who are tired of the status quo. 

One has to understand that after the events of Red Queen, there is going to be some emotional times, some slow times, some time where Mare and her allies travel to and fro, and some times where Mare will struggle to make the right decisions after the stunning betrayal by Maven who she thought was her friend. While there is enough action in the first third of this book to keep the reader focused on what comes next, it is the final third that will completely blow your minds. With Maven now a powerful adversary, Mare, Cal, her brother Shade, Farley and others have to put a group together to find the so called new bloods. 

Glass Sword is a wild ride that tests Mare's internal struggles as well as keeping her friends and family safe. Her abilities make her more than dangerous, it makes her curious about whether or not she is on the same path as Maven. Not an easy act to balance when things are clearly moving in a direction that Mare can't imagine. While Mare is able to collect a few powerful new bloods, and those new bloods are useful tools for the fight against Maven, Maven seems to know exactly where she is going next, and has all the answers for stalling Mare in her tracks.

I can't talk about that ending without cursing. Loudly. I am heart broken for the loss of a certain character. I am angry that Mare let her own issues blind her to what Maven was doing and then did what she does. I am not a fan of romances between characters who do the most vile thing possible, only to have the female character forget what she's fighting for. I dare say that I hope Mare doesn't end up with a case of Stockholm Syndrome and falls head over heels for Maven again. I can also say that I feel for Cal. He's definitely got the shaft and it will be interesting to see what path the author chooses to follow in the follow up sequels. I am also thinking that Aveyard is either an evil genius when it comes to Maven, or we are all in trouble.

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