Realm Breaker

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A team of strangers must face the dangers of an unassailable enemy with an army of the dead at his back.

The book starts off with an epic fantasy battle, which is usually reserved for the end of a fantasy novel. Andry Trelland is a squire who witnesses the battle and must bring word of the event to his queen. Queen Erida of Galland is also one of the book's many narrators. Her story begins as she struggles with how to use the information the squire has brought to her and thwarts her council's attempts to find her a husband.

Corayne an-Amarat lives on an out-of-the-way island and spends her days gathering information for her pirate/smuggler mother. She longs to go out on her mother's ship but her mother adamantly refuses. Then two strangers arrive who offer her a way off of the island, but her price is that she must save the world.

Sorasa Sarn is an assassin who is recruited by one of the mysterious Elders, immortal beings trapped in this world when the Spindles broke and travel to other worlds became impossible. They join Corayne and Andry and pick up a witch, a forger, and a bounty hunter on their journey.

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. The plot is filled with twists and treachery, making the reader wonder if these companions will ever be able to save the world.

The many narrators are common in epic fantasy novels but may deter readers who aren't used to keeping track of so many storylines. Each character is interesting which makes the switches between stories welcome instead of a trial. Aveyard is good at switching characters when the action begins, so a reader is left on the edge of their seat through the next chapter.

Fantasy, especially YA fantasy, was inundated with dystopian novels with strong female leads after the success of The Hunger Games and Divergent. I was still reading these novels, but they all began to run together after reading so many similar series. This novel is the beginning of a series rooted in classic epic fantasy like The Wheel of Time with a diverse cast of characters.

In many ways, this book outperforms Aveyard's previous Red Queen and its series. Both are enjoyable, but this one truly shines. Realm Breaker is a book not just to simply enjoy, but to devour.

Recommended for all fans of epic fantasy or YA fantasy.

Victoria Aveyard is a bestselling YA author and screenwriter. She lives in Los Angeles.

Series: Realm Breaker, #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

Length: 576 pages

Release Date: May 4, 2021

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.