TW: ritual scarification & torture

I really enjoyed this book! Although Keera is an assassin/spy, and has to do horrible things, you really root for her. Even though she is in a position of power, at the end of the day she is more or less the King’s slave. I think the way this book described the interactions between races (Mortal, Elf, Fae, and Halfling) was really interesting and not something I’ve seen in other books. The pacing & writing were well done.

Thank you to NetGalley & Union Square & Co for this advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

“I’d spent years surrounding myself with nothing but ghosts. Now, I had chosen fight for the living instead.”
A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair
Great worldbuilding? Check
Morally Complex MC? Check
Enemies to uneasy allies to potentially something more? Check
Only one bed trope? Check
Plotting against the genocidal King? Check
Undiscovered magical heritage? Check
Fae, Elves & Magic? Check
Almost 70 year old MC with a possible immortal lifespan? Check

This was one I was quite dubious going into because of the hype surrounding it, it made me second guess whether the story was truly going to be enjoyable or whether it has just cause the hype current. I am happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it was a little slow to begin with, once the pace started to pick up it was hard to put the book down. Keera was a great MC, with a lot of heart & soul, battling her past demons & her addiction to alcohol which came about to help keep the demons of her past & the horrors of her work as the Kings Blade at bay. You could see how soul destroying she found the work she was forced to do, & how much she did behind the scenes to offset the horrors the King inflicted on those he considered his property. Her constant secret acts of defiance & rebellion made me admire her & suspect she was far more complex than she was willing to acknowledge to herself. I loved the blossoming found family in the book, it is without a doubt one of my favourite tropes & it has been written so well in this book, it didn’t feel forced, or that it happened too quickly. Nikolai in particular endeared himself to me, I am such a sucker for the jester & peacemaker of a group, perhaps because I myself am such a hothead I enjoy having a friend who can break the tension so easily with a funny quip or fast placed expression. All in all a solid four star read and I’m already delving into the pages of the second book which I’ve been fortunate enough to secure a digital ARC of, so stay tuned for a review on that one soon!

I read this book knowing everyone compared it to Throne of Glass and I didn't mind it at all.
Really liked Melissa's writing and I was intrigued with the worldbuilding.
Despite not being fast pace, which I was looking for cause I'm in the mood for fast plots, it's a good story and I'll be reading the second book.

I like this first installment in this series. The world building and character development was very good. I was interested in the book when I heard about it on TikTok when the author was unknown. I love supporting indigenous authors and I'm glad this is getting widespread distribution.

I was super excited to read this book, just because I had heard many good things about it... and I am kind of let down. Let it be noted that this isn't necessarily a bad book by any means (I still enjoyed it and had a good time). It just... was very bland and felt very predictable. And maybe that's my own brain's fault for feeling that way, but it just felt like another "I'm not like other girls/halflings" story that tries to combine too much into one book.

Keera is an okay character, but she doesn't really do much to connect with the reader. I did love her friendship with her maid, which was my favorite relationship in the book. The Shadow.... a cliche and I had his type pegged from the beginning.

I will say that there was a tiny bit of a plot twist that I was not expecting, so kudos to Blair for getting that in there. But otherwise, a very mid-tier book. Worth it if you want to try it out, but it's nothing AMAZING.

I loved this one. It gave me some Sarah J. Maas vibes with the Fae elements so a good rec to her fans. Also, super pleased to support an Indigenous queer woman.

Favorite fantasy series of the year. A Broken Blade is really refreshing and a fresh new idea. The world this story is set in has Fae, Elves and Humans. Most of the elves are gone and halfings that exist are part Fae. Halflings are forced into service of the king which is where Keera comes in. She is the king’s blade and a halfling. Her job is to move in the shadows and remove any threats to the crown.

However, she’s met her match with the Shadow. A mysterious man who is hell bent on taking down the crown. To find The Shadow, Keera must go outside the kingdom and into Fae territory. What she discovers is so much more about her kind and much more than she ever thought possible.

Keera is a such a tough and independent character. She’s smart and has a talent for being an assassin. But also has a bigger heart than expected. She’s a character that’s not easily forgotten.

The story itself is really entertaining and fast paced. I found it pretty difficult to put down and the world it’s based in is really well done. I could actually picture the towns and villages as well as the kingdom. Everything in the story was interesting and well written. I expected the story to take time to build like most fantasy novels but this one jumps right into the action as it builds the world for the reader. Mixed in with the action is a little bit of romance and just the right amount of suspense.

A broken blade is definitely going to be an all time favorite. I can’t wait for the next the next one.

Thank you to NetGallery, the author (Melissa Blair) and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick paced, high fantasy book that included a slow burn, enemies to loves romance, forced proximity AND the one bed trope!!
I found this book to have a good storyline, was fast paced and I enjoyed it.

I have a confession: I’m kind of a BookTok snob. On one hand, this is simply laziness and I’ve never spent the time to really dive into this medium. But on the other hand, from what I’ve seen, it seems like the kind of platform where a very small number of books dominate the recommendations. Obviously, this is great for those books, but this focus on a small number of books means that while some get tons of exposure, less well known works slip through the cracks. And, of course, we all know my track record with these highly promoted books…for some reason I just can’t get on the same page as many fans!

Keera’s world is, if not a happy place, at least a well order one, one in which she clearly knows the role she plays, dark as it is. She is an assassin and spy, so skilled that she is the King’s favorite. Of course, this has lead her down dark paths that she struggles to live with. But, such is her world. However, when she is sent hunt down a strange person known as the Shadow, she must venture outside of her typical boundaries and into Faeland. There, she discovers truths that shake her to her very core, forcing her to reimagine the world she thought she was living within.

If you look at Goodreads, this book is rated pretty highly: firmly in the four star range. And, honestly, I can see why. This book reads as the sort of thing that was built to sell. Pick a favorite fantasy trope, and there’s a good chance it’s in this book. Want to play book bingo? This book’s the one for you. Paint by numbers plotting and characters? Check, check, check! It’s not that anything is outrageously bad, it’s just all so very, very familiar that I found myself almost immediately struggling to want to continue reading. Individually, I get why many of these elements are appealing (I mean, on their own I like most of these tropes too), but doesn’t there come a point where readers can feel the pandering a bit too clearly? This book felt like that to me. It was built to sell, and I could still see the marketing department’s fingerprints all over it.

But, like I said, there is nothing actively bad about it. The writing doesn’t qualify as bad, but it is definitely on the more wooden side, too often falling back on telling its readers how to think and feel than showing them or leading them to certain conclusions in more subtle ways. The characters, too, had elements that could have made them interesting, like Keera’s struggle with alcoholism. But this telling sort of writing let these character aspects fall flat. Beyond that, Keera fell a bit too close to the “not like other girls” line, and her character arc never really felt like it challenged her at all.

Even themes that could have had some weight seemed to deflate when actually explored. The story flirts with an interesting discussion of colonialism before quickly subsiding back into the straight-forward plotting that makes up the majority of the story. I don’t know how many synonyms for “flat” I can use at this point, because the worldbuilding was also lackluster. I often had more questions than answers, and the bits of descriptions we do come by all feel fairly generic.

As you can see, I don’t have much positive to say about this book. I can’t point to any one thing that was actively bad, but it was definitely one of those books that felt like a chore to read from start to very-predictable finish. Fans of these tropes may like it (and must, given the Goodreads rating!), but honestly, they all felt tired out to me, and there are better examples all over the place of any one of them.

"A Broken Blade" is the first in the Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair.

We follow Keera, the king's Blade, #1 killer, as she unfortunately helps his bloody centuries long reign. Because he did war crimes so hard he doesn't age anymore, allegedly. But she is a half-elf (halfling) so she really does not have any rights in this society, but can at least survive where she is. But the kingdom is threated by an outside force, when she is sent to deal with it other options reveal themselves.

Reasons to read:
-Not a lot of stories have the MC be an alcoholic in this type of story
-The movement of food and trade was important
-Some folks that need to be clipped
-Fun side characters

Cons:
-Folks didn't get clipped on the timetable I desired
-Every time I read "halfling" I imagined someone different than the author intended

This book was great! I can't wait to read what happens next.

The storyline kept me engaged which made it hard to put down.

I completely forgot I was approved for this book on Netgalley, shame on me. The blurb sounded like it'd be something I'd quite enjoy. And guess what? I finally didn't get disappointed by a blurb! A Broken Blade has plenty of meh points in it, but overall I quite enjoyed myself. At the end I truly couldn't put it down, only for it to end rather quickly. I do despise when that happens in a fantasy book. All that built up and then I need to read book two to actually get my answers...

I didn't connect with the writing as well as I'd liked. There were certainly some good parts or I wouldn't have given this book a pretty high rating (high for me), but overall I often found myself losing the connection and skimming the pages until something interesting happened.

The characters were a little flat for my liking. I like them a bit more 3 dimensional and these felt very surface level. The author clearly focused on world building and has a plot driven story and not a character driven story. The smut was nice, but I don't quite feel the chemistry between Riven and Keera because they're relationship is very surface level as well.

In the end I did enjoy myself so this book deserves its three and a half stars, which is truly a high rating for me (I'm hella picky).

Stunning cover, and a stunning storyline. I am thoroughly impressed by this book. I was gravitated to this book through the cover alone and I am so glad I read this book. I loved the writing and cannot wait to see more of what this author will bring.

This was really enjoyable and I will be putting it on the buy list for the library for the 2023-2024 school year. I liked the world and the MC. I have a few girls who I know will absolutely love this book when we get it.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

2.5 rounded up to 3.

I will preface this by saying that I do not have a tik tok account. I had no notion of the hype behind this book online. I simply thought it sounded like it would be a good read. There were a few things that I did enjoy. I liked how the characters had struggles and other concerns outside of the fantasy setting. These were issues, like PTSD, substance abuse, and self harm, which some may want to know going into this. I liked the setting, since it had been quite a while since I have read any fantasy with either elves or fae.

However, the things I disliked far outweighed what I did. I was somewhat confused the whole time about the differences between the elves and the fae, and I felt like it wasn't particularly well explained. The setting was interesting but also didn't feel fully fleshed out with the history between the races and different kingdoms. The plot was very slow and right when something did happen, it was over quickly then we were back to waiting. I normally enjoy political fantasy, however, there didn't seem to be anyone I could particularly root for. The king was horrible, don't get me wrong, but no ones loyalties were clear and I felt like everyone's morals were all over the place. And the actual plot didn't necessarily feel new either.

Overall, it felt like something I'd read before.

This is such a great New Adult Fantasy. I originnaly saw it on TikTok and it lved up to the hype. I love Keera, the main character, espically her development through the story. and the slow burn romance really kept me intriguied!

This may come as a surprise but I don’t have Tik Tok. I know, I know. It seems like such a popular platform for discussing, reviewing, and discovering books. I don’t know what keeps holding me back. Maybe I’m a little intimidated by it? Or maybe I just don’t like the idea of making videos that feature my face? I can’t decide. Anyways, this is completely relevant because A Broken Blade trended on Tik Tok for very specific reasons. First, it was originally released anonymously with only the clue of it being written by a fellow BookTok’er revealed. I can only imagine how fun it must have been trying to guess who the author was. Second, it was written with the fantasy BookTok community in mind. Basically, it’s an ode to pretty much every trending trope. You name it and it most likely has it. Enemy to lovers? Check. One bed? Check. Found family? Check. Should I go on?

Now, I know what you’re thinking… Are these tropes overplayed? Is it too much? The answer is no! Even though the plot and its characters are very formulaic, I still found A Broken Blade to be quite enjoyable. It is one of those binge-worthy books because even though you know what to expect, you’re still excited to see how it all plays out. I’ll be honest and admit that I don’t reach for fantasy like this very often. But there is always room for books that provide a quick escape with an easy-to-follow plot. Have you seen that meme about how people with anxiety watch the same show over and over again because it’s comforting on a level that isn’t even recognizable? That’s what this book reminds me of.

I don’t think I’ve read a fantasy book that explores alcoholism in the main character. And honestly, I kinda wish that were still the case. While I appreciate the representation, I don’t think that it was utilized properly. In the beginning half of the book, it is repetitively mentioned and described. After swapping alcohol out for a substance to help curb her cravings (not a recommended treatment plan), her addiction drastically drops off the storyline. It was just a little… too convenient. It was almost as if her addiction could have never existed, and her character and the overall story wouldn’t have been much different.

With that said, I did enjoy this way more than I thought I would. It reminded me of Throne of Glass and Kingdom of Essence, both books/series that I loved and would read again. I do wish there had been more of a focus on worldbuilding and lore. I’m still a little confused about the history of the world and why certain species are so hated. But overall, I will definitely be picking up book two once it is released. The story ends on a cliffhanger with a great last line of dialogue that left me with a goofy grin. I just got my physical copy in the mail, and I can’t wait to read the extra chapter included at the end from Riven’s perspective. Does this mean book two will be multi-POVs? I hope so!!!

I recommend this book for fans of: tropes, tropes, tropes, badass female MCs that are haunted by their past, people versus government, fast-paced reads, witty banter, YA fantasy like Throne of Glass, morally grey characters, and heists.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square Co. for allowing me access to this eARC in exchange for my review.

This story is full of many good and popular elements, and while that got me interested in picking up the book, the writing and storyline just didn’t keep me excited to read more. I just felt like I was dragging through the book as most of it just felt “expected.”

It was still a trope-y, fun, fantasy adventure!

The Book I've Been Searching For.

I find it difficult to believe that Melissa Blair is a first-time author.
I find it even harder to believe she reached her critical acclaim on TikTok.

A third of the way through Blair's debut novel and I was already desperate for a sequel. Blair tackles many difficult nuances with ease and grace of prose.
We see gentrification, sexism, homelessness, slavery, sex work, self-harm, abuse, alcoholism, racism, elitism, and classism (to name a handful of topics) delivered point-blank. Unflinching and without exploitation or excess. On the flip side we also see unabashed queer representation without reproach. And an enemies-to-lovers story that feels entirely organic.

Whatsmore: A Broken Blade's worldbuilding and lore feels fully fleshed out without being overwhelmingly expansive, giving you only what you need to know to be in the moment without being pulled from the pages or making you feel confined to a narrative-exclusive sandbox. The driving characters are pushed and pulled by morally grey tides leaving few (if any) clearly defined heroes. And magic is both believable and awe-inspiring.

Halfway through the book and I purchased a physical copy.
Two-thirds and I pre-ordered the upcoming sequel.

Without giving away plot, all I can say is that this has been my 2022 book of the year and I plan to revisit it often.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Sterling Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

This was a really enjoyable book! It's a lot of fun and action-packed. It's also fast-paced and has representation. If you love morally grey characters, then I'm certain you'd like the main character, Keera. She is a very morally grey person so it's very in line with Six of Crows or A Darker Shade of Magic people. There are a lot of tropes many of us tend to like as well such as one-bed tropes and enemies to lovers.