I loved Mai Corland’s Five Broken Blades beyond words. I had really high expectations for Four Ruined Realms, the second book in the Broken Blades series. Mai met those expectations and then some. Dare I say Four Ruined Realms just might be better than Five Broken Blades? I think it is. The characters’ secrets have secrets. This group of morally gray characters– consisting of a thief (Aeri Soo), a muscle for hire (Royo), a poison maiden (Sora), the son of a count (Tiyung), an assassin/spy (Mikail), and an exiled prince (Euyn)–truly own my heart.

I love that Mai provides a character glossary at the start of the book, as well as a quick recap of Five Broken Blades. The recap isn’t detailed enough to give you all the ins and outs of the characters and everything that transpired. It’s more to refresh your memory, in case there’s a large gap in time between reading the books.

Four Ruined Realms is told from the points of view of all the main characters. Mai continues to show them all in a new light, with real emotions and actions. The intrigue is amped up with danger lurking around every corner. This story literally shattered me. Mai Corland is simply brilliant. I don't know what else to say.

I’m going to keep lying to myself by saying I can’t wait to read Three Shattered Souls. I really am looking forward to the book, but after Four Ruined Realms, I just don’t know how Three Shattered Souls isn’t going to break my heart and leave me in a million pieces.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Promises are cheap to lying lips.”

“People can grow to be different than the soil they were raised in.”

“True love doesn’t end just because of death.”

“Love is the greatest strength.”

“Shame is only what you feel when you can be better.”

“Sometimes sorry is the hardest word to pronounce.”

“Life is for living, for making mistakes and wringing the most out of good moments because the bad will always be there.”

“There can’t be forgiveness without regret.”

**Received an ARC from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it. Also personally purchased a deluxe hardcover copy. Okay, multiple deluxe special edition copies.**

I'm utterly captivated by the Ruined Realms series The first book drew me in with its intriguing world-building and complex characters, but it was the second installment that truly sealed my obsession. The dynamics between the characters are absolutely mesmerizing, with drama and tension simmering just below the surface. I can’t wait for the next one and how this series will end. Who will be left standing? Who will win? Who may tell the final lie?

Mai has done it again! After falling in love with the first book, I couldn’t wait for the sequel—and it definitely didn’t disappoint. This second installment is packed with more twists and turns than the first, keeping the plot fast-paced and engaging from start to finish. The characters are just as enthralling, and the banter? Unbeatable. I’m already eagerly waiting for the next book in the series!

The writing continues to shine, with strong character development that keeps readers invested, and the emotional depth adds a layer of heartfelt content to the action. If you’re looking for a story filled with heroes and heroines, good vs. evil, and non-stop action on every page, this series is your next must-read. It's absolutely worth all the hype—and I’m already counting down the days until the next one!

So… I really wanted to love this one. Five Broken Blades was one of my favorite reads last year—it completely hooked me from the start. But Four Ruined Realms? I’ve had it marked as “in progress” for months, and every time I try to pick it back up, I just can’t get into it. Even tried switching to the audiobook, and I kept dozing off. Not a great sign.

The bones of what I liked in the first book are still there—short, snappy chapters and a cast of multiple POVs with distinct voices. But this one just didn’t click for me. The plot felt like it got a bit lost in all the emotional drama between the characters. There’s a lot of pining and miscommunication, and since most of the characters are paired off into similar types of relationships, it started to feel repetitive. I didn’t find myself rooting for them the way I did before.

I will say the last chunk of the book picked up a bit and delivered on some action and reveals, but by then, I just wasn’t as invested. I ended up skimming to finish it—so technically, this one’s a DNF for me just based on the fact that I did skim to finish it because I was struggling so much.

This series has swept me away. Its not my normal type of read but i absolutely love the intrigue and the drama and the touch of fantasy. Mai is a genius when it comes to writing.

Really enjoyed this one. We received more of the fantasy aspect with this book. It was a nice, fast paced read with an engaging plot and good character development. I'm looking forward to the next one.

• My Reading Experience: Pretty Good
• Book Spice: Minimal - Level 0.5

This is book 2 in the series and I think the writing has gotten better in comparison to Book 1.

I also enjoyed the plot development more in this book.
It feels like there was more connection between the characters and the story flow. As with book 1, I’m left wondering what will happen next, but I still don’t think this will be a TOP 5 series for me.

The way the books are being titled is very interesting. I wonder what it means in the grand scheme of things.

4.5/5 stars ⚔️✨

Wow! What an incredible follow-up to FBB, which was one of my very top reads of 2024! I very anxiously counted down the time until I could get my hands on the next book in this series and to continue this story, especially after FBB left off with a HUGE cliffhanger!

I just love this ragtag group of misfits and I could read about their wild and fantastical adventures for a million more books. Can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you so much to Mai, Entangled/Red Tower, and NetGalley for the e-galley of FRR. So honored to early read for the second time what has become one of my favorite fantasy series!

4.5 ⭐️
I loved this fast-paced, multi POV follow up to Five Broken Blades!!

The first book was one of my favorite reads of last year. I couldn’t wait to dive into this one, and see how the story would move forward after the crazy plot twists in book 1. Just like the last installment, I was completely hooked from page one, and enjoyed every minute of this continuing story.
What I love about this series is that you get so many different POV’s, so you truly get into the minds of these characters, which allows you to connect with them. I found myself invested in each and every character arc. This book was definitely more plot driven, with romance being more of a subplot. But I was every bit as entranced, because the writing, worldbuilding, angst and action kept me fully engaged.
Wthout spoiling the story, I’ll just say that I cannot wait for the next book!!

I loved the twists and turns like the first novel did, and Inloved that it immediately jumped in where the last fell off. The struggle was still real with 6 povs to keep track of but this author is literally the gift that keeps giving.

10/10. I absolutely looooooved it and need the third novel right now.

I loved all the twists and turns this book took me on! I can’t wait until the next one! The character growth in this book really made it stand out. I loved how they continued the adventure. The romance between characters increased in steam and I loved it!

Such an amazing second book in this series. It just right in where the last book left off. I really love the different POV's with each chapter. And you would thing it would be to much, but Mai Cortland does such a great job at keeping it all interlaced where you are not confused and never bored!! I'm so attached to each and every one of these characters, I can't wait for the next book!!

Four Ruined Realms was everything I could have imagined and more. The action, the complexities, the twists and turns! I absolutely love the Broken Blades series. Mai Corland did a wonderful job with this second book. I absolutely love the six different POV's. The characters are back on the road on another deadly mission. I love every one of these characters and am so invested in the outcome. Being able to continue on this journey with these characters has been amazing. But I was NOT prepared for that ending….. I can not wait for the third book to come out I NEED to find out what happens from here.

4.5 ⭐️

This was such a great sequel for Five Broken Blades! The story picked up right after FBB and we dove into action pretty quickly. I absolutely love the writing style for this series of bouncing between the six POVs constantly - there’s never time to get bored of anyone, we get different perspectives of the action and the fallout afterwards, and not knowing whose head you’re going to jump into next makes you want to keep going. My favorite character from FBB reigns in FRR - my girl Sora has been through some shit, but she’s still strong and loving and protective, and I never want anything bad to happen to her. We did get a number of new characters in this book, but it wasn’t overwhelming because the plot always kept moving. There was fun new world building and lore and politics and magic that I can’t wait to see play out in book 3 to close the trilogy.

This is still one of my favorites to listen to on audio because of the full cast for all the POVs. The narrators are all great.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ebook ARC! I purchased the audiobook myself, so I could go back and forth between the two while enjoying the stellar narration. I also participated in the Entangled Insiders Readalong discussion. This is my honest review.

Thank you to Red Tower for the review copy!

Four Ruined Realms is another action packed heist novel in The Broke Blades series! I highly recommend this series to fans of Six of Crows. Expect a fast pace, lots of twists and turns, and short chapters.

I thought Four Ruined Realms was well written, but not necessarily “for me” and my preferences with the stories I read.

(This review contains SPOILERS for book 1 and 2! )

While I like that it has short chapters and thriller-like pacing, I tend to really love fantasy books where the characters get a few breaks for some sort of joyful moment. I really didn’t like that the characters were all fighting at the beginning, and for most of the book. I think I spent a little too much time between books 1 & 2, because I didn’t really feel the emotional intensity of the different characters’ motivations, except for Sora. Like, they were clearly told to me, but I didn’t *feel* them. Some of this might have been because of how short the chapters were, I just didn’t get enough time to live in each character’s experience and become reacquainted with them before we were on to the next character.

I tend to read a lot of romance and romantasy, and it felt like the romantic relationships really were a subplot in this book, and strung along some arguments in a “will-they-won’t-they” way that I’m just not used to reading anymore. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if at least one of the couples was getting along for the majority of the book.

Since I tend to look for those happy moments - whether with friends or lovers - the book kind of dragged for me. I think classifying it as a “romance” sets readers expectations in a way where they will be disappointed by the lack of romance in this book.

The adventure continues and keeps you guessing!
The gang from Five Broken Blades is back and on another mission. This time to obtain the dragon ring from another queen as directed by King Joon. I can't say enough about the incredible pacing and twists and turns in this story. I consistently found myself rooting for Royo, Aerie, Sora, TiYung, Mikhail and Euyn. Although they all felt betrayed at the end of the first book, I loved how FRR brought them all back together to obtain a common goal (even if they are each doing it for self serving reasons).
I can't say too much without giving anything away, so I'll just say that you NEED to read this series! (And true to form, the end had my mouth hanging open in shock).

An excellent sequel to Five Broken Blades. I love these characters and Mai Corland is a master world builder. I appreciated the recap at the beginning of the book and her world building skills means each character is distinct and unique, not getting lost in the shuffle. I can’t wait for book 3

“Our loved ones hang in the balance. If it can’t be trust, let vengeance bind us.”



Our favorite band of liars and backstabbers are on yet another mission, after their failed attempt to kill the king. They’re still keeping secrets and they still aren’t sure who among them can be trusted. They’re still don’t really have a choice but to work together. Each of them has someone who will pay if they fail again. Often, the second book in a series isn’t as good as the first. That was definitely not the case with Four Ruined Realms. Their adventures, misdeeds, and secrets were even bigger than before. We learned more about their backstories and, even though we got each of their perspectives, they still managed to surprise me. Some questions were answered, while new ones were raised. I honestly cannot wait for book three because I am DYING for answers!

One of the things that I truly enjoy is that the romance isn’t the primary focus of the story. While I enjoy a good love story as much as anyone does, sometimes it’s good to have the mission be the focus. I still love the found family aspect. Even when they aren’t sure whether to trust each other or how they feel about each other, they are still truly protective of each other. I loved how Aeri’s relationship with Royo progressed and the friendship she formed with Sora. I felt so bad for Ty while, also, really getting to like him as a character. Even with the circumstances he was facing, he still wanted to be a better person and do the right thing. His focus was still on the safety of those he loved. There is so much I want to say but I truly am struggling not to share anything that would be a spoiler. This really is the perfect story to continue after Five Broken Blades!

A phenomenal sequel! I feel like I waited for this book for so long and it lived up to everything I expected of it. I love everything Mai delivered in it. These characters give me so much but I just want so much more from them. I am ready for Three Shattered Souls. I need more answers. I feel like so much was set up in this book and now I need to be provided all the details.

United again with our favorite bunch of misfits! This book is full of twists turns questions and some shocking occurrences and answers. Action packed, fantasy forward and page turning. I could simply not get enough I had to know what happened next I had to get everyone’s perspective and thoughts. This is book 2 of a trilogy and it picks up right where book one left off, there was no lag or “break in” period as I like to call it to fall back into the story and be invested, it’s instantaneous. The authors writing style is a talent and one I love, it’s like watching seasons of your favorite tv episode every week with the turn of each page, each chapter is perfectly full of everything you want while also leaving questions that keep you going. I really can not get over how flawlessly this author wrote this book all the little intricacies, the attention to detail the deliverance of information and the doubt that she weaves into the story and the thought she put into every aspect of it, I don’t think there’s a single thing I didn’t like it was all done precisely and with great thought. Well done Mai Corland! I CAN NOT wait for book three!