Just finished...this is exactly what I hoped it would be.

Will be back for a better review when my brain is working again.

I’ve called Mai Corland’s Blades series “fun” before, and I stand by it – these books have the energy of a summer blockbuster, with a mismatched crew on a mission, plenty of betrayals, and character-driven stakes that kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. I have literally purchased three different copies of Five Broken Blades, and I am not sorry.

Three Shattered Souls picks up after the chaos of Four Ruined Realms as the Blades gear up to finish what they started back in Yusan. I’ll keep it spoiler-free, but I appreciated that the story didn’t tie every thread into a neat little bow. Instead, it left the door cracked open for more stories in this world – and with these characters I’ve come to enjoy, I’d happily read those future adventures.

This final installment didn’t feel as tightly paced as the first book for me. There’s a lot of moving from place to place, a lot of new side characters, and moments when I found myself recalibrating to remember what exactly was driving the crew at this point in the journey. I also found that the writing style grated on me at times. Some characters’ POV chapters felt clunky and stiff, while others slipped into a chatty tone with repeated phrases that started to lose their charm. Yes, I was even annoyed at times with my beloved Royo. It wasn’t enough to ruin the experience, but it was noticeable.

All that said, I cared about these characters, and I was invested in seeing where their arcs would lead. Even when the execution wasn’t perfect, the emotional payoff was there, and I closed the book satisfied with where these characters landed after everything they’d faced together.

If you’re looking for a trilogy that delivers a fast-paced, adventure-heavy fantasy with romance threads and found family dynamics, the Blades books are a fun ride. Three Shattered Souls was a solid, enjoyable finale for me – a 4-star read that reminded me why I love following a crew of messy, determined characters to the end of their journey.

Mai Corland delivers a thrilling finale in *Three Shattered Souls*, the concluding installment of the *Broken Blades* trilogy. Fans of the series will feel right at home with its signature blend of fast-paced action, high-stakes fantasy, and a tangled web of political intrigue that only gets deeper and more dangerous. The ever-present tension between the main characters—particularly the “do I or don’t I trust you” dynamic—remains a strong point, adding a satisfying edge to every interaction.

Plot-wise, the story hits the ground running and doesn’t let up. Corland continues to build out her fantasy world with confidence, layering magic, alliances, and betrayal in equal measure. For those who have followed from the beginning, it’s a rewarding payoff in terms of character growth and plot resolution.

That said, one notable letdown is in the romantic arcs. Where the earlier books invested time and emotion in building complex relationships, *Three Shattered Souls* seems to push those connections aside. The romances that once held so much promise are left unresolved or underdeveloped, making for a frustrating experience for readers who were emotionally invested in those threads.

Still, the strengths of this book outweigh the weaknesses. The epilogue hints at a potential spin-off, which will excite those not ready to leave this world behind. While the romantic elements may not land, the core of what makes this trilogy compelling—its intricate world, layered characters, and relentless pacing—is still very much intact.

**Rating: 4/5**
Recommended for fans of the series and anyone who enjoys fantasy with a sharp political edge.

This book was everything. Three Shattered Souls absolutely blew me away—it far exceeded the first two in the trilogy. From the first page, I was hooked. The pacing, the emotional weight, the stakes—I found myself so deeply invested that I raced through it... only to wish it hadn’t ended.

Mai Cortland masterfully weaves together multiple character arcs with such precision and care. The final chapters wrecked me in the best way—my heart was shattered and healed all at once. I cried for Euyn and Mikail, for Royo and Aeri, and for Sora and Hana. Their stories were filled with so much betrayal, courage, and sacrifice. And Tiyung… oh, Tiyung. Always loyal, always overlooked—his journey was both heartbreaking and heroic.

It’s raw, emotional, and full of soul. This is the kind of ending that will stay with me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

That was a heart wrenching conclusion, but a fitting end to the series.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an unreal conclusion to the series! Mai Corland has quickly become my favorite fantasy author. Not only does she write amazing fantasy, but she has set herself up as a powerful female author in the epic fantasy genre. I love large cast fantasies with intertwined story lines. Each character is complex and deep- no one feels like a throw away or a convenience. This is a series that you should read each book back to back because it is easy to forget some small integral plot points. I absolutley loved this series and I can't wait to see what Mai Corland does next.

The Broken Blades trilogy is complete! For me, these books are just pure fun. There’s always something happening, some new revelation or twist, and the short chapters with cliffhangers at the end of almost every one keeps me soaring through them. I found seeing inside so many characters heads interesting, especially since most are not good people and are very different from me.

I was overall happy with where the story went and ended, but I didn’t like this one quite as much as the first two. It felt a bit slower and there was a lot of traveling for things that could’ve been an email (or eagle message as it were). I guess eventually as a series comes to an end you just run out of constant new revelations, but that was what I found so fun about the first two.

This was a fun ending to a fun series that I ate up like a guilty pleasure show. It’s not the most sophisticated read, but sometimes you don’t want that you know?

Thanks to the publisher for the copy

A devastatingly beautiful conclusion to the Broken Blades trilogy. Three Shattered Souls delivers high-stakes betrayal, found family, and the brutal cost of loving a nation more than yourself. Every character’s sacrifice hits hard, and the emotional payoff is immense. Corland masterfully closes the series with heartbreak, hope, and a haunting reminder: saving your world sometimes means losing yourself. A must-read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Honestly, it pains me to give this one only 3 stars.

As a final conclusion to the Broken Blades Trilogy, this was a very long, albeit fast-paced story that felt like it was all over the map (literally). After the last book was only a small down-grade from Five Broken Blades, which mostly centered around our main five protagonists... This story added even more characters and SO MANY things happened that I couldn't keep up near the end.
The characters kept going back and forth to different cities and places within mere minutes It felt like a whirlwind. And there were so many twists I was honestly lost. I skimmed the last 25%, which is unfortunate because in the previous books that was the best part.

All in all, I think this series was entertaining, but definitely fell into the almost exhausting potholes that YA fantasy trilogies that get too big for their britches do. So many loose ends to tie up and so many characters and places, things just started to make my eyes glaze over. The short chapters were a service to the first book but now just felt tedious because they could have just been longer and helped with some of the whiplash.

Keep the map handy for this one.

4.25 ⭐️

this book felt exactly like the others in that it was fast paced and fun throughout. the way that the characters continue to care for and love each other is so sweet 😭.

the ending was devastating and gut-wrenching, so much so that i almost wish i didn't finish the series. however, props to mai corland for making me feel something big.

The epic conclusion to the Three Broken Blades Trilogy had me glued to the pages. We received some answers to lingering questions from the prior books we all were waiting for. Mai's writing has me transported to this world, fully immersed - truly feeling like a fly on the wall.

Overall, I had a great time reading this book though it did take me some time to get through. Appreciate the EARC and opportunity to read and review early <3

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for an ARC to the conclusion of this series!! I really enjoyed this series and the journey it took me on. Side note: the cover designs on the books foreshadow events that happen in the book!! So crazy and it didn’t click for me until I completed the series. While there is romance in this book, but not as much, I really enjoyed the found family aspect. All of our characters were brought together for this big mission, some of them not knowing others were going to be on it and then they were kind of just thrown in this journey together. Along the way they were able to find family in one another and formed those bonds and I thought that was really beautiful. I can’t believe the journey is over, but I really enjoyed reading about Korean mythology. It’s not something I see all the time. This was definitely a roller coaster, both this series and this book especially!!

“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸.”

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 7/15/25

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: The final installment in the Broken Blades Trilogy. We follow the remaining Blades through an upcoming final war, discovering betrayals and finding hope along the way.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
👑 Complex relationships/past
🌊 Final battle
👑 Short, addictive chapters
🌊 Multiple POVs

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: The third book in the Broken Blades trilogy did not disappoint. 🤩
At this point, I was completely invested in these characters and their relationships. The writing flowed well of course, the story was great and the world building was easy to follow. The
𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 thing that kept me from giving this one 5 stars was a lack of jaw dropping moments/revelations that I expect at the final book of a series. With that said, the conclusion was terrific!! I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy and overall Books 1-3 📚rated 4.75/5 as well. Add these to your TBR, you won’t be disappointed.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟


*Thank you @Entangled_Publishing for reaching out to me and offering this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Thank you @NetGalley for providing the ebook.

#ThreeShatteredSouls

Three Shattered Souls
The Broken Blades Trilogy #3
By Mai Corland
Narrated by Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Sophie Oda, Jaine Ye, Roger Yeh
4.5 ⭐️

I’m so sad this series is over - I loved it so, so much. I found this finale satisfying while still finding myself being equal parts heartbroken and craving more. This book moved fast - it felt like our group, split in two, ping ponged all over their realm and back again a dozen times. Even so, it was easy to follow in both eyeball reading and listening to the audio. I combo read this starting with the ebook and finished with the audio. I’m surprised at how well I did eyeball reading such a fast paced book. I do wish we got to stop and spend more personal time with the characters since this was our parting moment. I always want more.

The audiobook was beautiful. I’ve loved every book of this series in audio. I do wish all performers pronounced Aeri’s name the same. My brain always thats that as a micro aggression, and I was ready to defend my girl’s honor each dang time they said it differently than Aeri’s narrator did.

Thank you so, so much to Mai Corland for taking your readers on this adventure and for Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read this early via an eARC. I bought the audio on my own.

This is the conclusion of the series and the first two books took us on an emotional journey and book three doesn’t disappoint. There are secrets being held and we still don’t know who to trust. This unlikely group of villain turned hero’s is trying to make a difference in the world. All the storylines come together and I love seeing how it all came about and worked out. I was devastated when this was over and wasn’t ready for it to be done. I loved these characters. There is more heartbreak so brace yourself but this series is amazing. Loved it.

I can’t believe it is truly over! “This isn’t an alliance - this is a family. One to live for and die with.” My heart was just not prepared. I knew based on the title that I was going to experience something tragic but I still wasn’t ready. This is such a beautiful ending to this trilogy. One that I will be thinking about for a good long while. Mai has such an incredible way with words, so much so that I felt intertwined with every emotion each character faced. I don’t want to give any spoilers so all I will say is that this is a great read and I will definitely recommend it! While I am truly sad that this series has come to an end, I cannot wait to see what she has up her sleeve next!

Thank you so much to Mai, Entangled Publishing, Red Tower Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

Great ending to the series, though a few less deaths could have happened. Loved that there were multiple point of views. Royo deserves his story and I hope that we get it

Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland

This is the last in The Broken Blades trilogy, and this was truly a book that defined the series. I had the deepest honor to not only hear Mai talk about these books at an author’s panel but to also meet her! She was just the nicest person and how much she loved these characters and the story just shines through.

I will not say too much to avoid spoilers since this is the grand finale of such a beloved series, I will say it doesn’t disappoint! This books takes place after Four Ruined Realms left the reader and takes off running. You fall even more in love with each of the characters and some new ones as well! Everyone’s stories get even more depth with more surprises and betrayals. It is a book that will break your heart in all the best ways and leaves you wanting more!

If you have not picked up this series yet what are you waiting for?! It is such a great story with unforgettable characters and moments that will stay with you. I found myself highlighting so many great one liners and I am not one to highlight anything. I highly recommend this one.

“This isn’t an alliance—this is a family.”

Three Shattered Souls was the perfect finale to a series that completely stole my heart. From page one, I was locked in—ready for the emotional rollercoaster and still somehow not prepared. It’s full of loyalty, love, heartbreak, and those found family moments that make you feel everything.

I’ve been rooting for this chaotic crew since book one, and watching their journeys come full circle was so satisfying. Every character brought something important to the story, and I stayed emotionally attached to all of them—especially Euyn (my girl) and Royo (no notes, perfection).

The ending felt right. It hurt, yes, but in the best way. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye, but I’m so glad I got to be along for the ride. If we ever get more from this world, I’ll be first in line.

Definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves high-stakes drama, found family, and characters who are beautifully complicated.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for sending me this ARC!

💍Three Shattered Souls wraps up the Broken Blades trilogy by Mail Corland in such a surprising way. I never saw it coming. I went into this one ready to be hurt again, and Corland delivered! First, I loved how we start the book with sort of a run-down catch up. With a long break in between books, it can be tough to remember every detail and jumping into the world can take a little extra effort. This was perfect, and gave me sort of a "Last week on..." TV vibe that I really, really appreciated. I wish more authors would do this.

💍As a big fan of the ragtag gang of assassins, rebels, and outcasts, this one blew me away! I was absolutely heartbroken by Four Ruined Realms, and really looking forward to how it would all play out as the realms rose up and vie for power. This one is just as suspenseful, emotional, and action-packed as the first two. The subtle humor of the characters' voices continues to be a standout for me. Since reading Five Broken Blades, I fell in love with the way Mai Corland writes. It's not a laugh every line kind of humor - it's darker, reflective, and cautiously nihilistic in a way that always speaks to my soul.

💍My favorite duo, Aeri and Royo, have undeniable tension that continues to build and burn. I love the way the characters bounce off each other. Royo is so worried about being capable that he can't find the bravery to make it real; and Aeri is so self-assured that she forgets to treat vulnerability as an asset.

💍The way Mikhail grows in this book, the way he refuses to inherit Euyn's mistakes and misjudgements was so powerful to me. He echoes Euyn's beautiful traits, but with a grace and empathy Euyn was never able to reach. I appreciated the theme throughout of making the most of life's lessons. He's been softened, but strengthened.

💍Sora comes into her own in a beautiful, blossoming fashion. Her story is truly so beautiful and representative of how beauty feels to women. A sharp weapon to wield and a barrier.

💍Corland's prose stands out to me in the balance of action, adventure, and character depth. You're relentlessly shifting perspectives, learning new things. The emotional payoff for this series is amazing. This is a finale worthy of the characters and their paths, and the ending made me crave more of this world and the characters. The action and sharp humor grabbed me by the collar, but the characters pummeled me into an emotional mess. And I loved every second of it! Hopefully this won't be the end! If you like Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, RF Kuang you'll probably love the Broken Blades trilogy. If you love Knives Out as much as I do, you'll also love this series!

Major Tropes & Themes:

- found family/ragtag group
- political tension & warring factions
- reluctant, morally grey heroes
- multi-POV
- grief & healing
- shared trauma, survivor's guilt
- shifting alliances, secrets, suspense

5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you so so much to Mai Corland and Red Tower/Entangled (and Entangled Insiders) for allowing me to read Three Shattered Souls early! I truly love this series and cannot wait to follow Mai Corland's career as she continues to be an absolute rock star! I will share my review to retail sites and Instagram ✨