Thus the journey ends. What started as five broken blades are now my beloved idiots that meet their fate.

Let me start with what tugged at my heartstrings the most:
Ari and Royo
Royo and Ari
You see the tears in my eyes?
I will not spoiler if they're happy or sad tears.

We continue with multiple POV and I would not have it any other way.

I'll not say anything about the plot for fear of spoiling, but the pacing is near perfect, and the last 20% left me fighting for breath.

I'm very happy how the finale turned out, after book 2 having lost a bit of its magic to me.

And I really hope there's more to come in this world in one way or another.

4,5/5 stars but all the stars overall for the trilogy.

Thank you @netgalley and @entangled_publishing for the widget to this eARC!

#ThreeShatteredSouls #FiveBrokenBlades #Netgalley #Bookstagram

Thank you to Mai Corland, Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC of Three Shattered Souls.

This final installment was everything I hoped for and more. The enemies-to-lovers tension, found family bonds, and fated mates storyline from the first two books all came full circle here in the most satisfying way. I was completely pulled into the emotional rollercoaster this book delivered. There were moments that wrecked me and others that made my heart soar.

I loved how the story wrapped up the main arc while still leaving just enough of a door open for a potential spin-off series. I’m not ready to say goodbye to this world just yet.

I was so nervous going into Three Shattered Souls. The title alone made me worry for each of the characters that we’ve grown to love the previous 2 books. The odds each of them faced alone as well as together just felt insurmountable. Like the previous 2 books, Three Shattered Souls was full of action. I’ve enjoyed the multiple POVs and getting into each character’s head. I’ve watching their growth as individuals as they deal with grief and trauma. Mostly, I love how they became a family. Found family is one of my favorite tropes and I love how close they all became to each other. There isn’t a lot I can say about the plot without giving things away but I will say that this book will break you and heal you and maybe even repeat that process multiple times as you read.

Updating my review. As I was given the opportunity to ARC read the entire book after my original preview.

Overall I’m happy with how book three ended. (And maybe not so secretly hoping for more. Spin off, anyone?) I feel like some books focus so heavily on romance, that the plot falls to the wayside. However, this was not the case for Three Shattered Souls. I also enjoyed how well this story picked up from book two. I tend to feel a little foggy remembering previous books in a series, if I don’t do a re-read first.

If you enjoy found family, a dash of romance, intrigue, and action.. this book is it. After the slight disappointment i had with book two, this book really redeemed the series. Though now I’m even more sad that this is the end. 💔

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I was given the opportunity to ARC read the first few chapters of Three Shattered Souls. I will say it is really hard to review a book based on such a small portion of it. However, I am really hopeful based on what I have read, that book 3 will be better than book 2 was. Mai is an amazing writer and tells each character's story beautifully.

Just finished a couple minutes ago and let me tell you I didn’t want it to end AT ALL. I got so invested in our stories, all these characters grew on me so much, I can’t believe their main story is over. 😭

Three Shattered Souls picks up right after the events of Four Ruined Realms and I’m so glad it does, because I don’t like multiple chapters of recaps in a series.

The pacing seemed a little slow for me, but I think that’s just the writing style and having to keep up with different POVs. I love how short the chapters are and how they keep you on your toes with all those little cliffhangers.

I absolutely loved Aeri, her character development was immaculate. At same time I went from hating Mikail in book 1 to adoring him in book 3. He seemed to mature over the months that the takes place.

Royo and Sora were a okay. I can’t say a lot about them, because most of the time something happened to them and not because of their actions, so we didn’t get a good look into their personalities.

I also don’t get why Ty had his own POV? He’s not a liar and he’s just there to support Sora while being horribly in love with her. 😒

But the story and the direction the ending took us seems to flow seamlessly. I, too, would’ve sacrificed myself the same way Aeri did. I, too, would get my revenge on Seok.

There were some moments when I was thinking “well let’s get straight to the point now” when the plot was not plotting enough for my liking, but I’m happy with the series nonetheless.

A must read, if I do say so myself.

And with that, thank you to Entangled Publishing for sending me an early copy through NetGalley. I’m beyond honored.

Quick very high level summary.
Mikail, Aeri, Sora, and Royo are back and still recovering from the death of Prince Euyn, Now is the time to take down King Joon. While on this mission to overthrow the current king a second mission forms, to liberate the Yusanian colony Gaya. Together our Blades battle four realms, face shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals while sacrificing all that they are and have.

My Take.
I knew I would devour this book since I was completely obsessed with the first two in the trilogy. At the same time, something in the back of your mind tells you to proceed with caution when coming to the last book in a trilogy that has become one of your favs. Caution because you worry if the last book will live up to the your expectations and hesitation because a part of you does not want the story to end. This book continues to build on the established worlds mythology and history while at the same time exploring and building upon the intricate relationships between the characters. This book triggers more emotion then the previous two so I am still processing.

I want to start this review out with a massive thank you to Red Tower and Entangled for providing a copy via NetGalley. I was so exited when I saw the chapter preview and I read and reviewed it immediately. After seeing my review of that, the publisher was gracious enough to send me the entire book on NetGalley which was amazing. So, long story short, don’t sleep on chapter samplers! You never know what might happen!

Anyways, as expected, I loved every second of this book. I absolutely devoured it. As with the rest of the series, the found family vibes were so strong and I love the way Mai Corland weaves connections between all of the characters that even they are not aware of until the time is right.

Romance took a bit of a back seat in this story but I’m alright with that. This book focused heavily on love as a theme and beyond just romantic love. I loved the Sora / Mikhail scenes particularly for this.

I loved this series so much and I’m so sad that it’s over. There’s a kernel of hope that we might get some more in this world and I would be so here for that!

This series is perfect for fans of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir - it’s action packed, filled with found family, and has multiple POVs that truly enhance the storytelling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4 stars — This book shattered me in all the best ways. The twists? Brutal. The betrayals? Personal. The stakes have never been higher for the Blades, and I was hooked from page one. I loved seeing how far each character was willing to go for the mission (and for each other). The pacing was intense, the found family vibes were immaculate, and the ending?? Still recovering. If you’ve been with this series from the beginning, this installment hits hard.

📚 Read in order:
1. Five Broken Blades
2. Four Ruined Realms
3. Three Shattered Souls

Revenge. Power. Loyalty. Let the games begin.

So I finally devoured the entire book and let me just say, my soul? Shattered. My grip on reality? Questionable. My obsession with morally gray, emotionally damaged characters? Fully validated.

From start to finish, this book drags you through angst, betrayal, longing, and a whole lot of “just KISS already” tension. The main trio had me flipping pages like a detective, trying to piece together all the secrets, trauma, and spicy glances being exchanged. And the slow burn? It was burning. Like, I had to hydrate.

The world-building is dark, rich, and just the right amount of confusing where I’m like “do I totally understand everything happening?” No. But did I care? Also no. Because the vibes were ✨immaculate✨ and the emotional payoff was worth every second of chaos.

A good conclusion to a wonderful series.

I love the Broken Blades trilogy. It has it all, action, romance, politics, and scheming. Three Shattered Souls doesn’t disappoint with all the above.

The other two books were 5 stars for me, this one moved a little slower and I didn’t love the conclusion so it’s 4 stars. There was a lot of moving from point A to B and not much going on. Most of the conflicts get resolved but I didn’t love all of it (because I’m a sucker for 100% happy endings.) Also we never find out what happens to Royo’s ex lover’s father. We’re assuming he’s alive but it’s not been confirmed.

As always the world building is fantastic and the characters well developed. Royo is my boy and woof you feel for him. The different POV’s are great and you feel so much for each because of it.

The book concludes well and gives the reader as much as a happily ever after that the Broken Blades trilogy could give.

Synopsis:
The gang is on the run because they just killed a whole bunch of powerful people. They end up on Gaya (Mikail’s home land) and oust the Yusaian government. While there they must overcome Joon with his two relics, defeat the Weian navy and the new “King” Seok. With betrayers and secrets in the mists, who can be trusted and can the blades win this final battle?

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Spoilers
I do think something should have happened with Mikail and how power hungry he got. He almost got all of the blades killed just for relics. Royo got the short end and has lost everyone and everything he cares about. The ending is open ended like maybe there is a chance the author might write a spin off focusing on Royo going into the Ten Hells to rescue Aeri but it’s no guarantee we’ll see that or her again. Would I read that spin off? 100% yes. I need a HEA for my Royo.


Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you Red Tower and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read this book early! WOW! What an ending for our misfit crew. I loved seeing all the loose ends get tied up but also my heart was so sad for some of these characters. This was full of twists and turns with a sprinkle of lies. I am so curious to see how much more of the world we get to see eventually. I highly recommend this series if you enjoy political intrigue, romance, lies, twists and turns.

4 Stars
I really loved this final book and especially how it ended—it honestly surprised me in the best way, which was great after I didn’t really connect with the second book. Overall, though, this series has been a fantastic ride.

What stood out most to me was how unpredictable the story was. I was constantly guessing what would happen next, and I love it when a book can keep me on my toes like that. The action was solid, the twists were well done, and a few of the characters went through some great growth, which made the story even more enjoyable.

The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is that I wish I could have connected more deeply with the characters emotionally. I felt like I didn’t get quite enough time with some of them to really feel their personal stakes. That said, this was still a super satisfying conclusion to the series, and I’m really glad I stuck with it!

So if you are looking for a thrilling fantasy romance filled with action, plot twists, and a little bit of romance, this is your next read.

“This isn’t an alliance—this is a family. One to live for and die with.”

What a finale! This trilogy is just so dang good. 😭

If you want the definition of found family, this is it. I was in my feels from the beginning. you can’t help but become attached to these characters. You’re rooting for them the entire way, flaws and mistakes and all.

Knowing the title is Three Shattered Souls, I was prepared for some devastation, and that devastation had me on the edge of my seat, watching, guessing, preparing…until it was delivered.

I love this world that Mai Corland has created and this was such a poignant ending, one I will be thinking about for good while.

P.S.- I’m so obsessed with Royo. I would go to war for that man!

Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing and Red Tower for this early copy!

I am wrecked 🥺 This was heartbreaking, but in good ways, if there is such a thing. I did want to yell at Mai Corland 😅 but I will try to recover without demanding explanations for why she killed a character (or two).

This trilogy's ending had many things coming to an end. Personally, I wasn’t ready to end the story yet, and I hope the spin-off series has more answers for some characters since this left me wanting more of this world.

Recommended to any fantasy reader. Start the series from the first book and you will get the most out of this amazing world and its characters.

THAT is how you end a trilogy.
The story has been told, it hasn’t gotten away from the author, and it wraps up.
I’m going to have a bit of a book hangover from this one but it’s worth it.
The characters you come to love from the first two books somehow make you love them more. The storyline plays out-without spoiling, it ends the only way it can.
The books are so good I want more from Mai Corland, but this particular storyline ends exactly where it should.
I need a designation for 5 stars but the best 5 star read I’ve had this year.
Thank you, Entangled, for allowing me to read this early. 🖤

What a journey. Three Shattered Souls is exactly the ending that this trilogy needed. Now for me the second book did suffer a bit from middle book syndrome. But Three Shattered Souls definitely made up for it. Action packed and filled with emotion we continue to follow along with our characters and their journey. I felt a variety of emotions and I love it when an author isn’t afraid to do some of the things that is truely needed to make the story great. And I really think that Mai Corland did that here. Now I do think some of this was things we could definitely see coming the whole entire time but I still enjoyed the journey getting to the end and seeing the story come full circle. I really can’t wait to see, even though this trilogy is done, what Mai does next with that last line. I really am hoping she does a spin off in the future. I would love that!
Thank you to Red Tower/Entangled for the complementary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall, a Fantastic Trilogy!
4.5 ⭐ Overall
I absolutely loved every minute of it! 🤩
So grateful that we got all 3 books inside of a year. Also, Major Kudos to Miss Corland for her seamless transitions from one book to the next and the "Previously On" recap in books 2 and 3. Much appreciated! 🤘

As with the first two novels, #ThreeShatteredSouls is full of deception. I can't imagine living my life always looking over my shoulder and never knowing who I can really trust. 🫣
Souls and hearts were definitely shattered. 💔
I'm sad that it's finally over because I loved being in this world and really bonded with the characters and enjoyed watching them grow. But I am satisfied, if not a little sad, with the conclusion and wrap-up. Even a little excited because it's totally left open for a spin-off. 🤞🫢

💚 Thank you to @netgalley , @redtowerbooks and @entangled_publishing for the eARC! Honored for the privilege to read this early. What a fun, drama-filled, action-packed series! 🤩

#FinishedSeries #Trilogy #Fantasy #LGBTQ #HighFantasy

In the conclusion of the Broken Blades series, the characters we have grown to love continue to try and bring peace to their people by destroying those who are searching for power no matter the cost.

Three Shattered Souls continues with the multi-character point of view, which offers such a unique perspective. You get to see the deceit, love, loss, struggles, joy, and ultimately the price paid to save them all from multiple viewpoints.

This title did not disappoint, but one of the souls that was shattered was my own when the book was done.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I am wholly unequipped to write a worthy review of this masterpiece.

I was holding my breath the entire time, because Mai Corland wrote did such a wonderful job building up this rich world with it's own mythology, history, and complex relationships that she set the bar impossibly high. Somehow, she set the bar even higher. This book is full of emotion - sadness, happiness, anger, longing, anxiety, restlessness. It's got romance, humor, revenge, and everything in between.

Loved all the characters, their individual development and their growth as a group. I could not have asked for better.

This book not only wraps up the major plot points that have been festering since book 1, but opens the gates for more of this world.

Truly, if you enjoyed the first two, this is a MUST read. If you're debating starting the series, do it now!

Epic romantasy trilogy. One of my favorite reads ever.

I’m going to try to keep this short and sweet mainly because I’ve met Mai Corland and she’s so sweet. Trust me when I say this, I wanted so badly to love this series. But sadly "Three Shattered Souls" left me feeling a bit disappointed.

A little flash back on the previous books:
1. Five Broken Blades- it wasn’t perfect but I had a fun time reading it and couldn’t wait to see where our rag tag group was going to do next
2. Four Ruined Realms- well let’s just say it exists. I was not a big fan of this one and really wanted to give up on the series entirely.

Now Three Shattered Souls - I’ll be honest I didn’t have a high desire to read this but Entangled & Red Tower was kinda enough to grant me an ARC. So I thought why not let’s see how this journey ends.

First I want to mention I love that Mai kept the story flowing flawlessly from book 2 to book 3. I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of times I’ve jumped into a book sequel and been so confused because the author just drops in the middle of something completely random instead of picking up where the previous book left off. So thank you Mai for granting your readers that reprieve.

I will also say that this book also handles some heavy topics really well. Losing a loved one and losing one’s identity is a struggle no matter if it’s real life or fictional. Watching the characters overcome this throughout the book made them feel raw and human. I think many readers are going to find this so refreshing and relatable.

Now even though I enjoyed those components it still wasn’t quite enough for me. For a finale I just expected more. There were too many moments that definitely needed to be further clarified, side characters could’ve been fleshed out more, and the pacing could’ve been gone a bit quicker. Lastly on a selfish personal thing-the one thing I really wanted to happen didn’t actually happen (and let’s just say I’m a little bit salty about it.)

Overall, even though this isn’t my favorite Red Tower series. I’d still recommend it for fans of Six of Crows. Lastly big Thank you to Mai Corland, NetGalley, and Red Tower Publishing for allowing me to read and review this early!